I wrapped my arms around Azriel’s neck and somehow murmured, “Dingdong, the bitch is dead.”
After that, I knew no more.
Epilogue
“I really do not like the idea of you moving all the way up here.” Riley crossed her arms, every bit of her body bristling with indignation.
“It’ll take you less than an hour to get here,” I said, voice mild as I maneuvered down onto the picnic blanket. My back was aching but my stomach was so damn large these days I made whales look positively svelte. It made doing anything extremely awkward.
Not everything, Azriel commented, amused.
I snorted softly and shot him a look. He was standing close by, ready to offer a hand if needed. I didn’t need it, not in this instance. Barrel belly or not, I was determined not to lean on him too much for help. It was that whole stubbornness thing I was famous for raising its ugly head again.
I wasn’t thinking about sex, reaper.
No, I was. His amusement grew. Have I told you how utterly irresistible you are when you’re fat and round with my child?
A hundred times a day, I said dryly, but I’m getting a little tired of the word “fat.”
Rotund?
Worse.
Portly?
No.
Amply proportioned?
I picked up a twig and tossed it at him. His laughter ran through me, warm and teasing.
“That’s an hour I could be spending with my grandson,” Riley grumbled, oblivious to the fact that there was a whole other level of conversation happening. She dropped beside me. “You’re sure you wouldn’t reconsider the warehouse near our place? It’d make a truly stunning home.”
“So will this—if it ever gets finished.”
“If you’d bought the warehouse, I could have been there every day to hassle them along.”
I grinned and twined my hand through hers. While it hadn’t taken us all that long to find and buy this acreage up in the Macedon hills, it had taken months—and months—to get council approval for our uniquely designed, rough-hewn residences. I did not want to go through all that red tape again—especially now, with the birth of our son so close. Besides, I wanted him to grow up in the clean, fresh air of the mountains rather than in the city.
“How’s Uncle Rhoan coping with being the boss of the guardian division?”
She snorted. “He says he hates it, but he’s always loved a challenge. And with the Cazadors on his side, helping him clean out Hunter’s factions, I think we’ll soon see a very different—and ultimately more efficient—Directorate.” Her gaze met mine, gray eyes glittering silver in the morning sunshine. “That was a very shrewd move on your part, suggesting he appoint Markel second in charge. They make a good—and dangerous—team.”
“All I did was ask a favor. Rhoan’s the one who deserves the congrats. He took the chance on him, not me.”
And I was grateful he had, however dubious he might have been at the time. Markel certainly deserved the opportunity to be something other than just another Cazador lost to the berserker bloodlust.
And while neither he nor Stanford might have had as much of a place in the final battle with Hunter as either they or I had hoped, Stanford had, at least, helped steer the high council away from seeking retribution for Hunter’s death. For that, I was grateful.
Movement caught my eye. I glanced around as Quinn and Tao emerged from the thick forest and sauntered down the hill. The rather large tree trunk they were carrying between them might have been a twig for all the effort they were showing.
“There’s something very satisfying about watching men building a house,” Riley murmured, her gaze following Quinn. “Maybe we need to buy some land up this way and build one of our own.”
“Good idea.” I reached for one of the sandwiches. “It means my babysitter is that much closer.”
She grinned. “And you think I’d mind?”
“Not in the least.” I paused, watching as Quinn and Tao positioned the log onto the plane saw. Behind them was the roofed framework of three large pavilions—separate living quarters for me and Azriel, Ilianna and Mirri, as well as Simi, Tao’s new partner, and the woman he’d initially been afraid to go on another date with because of the elemental. She, when it had become obvious he’d had no intentions of taking their relationship any further than the one date, had taken matters into her own hands. She was definitely a woman who knew exactly what she wanted, and she’d fit in rather nicely to our little group. Both Ilianna and Tao would be living here only part-time; Ilianna had recommitted herself to working at the Brindle—which was where the last piece of the key now resided. Tao—in elemental form—was still spending his nights up at the nearby sacred site.