Epilogue

Epilogue

Diel licked fasterand faster along the seam of Noa’s pussy, her thighs clasping around his neck. She moaned out loud, and his cock throbbed with the need to sink into her. She ripped at his hair, tearing a growl from his mouth, which made Noa moan even louder.

Then Diel bit on Noa’s clit, and she broke apart, body shaking and jerking. He moved from between her legs and, in one quick move, sank inside her. He groaned as her pussy squeezed around him, still coming down from her orgasm. Diel clenched his teeth and pounded into her. Noa wrapped her hands in his hair, yanking at the strands.

He loved it when it was like this between them. Fucking monsters wrapped in flames, fighting for dominance. Noa pulled Diel’s head down and crashed his mouth to hers. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, and he drank down her addictive taste.

Noa broke from his mouth, breathless. “Harder,” she demanded, smiling tauntingly. Diel slammed into her so hard and fast that her eyes rolled back as though she were freefalling off a cliff.

It had been over a month, and Noa’s wounds had faded and she no longer felt much pain. They had lasted just over a week before she had pulled Diel above her and he had taken her slowly, quietly. Then only another week before Noa had gathered enough strength to ride him, her movements careful and deep. Tonight, she had found him in the shower and brought him back to bed, wanting it raw and savage and … fuck. Diel’s head ticked as her pussy began to clench around him again.

“I’m coming,” Noa said breathlessly and rolled her hips faster.

He felt the pressure building at his lower back, at the tops of his thighs, and gritted his teeth. Noa raked her fingernails down his back, and Diel focused on the new tattoo that was now over the Coven brand on her chest, courtesy of Sela. The Brethren’s upturned cross was now a Fallen sword with wings, wrapped in the pentagram that the fucked-up priests had tried to make Noa and her sisters ashamed of for too long. Now they embraced it. It was the symbol of what they had survived, of who they were.

Now, Noa was in the Coven, but a part of the Fallen too.

Bending down, her come flooding his cock, he licked her new tattoo, and she shattered apart, taking Diel over the edge too. He threw back his head as her legs clamped around his back. He came so hard that he was left breathless and damp with sweat.

Noa ran her hands through his hair, then brought him down to her mouth, her brown eyes beaming. She smiled against Diel’s lips as he kissed her. “I’ve missed that,” she said. Diel pulled his head back to look at her. Her face was flushed, and she fucking stole his heart.

Diel rolled to the side, taking Noa with him. She sprawled across his chest and stared out of the window at the dark sky. “It’s a full moon,” she murmured. His heart fired into a sprint.

Noa lifted herself up. “What’s this meeting with Gabriel about?”

Diel shook his head. “Don’t know.” His head ticked from side to side and he blinked rapidly as the lie fell from his lips.

Her eyes narrowed. “Is it to do with Cara and Destiny? It’s nearly midnight. Something must have happened.”

Diel’s stomach turned at the mention of his sister. Jo and Candace were working night and day to break the code. They believed it was potentially coordinates of where they were being held. But in reality, it could be something else. So, they were going back to the Coven’s roots of searching priests’ homes, researching Brethren benefactors, and searching for more Brethren books, just to get some kind of lead on them, on wherever they might be.

Noa placed her hand on Diel’s cheek and turned him to look at her, all her questions about Gabriel’s meeting apparently forgotten. “We’ll get her. I swear it. Even if we have to turn this world on its head to do so.”

Diel took a deep breath and kissed her. “I know,” he rasped. Then he rolled off the bed, holding out his hand. “We need to shower.” She hesitated, clearly wanting to ask something else, but she eventually took his hand and followed him into the shower.

She was silent as he washed her, head tilted back as he finger-combed her long pink hair. Noa had told him her original color was dark blond. But she preferred the pink—it symbolized the change from being an innocent child to the woman she was now.

When they had dried off and put on some clothes, Diel led Noa down the stairs. Noa went to head to the Nave, but he shook his head. “This way.” Noa’s hand tightened in his. She was confused, but Diel led her to the back of the manor and out to the grounds.

They crossed the lawn to the cluster of trees. “Diel, what—” Noa’s question was cut off at the first sign of the fire in the center of a clearing. She stopped dead as her eyes fell on her sisters all dressed in white. Dinah was the one to approach. Noa’s hand shook in Diel’s. He studied her face. Her cheeks were pale and her brown eyes were wide.

Dinah held out a white dress for Noa. “For you.”

Noa numbly took the dress with her free hand. Dinah walked back to the rest of their sisters. Noa stared down at the white material, then lifted her gaze to Diel. “Diel, what … ?”

Diel pulled her to him and placed a hand on her cheek. “This is who you are.” He could feel Noa’s heart racing against his chest. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Diel pressed his forehead to hers. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. “You freed me, gave me back my past,” he said, voice hoarse with emotion. “You sacrificed yourself to find my sister.” He swallowed at the warm expression on her face. “You fucking gave me you.” Diel kissed Noa’s trembling lips. She clutched the white dress like it was a lifeline. “Let me do this for you. Let me give you something too.”

Noa was quiet for so long, Diel thought she would refuse. Perhaps she was not yet ready to remember her family this way, to embrace who she truly was the way he had done when she’d freed him from the collar. He thought of all she had done for him since he slammed her against the wall in that priest’s home.

She had given him charity. Now he wanted to give her some charity too.

A drum began to play. Birds burst into the night sky at the abrupt sound. Noa closed her eyes. Naomi was playing the drum, beginning the ceremony.

“Why are they doing this? We have different beliefs,” Noa said, referring to her sisters. The smell of sage permeated the air as Beth lit the herbal sticks and handed them to each of the sisters to purify the air.

“They love you,” Diel said, reason enough for why they would do this for Noa. They were her Coven. Her sisters. Her life. “Just like I love you,” he added, and he meant every fucking word. He could feel the scar around his neck pulse with the truth of that statement, his monstrous side nodding in agreement.

Noa looked up at Diel. “I … I can’t believe you’ve done this.” She swallowed.

The beat of the drum grew faster, and Noa looked at the circle her sisters had created. At the candles lighting up the area. At the fire in its center, smoke rising into the air. Diel saw it then, saw that yearning on Noa’s face, felt it pulse from her soul.

He squeezed her hand. “Go.”

Noa hesitated for only a second, but then slipped her shirt from her body as she walked and pulled the white dress on, the hem trailing along the floor. She kicked off her pants and shoes, eyes closed and head tipped to the sky and the full moon that looked down at her as she pressed her bare feet into the earth.

Diel saw it ground her. He saw the elements wrap around her and welcome her home. But it was the wide smile on Noa’s face that shattered his heart. The laugh that spilled from her parted lips as she looked at her sisters, as she took her place at the head of the circle just like her grandmother would once have done.

Noa stretched her arms high, her sisters following suit, and called out, “We call on the elements—earth, fire, wind, water and the aether …” Diel was hypnotized as he watched her sway in the firelight, watched the flames’ shadows dance over her face as she recited the words that had been tattooed on her very soul since childhood.

“No one should ever be punished for their beliefs,” a voice said from behind him. Gabriel stopped next to Diel, watching the Coven start their dance around the fire. Naomi played the drum, the sisters chanting along with Noa, singing … free. Noa’s arms swayed as she spun, and her eyes were bright and filled with joy as the familiar words spilled from her mouth. “Not when this level of freedom, of serenity, is the result.” Diel let Gabriel’s words filter over him. Diel agreed.

“Redheads, right?” Bara said, coming to Diel’s other side. “Hottest people on the fucking planet.” Bara was watching Naomi like a tiger watches its prey.

Sela came next, silent, like he had been since finding out Destiny was out there somewhere, waiting for him. Uriel and Raphael, Maria and Michael followed. Michael was gripping the two vials he now wore around his neck. One was blood from the first boy he’d exsanguinated in Holy Innocents as a kid. The second was Beth’s from the night in the Brethren barn. Michael clutched it in his hand as he watched the small brunette dance and smile. His fangs pressed into his bottom lip, and there was a flush to his white cheeks.

“They look so beautiful,” Maria said from beside Raphael. Then she stepped toward the Coven, drawn to them like a moth to a flame, and released Raphael’s hand. Dinah spun around and held out her hand, an invitation to join them. Maria did exactly that and followed Dinah in moving about the fire. Naomi handed Maria a candle to hold toward the moon.

“Fuck me,” Raphael groaned, watching his woman dance, her long hair touching the back of her knees as it swayed back and forth. His nostrils flared. He was transfixed.

But Diel only had eyes for Noa. For the woman who had crashed into his life like a damn wrecking ball and freed him from his shackles. Watching her now, seeing her embrace who she truly was, he knew she would never be leaving his side. They were forever. And together, they would destroy the Brethren and make their fucked-up part of the dark Massachusetts underworld right.

Noa turned and saw Diel watching her. She smiled wide, white teeth bright, finally unburdened from any fear or shame that had held her down. And with every dance around the fire, she took ownership of her heritage, honored the long line of persecuted witches who’d gone before her, and paid homage to the grandmother she’d adored and lost.

In that moment, Noa’s finally free soul completely owned Diel’s. And he never wanted to get it back.

Noa, his savior.

His fellow killer.

His beloved pink-haired witch.