Epilogue

Four Months Later

I sleepily ran my hand across warm, smooth skin. Bare, delicious skin enveloping the second-most beautiful abs I'd ever laid eyes on. The most beautiful set belonged to a demon and I wasn't touching them with a ten-foot pole, so I was one hundred percent content with these most beautiful human abs.

My fingertips ran across hard-edged scars as I caressed my way across firm pectorals and the inexplicably mouthwatering lines of his collarbones. Why did I want to chew on his collarbones? It made no sense… but the world was full of nonsensical things. Why fight it?

Following that thought, I pushed up on one elbow, leaned over, and grazed my teeth across Ezra's collarbone. A drowsy inhalation lifted his chest, and I resumed my exploration of his physique as I breathed in his mouthwatering scent. Moving my mouth to the side of his neck, I did the teeth grazing thing to the underside of his jaw.

Another sleepy breath. "Are you chewing on me?"

"Complaining?"

He turned his head until our noses touched and studied me with grave sobriety.

My lips twitched.

Without warning, he rolled on top of me. The blankets tumbled off the bed as his mouth closed over mine. He kissed me slow and deep. I wrapped my arms around him—and, for good measure, I wrapped my legs around him too.

He rumbled against my mouth and pushed me into the bed with his hips. I moaned in answer. I loved sleeping naked. It made mornings so much more fun. And lucky for me, it'd taken exactly one morning together for Ezra to come around to my way of thinking.

Tearing my mouth away from his, I craned my neck to check the alarm clock glowing on my nightstand. Whoops. We'd slept in too long.

I rocked my hips against his. "We don't have much time."

His lips nuzzled down my throat. "Do we need that much time?"

I grinned. No, we did not. I could feel how ready he was.

We made it out of the bed not long after, sweaty and breathing hard. I stretched my arms over my head, arching my back. "How is it so hot? I was hoping for a cooler June."

He kissed my shoulder on his way by, heading for the bedroom door. "We could talk Aaron into installing air conditioning and spend the summer with him."

I wrinkled my nose. "No thanks."

Ezra glanced back as he pulled my bedroom door open. "He only teased you a little, Tori."

"He needs to grow up."

Which wasn't an entirely fair assessment, since Aaron had only started teasing me after he'd walked in on Ezra and I making out like horny teenagers in various rooms of his house about six times in two days.

"Speaking of Aaron," Ezra added, "when is he arriving?"

"Fifteen minutes."

"Oh, shit."

As he hastened for the bathroom, I grabbed my lightweight housecoat and pulled it over my naked body. I didn't strictly need to cover up in my own apartment, but I never knew where Twiggy might be lurking.

I hopped in the shower first while Ezra shaved. He'd made the switch from a scruffy jaw to clean-shaven shortly after Eterran's exorcism. I wasn't sure why he'd decided on the change and I hadn't pestered him to explain.

Lots of things about Ezra had changed, some small and some big—but at his core, he was the same man I'd fallen in love with.

He wasn't quite as cool-headed as he used to be—though not because he'd suddenly gotten temperamental. Not even close. He was as steady as ever, but he'd gradually become more opinionated. When he didn't like something, he let us know. When we annoyed him, we definitely got to hear about it.

And I loved it—because after ten years of suppressing every spike of negative emotion, Ezra was letting himself feel again.

He wasn't merely indulging in occasional grumpiness, though. His smile was brighter. His laugh was louder. His happiness was bolder. And his protectiveness of his friends was fiercer than before.

He was still soft-spoken. Still perceptive and kind. Still a little shy. But he was also evolving, growing, discovering who he was—and I was with him every step of the way.

We switched places in the shower, and I massaged hair product into my long curls while we discussed my training session tomorrow. Aaron was refusing to start me on a real weapon until I'd mastered my brass knuckles, which was completely unfair. I wanted a giant-ass sword like his because hell yes.

I opened the bathroom door, letting a wave of cold air inside. Wrapped in a towel, I hurried across the hall.

"Tori?"

I came up short. Twiggy had appeared near my legs, his prickly head tilted back as he peered intently at my face. See? This was why I didn't walk around naked.

"Yes?" I inquired cautiously, knowing that the spinning-gears expression on his green face meant nothing good.

"Are you having a baby?"

I almost dropped my towel. Clutching it against my chest, I squeaked, "What? No!"

His waxy skin crinkled with his frown. "Then who's your baby daddy?"

"What?"

"Is Ezra your—"

"No! I don't have a baby or a baby daddy, Twiggy! What the hell?"

He continued to frown, then walked over to the bathroom, pushed the door open, and asked loudly, "Ezra, are you Tori's baby daddy?"

"What?"

"Or is Aaron Tori's baby daddy?"

"WHAT."

As the shower abruptly shut off, a loud knock sounded at the other end of the house. Saved from trying to explain the idiot faery's latest brainwave, I rushed down the hall and up the stairs to the back entryway.

Aaron's eyebrows shot halfway to his hairline when I flung the door open. He gave my towel-clad self a swift once over, then sighed. "I even waited an extra five minutes in my car to be sure you weren't naked when I got here."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, Tori likes to bone her hot boyfriend, so funny."

"Maybe I should get me one of those."

"A hot boyfriend?"

"Or the girl variety."

"Well, what's stopping you?"

"Good ones are all taken."

I snorted. "The problem is you're too good, Aaron. The average girl can't keep up with a guy like you."

"I think that was a compliment?"

I waved a hand dismissively. "You know the drill?"

"Yep. I'll keep him hostage while I try on every piece of combat gear available."

I snickered. Poor Ezra. "He should be just about ready. I'll let him know you're here."

"And I'll wait in my car, just in case you lose your towel between now and him making it up the stairs."

"Har har."

He pushed through the screen door, and I hastened back down the stairs, already cringing over explaining Twiggy's baby questions.

Ezra stood in the hall with a towel wrapped around his waist, but he didn't seem to be waiting for me. He was gazing into the living room where a loud voice exclaimed something with overly dramatic intensity.

I stopped beside him. Together, we watched the TV show's host pace across a set made to look like a cozy living room while he somberly explained how, in just a few minutes, he would reveal Sara's infant son's paternity test results, determining once and for all whether her husband or her husband's best friend—cue audience gasp—was the real father.

Twiggy sat three inches from the screen, enraptured by the talk-show host.

Groaning, I slapped my hand against my forehead. "Why do I have a faery roommate?"

Ezra laughed. Looping an arm around my waist, he drew me into the bedroom and pushed the door shut with his foot. An instant later, his hot mouth was against mine, and I plastered myself against him without thought, hands stroking down his damp chest.

And there went my towel. Damn it, Aaron had been right.

Ezra slid his hands down my sides, over my hips, then back up to my waist. He pulled me close and his mouth brushed over my ear.

"Someday, do you think?" he murmured.

"Huh?"

He chuckled, the husky sound diving straight to my core, then stepped back from me with a final caressing touch. "I'm going to be late."

"You're already late. And someday, what?"

"Nothing."

"What?" I growled, annoyed.

His eyes sparked with mirth but he didn't reply as he opened the closet and slid a pair of jeans out.

I forgot my annoyance at the sight of his clothes hanging in my closet. Why did his belongings mixed with mine stoke that fire in my belly even hotter? I wanted to drag him back into bed and have my way with him for a few hours before releasing him to Aaron.

But that would ruin a lot of careful planning, so I banked my desire for later.

As Ezra dressed, I glanced at the stack of his combat gear peeking out from the top shelf of my closet. Short, black leather cords hung from beneath them—the ties of Eterran's bracer. Ezra had begun wearing the bracer on jobs, keeping it hidden under his long, metal-studded gloves.

In the months since he and Eterran had separated, Ezra's enhanced strength had faded from "impossibly strong" to "impressively strong" and was holding steady there. His reflexes weren't blindingly fast anymore, but they continued to be above average.

That spark of demonic essence would live on in him, maybe for the rest of his life.

Oblivious to the direction of my thoughts, Ezra swept over for a goodbye kiss that left me weak in the knees, then hurried into the hallway. I listened for the door.

The moment it banged shut, I dove for my closet, dug into the very back, and pulled out a dress bag from the darkest corner. Little did he know I wasn't spending the next several hours lounging around eating cereal and fighting Twiggy for the TV remote. And if I didn't hurry, I'd be late too.

Fifty-three minutes later, I came flying out of the bathroom, awkwardly clasping a small seashell pendant around my neck—a spontaneous gift from Ezra after the whale-watching tour we'd gone on last month.

"Twiggy," I called, "have you seen my purse?"

The faery barely glanced up as I rushed into the living room and peered over the sofa. Shit. Where had I left it?

A shimmer of orange and green danced in my head, then a scaled silver body swept over to me. My purse hung from Hoshi's small paws, fuchsia eyes bright.

"Ah! Perfect. Thank you, Hoshi." I hitched my purse over my shoulder and gave her head an affectionate rub. "Keep Twiggy calm while I'm away."

Her tail flicked, a sunny swirl of yellow telling me she was amused.

Grinning, I sped up the stairs, and a minute later, I was standing on the front sidewalk, catching my breath but ready to go—and looking damn good. My vibrant cobalt dress featured a plunging halter neckline offset with a playful tiered skirt that fluttered around my knees. My hair, still slightly damp, was piled up on my head, and I'd spent a painstaking fifteen minutes on my makeup. A pair of dangly earrings and strappy white sandals finished my outfit.

Ezra wouldn't be able to keep his eyes off me, and I was already itching for him to slowly peel off my dress when we got back to my place tonight.

You'd think, after four months, my libido would've calmed down a bit, but nope. I mean, how could it? The man was ripped, tireless, and deliciously eager to make up for lost time.

I indulged in two minutes of inappropriate reminiscing before a dark blue Dodge Challenger pulled up at the curb.

The passenger door flew open and Sin leaped out, arms already reaching for a hug.

I grabbed her, squeezed the air from her lungs, then stepped back to take in her outfit. Her little black number with a strappy back was sexy as hell, her dark makeup enhancing the sultry look. Her hair color of choice this month was a deep, shimmering violet that made her skin look like porcelain.

"Hot," I announced. "You told her that, right, Justin?"

My brother leaned across the center console. "Repeatedly."

"Good."

Sin laughed, a faint flush in her cheeks. "I actually wore this dress for our three-month anniversary dinner, so I've been complimented about twenty times."

I almost teased her about celebrating a three-month dating anniversary, but she was glowing with happiness and I just couldn't do it. They were such a ridiculously cute couple that I'd hardly teased them at all.

Sin flipped the passenger seat up so I could climb into the back. She got back in, and then we were off, the Challenger's V8 engine rumbling aggressively.

"Does Ezra suspect anything?" she asked, her voice high with excitement.

"He doesn't have a clue," I confirmed gleefully. "Do you have the decorations?"

"In the trunk." She clapped her hands in determination. "The pub won't be recognizable when we're done with it."

"Perfect."

As Justin turned onto Powell Street, heading into Gastown, she twisted to look back at me. "Did Justin tell you?"

"Sin," he complained. "Save it for—"

"He quit his job!"

I choked on saliva. "What? You quit the force, Justin?"

He cast a look of smitten exasperation at Sin. "I was going to tell her later when she wasn't so busy."

"Pff, she can handle it. Tell her!"

"Yeah," I added with heavy emphasis. "Tell your sister the big news. I didn't even know you were thinking of quitting!"

"I got hired at Huginn Muninn Investigations."

"At… what?"

"Huginn Muninn!" Sin exclaimed. "Don't you know about it? It's a PI firm that partners with Odin's Eye. They collaborate on bounties and investigations that cross between mythic and human jurisdictions."

My eyes popped. "Whoa. Really? I didn't know that sort of thing existed!"

"Me neither," Justin laughed. "Lyndon mentioned it to me, and I asked Izzah the next time she was at the pub. She passed on my résumé, and I went in to interview last week."

"No way!"

"Yeah. I have to get my PI license before I can start any real work, but once I do, they're partnering me with their most experienced investigator."

Excitement buzzed through me. "I can't believe you didn't tell me about all this right away!"

"You were busy planning the surprise party of the century," he teased as he executed a smooth parallel park outside a familiar bakery.

He waited in the car while Sin and I went into confectionary heaven to pick up my massive order of cupcakes. We added them to the trunk, which already contained half a dozen bags of streamers, balloons, banners, and colorful tablecloths.

The drive to the guild took only a few minutes. As the car zoomed through the intersection where the guild sat, seeing repaved asphalt and repaired buildings reminded me what the spot had looked like four months ago.

The search to uncover the Court of the Red Queen's final sects was ongoing, but with Xanthe in custody, it was steadily progressing. Darius had reported last month that they'd weeded the cult's remnants out of Vancouver, and guilds from Seattle to San Francisco were hunting for hidden "circles" in their cities. It might take another few months, but the cult was going down for good.

Justin parked in the tiny back lot, and I put all that out of my mind as we carried our haul in through the kitchen.

"You're here!" The cheery cry came from Sabrina as she rushed around the bar, her pink dress fluttering and her chin-length blond hair styled with salon-perfect beach waves. She helped us stack the cupcakes on the counter, then gave me and Sin hugs, gushing over how pretty we looked.

Kaveri followed more sedately. The witch wore an earthy brown dress that brought out the golden tones in her skin.

"Ready to make this place festive?" she asked me.

"Let's do it!"

We got to work. Standing on tables, Kaveri and Sin hung blue and white streamers from the ceiling beams while Sabrina arranged the matching tablecloths. Justin sat in the corner, red in the face as he inflated an entire bag of balloons.

I pulled out a shiny banner and, climbing onto the back counter, attached it to the wall so it looped beneath the massive silver war hammer where it rested on its heavy hooks. Jumping down, I checked my work.

"Happy 24th Birthday," the sign read.

My throat constricted. Twenty-four. The birthday Ezra was never supposed to have. If we hadn't changed his fate, he would never have survived to this day. Together, we'd saved him.

"Tori?"

I started, then realized tears were about to spill from my eyes. I tilted my head back, blinking furiously before the moisture ruined my makeup.

"You okay?" Sabrina asked softly.

Makeup saved, I examined her concerned expression. "Did you see it coming, Sabrina? Everything that happened?"

"Not even the greatest prophet can see everything," she replied lightly. "My mother once told me, ‘Most people in this world are carried by the current, but beware the rare few who create waves with every step they take.'"

My forehead crinkled.

"You're a wave-maker, Tori, and waves are difficult to predict—so maybe you could just coast along for a bit so my tarot cards behave?"

"Uh… I'll try?" I hesitated. "Your cards were wrong, though, weren't they? They predicted Ezra would sacrifice himself. The Hanged Man and the Death card, remember? But he didn't die."

"The cards weren't wrong." She pressed her hands together. "The Death card doesn't mean literal death. Just like the Devil card doesn't mean a literal demon… usually."

My eyes widened.

"The reversed Devil—redemption," she said softly. "The Hanged Man—sacrifice. Death—endings and beginnings. Do you see?"

Oh.

Yes, I could see it now. The fortune she'd seen had never been about Ezra alone. It'd been about Ezra… and Eterran.

Sabrina watched that sink in, then offered me a hesitant smile. "By the way, are you sure you don't want a rabbit?"

"A rabbit?"

Her eyes lit up with devoted fervor. "Cinnabunny's babies are so cute. Rabbits make wonderful pets, you know. Really!"

"I'm good," I said quickly, shaking off my shock. "Twiggy and Hoshi are enough trouble for me."

A cheerful jingle rang through the pub, and I spun toward the door, half petrified that Aaron had blown it and Ezra was walking in. But nope—not unless Ezra had developed a new love for leather in the last couple of hours.

A sexy hunk and equally sexy hunkette walked in, both clad in motorcycle leathers with helmets tucked under their arms. Kai's hair was mussed while Izzah's raven locks were beautifully wind-swept in a way my curls could never achieve.

"You're early!" I trotted over for an electramage hug. It was a hug sort of day. "I thought you had a big meeting."

"Cancelled," Kai revealed. "Makiko called me ten minutes before I left explaining how the VP we were supposed to meet with got run over by a golf cart during his morning round on the course."

"How does one get run over by a golf cart?"

"That's what I asked." Izzah shrugged airily. "We can only guess."

"He was probably drunk," I decided.

Kai set his helmet on a nearby table. "Speaking of drinks, who's manning the bar today?"

"The big man upstairs volunteered."

"Darius?"

"Who else?"

Kai arched a dark eyebrow. "I'm telling him you called him the big man upstairs."

Alarm shot through me. "Uh—"

"You'll do better tonight, eh leng chai?" Izzah asked, planting a hand on her cocked hip. "You overdid it a bit last time, hm?"

"I was celebrating," Kai muttered. "And Aaron kept bringing me shots."

"It's fiiine," I sang, throwing my arm around his leather-clad shoulders. "It's not every day he can celebrate joining his first guild—again."

Izzah's stern expression softened into a sparkling smile. "No, but try-lah not to throw up in the cab on the way home this time."

"Whoa, you threw up?" I gasped.

Kai scowled darkly, then walked off with a low mutter about getting changed. Izzah sashayed after him, a predatory spark in her eyes. She had him on the run, and she'd keep teasing him until he exploded—by which I meant, until he pinned her to a wall somewhere and kissed her into speechlessness.

I watched them disappear in the direction of the stairs, beaming happily. Things weren't perfect, but they were heading in the right direction.

Kai couldn't change his family, but turning himself in to the MPD to save Makiko's life had produced an unexpected side effect: it won him the support of her father. It'd taken months of careful maneuvering, but Mr. Miura had helped Kai respectfully end his engagement to Makiko, move into a business role in MiraCo, and, barely a week ago, transfer back into the Crow and Hammer.

Even splitting his time between MiraCo and his guild, Kai still got to chill at the pub, hang out at Aaron's place, and do all the bounty runs that Aaron's bad-guy-busting heart desired—when he wasn't out with Izzah, that was. Thank goodness she'd given him one more chance.

I tapped my chin. The text message I'd sent her a week after Kai officially became single probably helped. It'd said something like, "Kai was an asshole because his family was gonna kill you. Tell him to tell you everything."

Smirking, I got back to work on the party decorations. We spent a ridiculously long hour hanging balloons—with no small amount of time wasted by literally all of us static-charging ourselves with the balloons and trying to shock Kai—and just as we finished, Clara and Ramsey breezed in, both loaded down with bulging grocery bags.

"The food is here!" I cheered.

"Are we late?" Clara fretted. "The line at the store was a nightmare."

I glanced at the clock. "You're good. We have just enough time."

We all piled on the groceries, separating the snacks from the hors d'oeuvres. Sin, Sabrina, and Kaveri emptied bags of chips into big silver bowls while I arranged the million cupcakes on the tiered dessert tray I'd last used for a long-ago Halloween party. Kai and Izzah reappeared to help, the former wearing slacks and a dress shirt, while the latter had changed into a strapless emerald dress.

As I nervously rearranged the napkins and plates stacked beside the dessert tree, guests began to arrive. The bell over the door rang every minute, voices called out excited greetings, and conversation swelled through the room. I zipped into the back to throw the cupcake containers in the recycling bin, and when I returned, Kai and Izzah were standing at the bar with petite, dark-haired Makiko.

The young MiraCo GM looked like a million bucks in a silver, knee-length sheath dress, her hair coiled into an updo. A Japanese man around her age stood beside her, and my eyebrows shot up. A casual plus-one or a special someone?

"Makiko!" I called brightly as I swung around the bar to join them. "How are you?"

"I'd be better if my most important meeting of this quarter wasn't indefinitely postponed," she huffed.

"The VP broke his tailbone in the golf cart accident," Kai informed me. "He won't be back to work for weeks."

Makiko sighed.

"I'm sure it'll work out," I replied brightly, not in the mood to worry about random drunk VPs. "Or if you want a less stressful work environment, transfer to our guild!"

A small smile curved her lips. "We made it work for Kai, but my father needs me."

I tapped my lower lip. "How did you make it work?"

"There are certain advantages to keeping his association with MiraCo unofficial. As a… consultant… he can get away with things a guild member can't."

"That was our spin on it, at least," Kai added dryly. "My grandfather's allowing it because I'm not a complete embarrassment for once."

He said the last part with a spark of humor he wouldn't have felt before, and I hid a sigh of relief. Kai was no longer running from his past. He'd found new confidence in dealing with his family, and he had a more relaxed air about him than I remembered.

Or maybe it was Izzah's influence. Who knew.

The clock ticked closer to 2:45, and I did a swift headcount on the guests who'd arrived so far. If even one person was late, I would smack them into next Christmas for ruining my party.

The guild door swung open again and Darius stepped inside, dressed smartly in a black bowtie over a baby blue button-down shirt that made his gray eyes pop even more intensely than usual. A bunch of guildeds called out greetings as the GM headed toward me.

"Good afternoon," he said. "I see everything is prepared."

"Yep!" Clara chirped, sweeping over to us with Sabrina and Sin on her heels, grinning proudly. "We're ready to go."

"Excellent. Tori, I'd like a word in my office please."

My eyes widened. An invite to Darius's office almost always meant someone was in trouble. "Someone" being me.

"It'll only take a few minutes," he assured me before I could protest.

I hesitated, then nodded. Not like I had a choice.

He led me up two flights of stairs, past the officers' desks, and into his office. As I sank nervously onto the chair in front of his large desk, he circled around it and took his seat.

I peered from the bookshelves to the stacks of papers on the desktop. It looked just like it had the first time I'd sat here.

"Tori." Darius steepled his fingers. "You've come far since you first wandered into this guild."

Oh. Uh… okay. I bobbed my head. Did he really need to drag me away from my about-to-begin party to tell me that?

"Clara mentioned that you recently finished final exams for your college term. How did they go?"

"Not bad." Especially considering how many classes I'd missed in January and February. "Pretty sure I passed everything. My Associate's Degree is in the bag, and if I complete another two years, I can get the full degree."

"Have you decided if you'll pursue your full degree?"

"Um… not really. I haven't decided anything." I squinted at him. "Why do you ask?"

He smiled seriously. "While updating me on your exam progress, Clara also informed me that she's utterly fed up with trying to run a guild and a business at the same time, and I need to hurry up and promote you to pub manager."

"M-manager?" I stammered.

"If you accept, your responsibilities will include ordering, accounting, scheduling, staffing, licenses, maintenance, and so on. Clara will oversee all your training, and once you're ready, she'll withdraw entirely from the pub side of the guild to focus on her AGM duties."

My mouth hung open.

"You'll also have more schedule flexibility should you choose to pursue bounty work on the side," he added. "Felix indicated in his last evaluation that you're ready to apply for your bounty license."

"He did?" I blurted.

"For your first year, you'll need an officer's approval for every case you take on—which won't be difficult to obtain, I imagine."

Yeah, because any bounty I wanted to take on that was too difficult, Aaron the Fourth Officer would just go with me. "I—I'm not sure… what I… I mean…"

Darius assessed my stunned expression with an understanding twinkle in his eyes. "Take your time and think about it."

As I nodded, he circled the desk and held out his hand. After a moment of confusion, I placed my hand in his. He drew me to my feet, smiling warmly.

"Before your new career options distract you too much, we should return to the party. I have a bar to prep."

Right. The party.

Darius and I returned to the main floor, and with a panicked look at the clock, I shouted for everyone to quiet down and get in position. They all scooted toward the pub entrance, leaving an empty half circle around the door. I squeezed through to stand at the front of the group, wringing my hands nervously.

Behind the bar, Darius waved casually, and the room went pitch black. In the eerie silence, the seconds ticked into minutes.

"How long do we have to wait?" Cameron whispered from near the back.

"Shh!"

Another minute ticked past, then I heard it: Aaron's familiar voice, chatting exuberantly about something, drawing closer. Footsteps scuffled outside, then the door swung open.

Ezra stood in the threshold, lit by the streetlamp outside, his amusement at whatever Aaron had said flickering into confusion when he saw the pub's dark interior.

The lights popped back on, and right on cue, a deafening shout blasted through the room:

"SURPRISE!"

My voice rang the loudest, and Ezra reeled back into Aaron, shock all over his face. Laughter and cheers broke out, and I ran forward, arms outstretched. The rest of the guild crowded in behind me.

As Aaron nudged Ezra across the threshold, I grabbed him in a hug. He gawked at me.

"What—is this—Tori!" he complained, half laughing.

I beamed. "Happy birthday!"

His astonishment softened, and he dipped his head for a swift kiss.

Half the guild wolf-whistled, and Ezra quickly straightened, rolling his eyes. Kai appeared from the group, snagged the aeromage's arm, and pushed him into the crowd for birthday hugs and well wishes.

I nudged Aaron. "Perfect timing!"

"Of course." He preened. "I'm a pro at this stuff."

"Really?" Kai replied with a snort. "What about Ezra seeing my text about picking up his gift? I had to pretend it was a present for Izzah."

"I was showing him a funny video! How was I supposed to know you'd text me right at that moment?"

Ignoring their banter, I watched Ezra receive a dozen birthday hugs before deciding the length of the room was too much distance between us. As I set out to join him, someone started music. Darius, behind the bar with his sleeves rolled up his forearms, was pouring drinks with a level of finesse I'd need another twenty years of practice to reach.

I wove through the gathered mythics, stopping to hug people, laughing, teasing. All familiar faces. All friends—no, family. Some closer than others, some nicer than others, but they were all my family now.

Justin tagged after Sin, grinning like a lovestruck idiot as she bounced from friend to friend, telling everyone about his new job. Cameron, Darren, Cearra, Alyssa, Riley, and Liam had started a drinking game. Lyndon, Bryce, and Drew had stationed themselves at the cupcake tray and were methodically eating their way through the sweet desserts.

Our witches Kaveri, Kier, Delta, Philip. Our officers Girard, Felix, Tabitha. Our healers Elisabetta, Miles, and Sanjana. And our newest member, who was in earnest discussion with Alistair: Blake, formerly of the Keys of Solomon.

The Keys of Solomon guild was no more. Too many members had betrayed them and too many had died, and the guild had quietly disbanded once the MPD's investigation into their actions had closed. I was openly delighted to have Blake as part of our crew—and secretly happy that he'd finally let go of Enright to find a fresh start in a new city and at a new guild.

Not every face I longed to see was present, but that was okay. Almost everyone was here, and happiness swelled in my heart until it felt like it would burst.

Music pounding and voices raised in boisterous conversation, the party swirled around me. Finally, I made it over to Ezra at the end of the bar, and a moment later, I was tucked against his side, his arm around my waist as he laughed at the story Andrew was telling him—something involving a fae he'd mistaken for a were-fox.

Drunk on joy, I beamed at everyone until Ezra nudged me with his hip. He nodded toward the other end of the room

I spotted Kai and Izzah first. She was leaning into his chest, her arms around his waist and—I grinned—her hands tucked in his back pockets. He was listening to her, focused entirely on her face, and I wish I had my phone out to snap a picture of his gooey expression. He was melted ice cream in her expert hands.

Then I spotted the other, far more unexpected couple only a few paces away. Aaron had his head bent toward Sabrina as she explained something animatedly. Eyes widening, she threw her arms up—and he tossed his head back in a laugh.

My eyebrows rose—then shot ever higher as he leaned toward her and said something that made her burst into peals of laughter too.

Were my eyes deceiving me, or were those two flirting? And even more shocking—Sabrina hadn't pulled out her phone for a round of bunny photos.

"Interesting," I purred. "Very interesting."

Ezra chuckled, his chest vibrating with the sound. "Don't get too excited. Aaron's dating history is against him."

"Oh, come on. Sabrina is adorable. His parents will love her." Laughing at his dubious expression, I slid away from Ezra's warm arm, circled behind the bar, and ducked beneath the counter.

Reappearing with a silver gift bag topped with white tissue paper, I held it out to him. "Happy birthday, Ezra!"

His eyes lit up, and he slid the bag closer. He hesitated, the tissue paper pinched between two fingers. Then he plucked the paper out, reached inside, and withdrew his gift.

It was a photo album, the leather cover patterned with musical notation. He flipped it open and blinked to find the first page empty.

"Next page," I suggested.

He turned it to the following page and blinked again at the two tickets tucked behind the protective plastic.

"The album is for photos of all the concerts we're going to go see," I told him, inexplicably nervous as I watched his unreadable poker face. "And those are tickets to our first one—the biggest folk music festival in the country!"

He carefully set the album down on the counter. Then he leaned across it, wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, and pulled our mouths together. His kiss was everything I'd ever wanted—fiery passion, sweet promise, and a helluva lot of heat.

Was the party over yet? Because I wanted my man back in my bed, like, now.

Sinking my hand into his hair, I deepened our kiss, my tongue flirting with his—and a loud cheer went up, swiftly spreading through the entire pub. Reluctantly, I straightened as my guildmates whooped and catcalled us.

"Hey, you're doing gifts without us!" Aaron zoomed to Ezra's side, digging in his pocket. "Happy birthday, man."

He dropped a white envelope on the open photo album, the "gift" decorated with a slightly crumpled gold bow. Ezra opened the top and slid out a packet of plane tickets.

"First class!" Aaron boasted. "Round trip for your music festival."

"What?" I gasped. "No way! Thank you, Aaron."

"Don't forget my gift." Kai slid into the spot on Ezra's other side and handed the aeromage a folded piece of paper. He hadn't bothered with a bow. "Hotel reservations."

Aaron rolled his eyes. "You're supposed to let him open it, Kai, not just tell him what it is."

"It's a hotel reservation printout. Not very glamorous." He canted a look at me—his smoldering, woman-melting look. "But your room will be very glamorous, I promise."

I grinned so broadly my cheeks hurt. "Thank you, guys. This is the best gift ever."

"It's not your gift, Tori." Aaron gave me a stern stare. "It's Ezra's. And it's totally up to him who he brings as his plus-one."

My gaze swung to Ezra. He thoughtfully tapped the plane tickets back into the envelope.

"Choices, choices," he murmured.

"Ezra," I growled.

His grin flashed, and he leaned across the bar again to plant a kiss on my scowl. "Of course I'm bringing you."

"Of course." I stuck my tongue out at Aaron.

He stuck his tongue out back at me, then pointed behind the bar. "You got the rest of his gift?"

"Oh, right!"

Ezra watched bemusedly as I dove through the saloon doors and reappeared a second later with a three-foot-long black case. I heaved it up on the counter beside the photo album and turned it toward him.

"Ta-da!" I said.

A grin was already spreading over Ezra's face. He didn't need to open it to know what was inside, but he flipped the thick clasps up and lifted the lid anyway. Nestled in black foam, a pair of short swords with equal length silver blades and black hilts shone under the overhead lights, the two weapons designed to fit together into a two-foot-long baton or a four-foot-long double-bladed staff.

"Are these from your blacksmith, Aaron?" Ezra asked with awed disbelief. "The one in Tennessee?"

"Yep. He makes weapons for half the Sinclair Academy mages. No offense to the deceased Twin Terrors, but these are superior blades. They won't break."

Ezra ran his hands along the hilts, then closed the lid. Turning to Aaron and Kai with an eager fire in his eyes, he asked, "Tomorrow morning?"

"Afternoon," Aaron corrected. "I'm not doing a live-blade practice with you while hungover."

"I suppose."

Snorting, the pyromage swiveled toward me. "Okay, last gift."

Panic fizzed through my chest. Another gift? I didn't know about any other gifts for Ezra! Had I forgotten something? Had he forgotten? What—

"Your gift," he added.

"Wait, mine? Why am I getting a gift?"

Aaron, Ezra, and Kai exchanged gleefully wicked looks.

"Well, you see…" Aaron began.

"This is actually an important day for you too," Kai continued.

"Because it's your guild anniversary," Ezra finished.

I stared at them. "No, it's not."

"It is!" Ezra insisted. "It's your one-year, one-month, one-week anniversary from your first shift here. Remember?"

Aaron tapped the counter. "I'll jog your memory: you threw a drink at us."

I ignored that. "You can't be serious."

"We are," Kai said. "We even got you a—"

Someone screamed.

I whipped toward the sound as mythics surged backward, opening a gap in the middle of the room—and revealing the shaggy black wolf padding across the floor toward us, scarlet eyes shining eerily. A tiny brown paper bag hung from its teeth.

All conversation fell silent as everyone nervously watched the varg. I fully expected it to approach my spot at the bar—but it walked right by and stopped before Kai.

He took the bag. "Thanks."

The wolf stared at him, turned and stared at me, then disappeared in a swirl of shadow right where it stood.

Zak's vargs were as melodramatic with their exits as he was.

Kai waved a casual hand at everyone watching us. "Just a druid delivery. As you were."

With much chuckling and head shaking, they resumed their eating, drinking, and talking.

"Why is a varg delivering something to you?" I asked Kai suspiciously.

"Since I stole Zak's number out of your phone so I could pick his brain on a certain… project." He slid the tiny paper bag to me. "He sent you this."

I opened the top and peered inside.

"Finally!" I lifted out a violet-and-blue crystal—the long overdue replacement for my new favorite artifact. "He was supposed to send this last month."

"He'd planned to show up today and surprise you with it, but he canceled last minute due to a dragon-chimera duel."

I looked up, jaw hanging. "A what?"

"He had to referee. Couldn't wait, apparently."

I continued to stare, trying to imagine what a fae duel—and refereeing one—would entail, then dropped the leather cord over my head. The crystal settled beside my seashell necklace.

Ezra cleared his throat. "As we were saying, we have a gift for you."

"An anniversary gift." Dubiousness dripped from my voice. "For a one-year, one-month, one-week anniversary."

They grinned, then Kai reached into his pocket and withdrew another envelope, this one folded in half. "This is from me, Ezra, and Aaron—with some help from Zak and Darius."

"Zak?" Blinking, I glanced along the bar, where the GM was busy with the blender. "And Darius? What kind of help?"

Kai held it out. "You'll see."

Nearly vibrating with anticipation, I unfolded the envelope, bent the top open, and slid its contents out.

Three playing cards, worn and yellowed with age. The hand-painted King of Hearts sat regally, a crown perched on his head and an eyepatch covering one eye. The dangerous Jack of Clubs wore all black, two daggers crossed in front of him. And the Joker, dressed in black and red, grinned mischievously as he held a deadly sword at a cocky angle.

"The Queen of Spades can never be replaced," Ezra said softly, "but these cards are from the same deck. The sorcerer who created the Queen made these too."

I stared at the three cards.

"We aren't sure about their spells yet." Aaron rubbed his jaw. "We've got consultations with a few experts lined up. We'll get it figured out."

"Their spells?" I whispered.

"The incantations aren't just written on the backs," Kai pointed out. "And since the deck's original creator passed away thirty years ago—and the cards' previous owners weren't forthcoming about how to use them—we need to do some Arcana detective work."

My eyebrows shot up, but he just shrugged mysteriously. My gaze slid to Ezra, smiling serenely, then to Aaron's broad grin.

I fanned the cards out. The dark, enigmatic Jack. The one-eyed King. The laughing Joker.

Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I didn't even care about my makeup. I set the cards on top of the photo album, planted my hands on the bar, and vaulted across it. I landed in Ezra's arms, then I was hugging all three of my mages, crying all over them while they laughed and patted my shoulders.

"Guildeds!"

I lifted my face from Ezra's chest at Darius's loud call. Clara had joined him behind the bar, and the two of them were lining up an assortment of glassware, from rocks glasses to wide-mouth snifters.

Everyone swept toward the bar, and after tucking my cards in the photo album, Aaron and Kai hustled me and Ezra to the spot right in front of the GM. Our guildmates crammed in all around us.

"It's time for a toast," Darius announced. "And we'll be drinking my secret sparkling strawberry sangria."

Loud oohs and ahhs filled the pub. I laughed, tears still streaking my cheeks.

He picked up a pitcher of candy-red sangria, and Clara lifted the other. As they filled each glass, Aaron and Kai started passing them out. I grabbed two glasses, and when I turned to hand them off, I found Justin and Sin behind me. Sabrina and Kaveri beside them. Izzah at Kai's side. Makiko behind them with her plus-one.

We handed out drinks to everyone, and with a cold wine glass in my hand, I turned back to Darius. Ezra slid his arm around my waist, warm against my side.

The GM's piercing gray stare touched on me, then Ezra, then Aaron and Kai. He lifted his gaze to the rest of the guild and picked up his glass of sangria.

Silence fell, every mythic—and two humans neck-deep in mythicness—listening intently.

"I could make a long, heartfelt speech about family, loyalty, love, and bravery," he mused, "but really, there's only one thing to be said."

My breath caught.

He raised his glass into the air. "Don't hit first—"

"—but always hit back!" we shouted at the top of our lungs.

Laughter and cheers rang out, and as one, we brought our glasses to our lips and drank.