Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

" W hat? But you can't," I say.

"I'm sorry," Damon says. "I don't know how else to end the curse. The Dark Lord will keep sending bigger, badder demons after you until his oath is fulfilled."

"There must be another way," Beverly says.

"If there is, I don't know it. And we could be running out of time right now." He looks to the female demon. "This is my friend, Eisheth. You can trust her."

His words do not reassure me. I wrap my arms around myself nervously.

Eisheth bends down, touching the ground. "I think she is coming."

"Who?" I ask.

"Surely not," Damon says.

"I told you," Eisheth says, "the Dark Lord is eager to end this matter."

Damon turns to me and puts his hand to my cheek. "I'm sorry, my love."

"You…you love me?"

"I don't know how else to describe how I feel about you," he says.

"I don't either," I say. "But if you love me, how can you possess me?"

"Better me than someone else."

I can't fault his logic there. "Will…will it hurt?"

"I don't know," he says.

I start to cry. I can't believe I finally found love again. I finally got over my broken heart, my guilt, and was ready to start living again just for this to happen.

"I'm so sorry," he says, wiping the tears away.

I pull Damon into a hug, holding him tightly because I never want to let him go. I don't know what is about to happen, and I'm terrified. And what about—

"Bella?" I say when I see her run through the door with her grandmother, Mark's mother.

"Con-Consuela?" I stutter, shocked to see her here.

"Oh, my poor Tamzin," Consuela says, running over to me. "I'm so sorry for all the trouble I've caused you."

"Umm, what do you mean?" I look around the room, the shattered glass, the books on the floor, Damon and Eisheth looking…not exactly human. What must Consuela be thinking?

"Bella told me everything," Consuela says.

"Umm, not everything, I hope," I say, looking around Consuela at Bella. Bella just shrugs.

"Yes, everything. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to be cursed."

"Wait. You are the person who cursed me?" I ask.

"Yes," she says. "I mean, no. I mean—Oh! This was all a huge misunderstanding."

"Wait," I say. "Start at the beginning. What happened? What did you do to me?"

"Oh, mi amor!" Consuela says, but the ground starts shaking so violently, we all fall to the ground. A narrow hole appears and out of it floats a stunningly beautiful woman with long black hair, dressed all in black leather, complete with black leather boots.

"Where is Tamzin Jones?" the woman asks.

"Lilith!" Eisheth whispers to me.

"What?" I ask her. I thought Lilith was just a legend.

I stand up shakily. "Are…are you the Dark Lord?" I ask Lilith.

"No," Lilith says. "But I come in his stead. "You have caused him a lot of problems."

"It was not intentional, my lady," I say, hoping I am addressing her right.

"Lilith," Damon says, getting up and running to my side. "Stop this. I will deal with Tamzin as I have been charged to do."

"It's too late for that," Lilith says. "The Dark Lord requires payment now."

"Then take it from me!" Consuela says, also joining me. "I was the one who sent the curse."

"You?" Lilith says in surprise. I think she was not expecting a kindly-looking grandmother to be the source of so much drama.

"Yes," Consuela says. "Only, it was not a curse. Or, at least, it was not supposed to be one."

"Explain yourself," Lilith orders.

"It…it was a love spell," Consuela says, and everyone gasps.

"A…a love spell?" I repeat, hardly believing my ears.

Consuela turns to me. "Mi amor, I'm so sorry for all the things I said to you after my son's death. I was grieving and I just needed to blame someone."

"I understand," I tell her. "I blamed myself as well. I didn't hold it against you."

"I know. I know you were so unhappy, so guilt-ridden. But after the things I said, and after so many years had passed, I didn't know how to speak to you. I was so ashamed."

I shake my head, but she goes on.

"I have heard about Mystic Cove over the years. How there are real witches here with incredible powers. So, I visited a shop and purchased a love spell for you. It was supposed to put true love in your path. But…but maybe I didn't do it right. I didn't know it would send you a demon. I'm so sorry! I have messed up so terribly!"

"It was…a love spell?" I repeat. I can hardly believe my ears. Consuela was trying to help me. "But then…why was Damon sent to possess me?"

"Don't you see?" Beverly says, rushing forward. "It worked! The love spell worked! Damon wasn't sent here to possess and torture Tamzin. He was sent here to love her!"

"What?" I look at Damon, who seems just as lost for words as I am. "Is that…possible?" I look at Lilith, hoping she agrees.

Lilith looks from Consuela to Damon to me. She then seems to ponder Consuela's words for a moment. "It actually answers many questions the Dark Lord and I have had about this situation from the start."

"It is why the Dark Lord was compelled to send Damon here without being contacted in the usual ways," Eisheth says. I have no idea what she means by that, but I hope her words make sense to Lilith.

"Indeed," Lilith says. "I will return to the Dark Lord to explain matters to him. Let us consider it at an end." She steps back to the hole in the ground and vanishes, the hole closing over her.

Damon lets out a sigh of relief, but I'm still too afraid to breathe.

"Is…is that it?" I ask Eisheth. She seems to know Lilith the best.

"I believe so," she says. "Lilith's word is her bond. If she says the matter is ended, then it is ended."

I look at Damon, and I can't help but finally smile back. I'm so relieved, I start to cry. He pulls me into his arms, hugging me so tightly, I don't think he will ever let me go.

"You did it, Abuela!" Bella says to Consuela. "You saved Mom!"

"I hope so, mi amour," Consuela says.

I untangle myself from Damon and go to Consuela. I don't know what to say, so I just pull her in for a hug. She sighs and hugs me back.

"You gave me the greatest gift, twice," I tell her, my vision blurring.

"No," she says. "I made such a mess of things."

"No," I say. "You saved me. You gave me your son. And now, you have given me Damon. You are truly the best mother-in-law a person could ask for."

"You were a wonderful daughter-in-law," she says. "I never should have blamed you."

I wave my hand. "Let's forget the sad things," I say. "We were sad long enough. It's time to start a new chapter."

"Yes," Consuela says. "Let's do that."

We hug and kiss each other on the cheeks. When we are done, Beverly pulls her aside, I assume to find out what all she really knows about Mystic Cove. I turn back to Damon.

"So, how about that?" I say.

Damon shakes his head and smiles. "That was a pretty incredible. I never thought I would fall prey to an old woman's meddling."

"Better get used to it," I say. "Human women are the best at meddling."

"Apparently," he says. "So, you and I are perfect for each other after all. Beverly was right."

"She will never let us forget it either," I say.

"No, she won't. I guess this means I'm here to stay."

"I guess so," I say, taking his hand and stepping closer to him.

"But without my cookie jar, where am I going to sleep?"

"I can think of a place," I say, and we lean in and kiss. And this time, I have no reservations.

"Eww!" Bella says. "You kissed a demon!"

Everyone laughs and claps as Damon and I pull apart.

"Better get used to it!" I tell Bella. "I think your new stepdad and I are going to be doing that a lot."

"Well, I guess it's okay, as long as he keeps telling me bedtime stories."

"I think I can agree to that," Damon says.

And we kiss again, and again, and again.

The End