Epilogue

Epilogue

JACE

One Year Later

The last thing I should be is the king of Sloth. Anyone who knows me would say it's asinine. I thrive on productivity, order, and most of all, control. The slightest change in my schedule sends my entire day into disarray. Yet here I am ruling the most laid-back of the seven circles of Infernis by my wife's side.

Desi cares for the energies under her rule in a way I can't. She understands what they need to feed their lazy natures. She is so attentive and kind, always striving to make them happy. And that is where she turns to me.

I know how to make her visions for our Circle come to life. Everything from the dark caves where some choose to live to the ice-cream shops with hammock swings in the center for naps, even the lazy river that winds through our Circle, were my creations.

We make quite the team, designing our little piece of forever together. I never imagined that chaos and order could create something so flawless.

But Desi did.

I was too stuck in my head but she saw what we could be together. She knew it when she accepted Cannon's offer to be her eternal partner, and when I let her leave. I was the idiot who almost let her slip through my fingers—a mistake I will never make again. And I think I've found the perfect way to prove it to her.

She fidgets with the scarf I tied over her eyes as I race down the road in my demon-made sports car—a perk of living in my new realm.

"Don't you dare peek, Desideria," I chide, fighting to keep a straight face. She is adorable when she's nervous.

"I'm not going to peek, Daddy," she teases, reaching over to squeeze my thigh.

I shift under her touch, hungry for more, but manage to keep the desire she invokes in check. "Keep it up and I'll pull this car over and show you just how Daddy I can be." She opens her mouth and I place my hand over it. "And before you say that's fine with you, I suggest you opt for the surprise over the spanking."

She licks my palm and laughs when I squeeze her cheeks. "Fine. But only because I really want to know what you've been up to. Just so you know, though, I might try to earn a spanking later anyway. How about that?"

"I wouldn't expect any less from you," I say with a chuckle, wiping my hand on my pants.

I must hand it to Desi; she has only hounded me for details about my secret project a few dozen times. That is the height of patience for her. I'll admit that it was tempting to give in when she offered sexual promises that made my imagination run wild. I'd managed to resist, which was difficult considering the chances have been rare lately; our grueling schedules have kept us busier than I'd like.

After Desi, my attention has gone to the demons who help us run our Circle. I listen to their concerns and work to find solutions that will best meet their needs. Every extra moment I've had, I've slipped away to ensure every detail of my gift to her was just the way I pictured it. The wait is finally over, and I can't wait to show her what I've been up to.

In a hurry to get to our destination, I floor it, and we speed down the tree-lined road. Immortality has given me the freedom to let go of some of the worries that used to weigh me down. I still have moments when ruling gets the better of me. My anxiety hasn't just gone away because I'm a king. The eternal happiness of countless energies relies on me and Desi, but I no longer fear what lies ahead. I've found safety and trust in the arms of a stunning demon, and death no longer has a hold on me.

"Are we almost there?" she asks, her knee bouncing rapidly in the seat, fingertips drumming on her thigh.

I reach over and grab her hand, clasping her fingers with mine and planting them on her leg, calming her nerves enough that she stops shaking her thigh. "Yes, Mrs. Impatient."

She grins and I know, even though I can't see them, her eyes are twinkling. "That's Queen Impatient to you, my king."

I squeeze her inner thigh and she squirms in her seat. "I still love hearing you call me that."

"Good, because you're going to hear it for an eternity."

I still don't think she has any idea how happy I am that I burst through those doors that day, outran those two occisor demons through the sheer power of adrenaline, and made sure that would be the case.

It isn't until we reach the destination that I'm brought back to the present by Desi's sharp inhale.

"You're slowing down. We're here, aren't we?"

Her wide smile is rounding her cheeks so much that they're practically begging for my lips to brush against one, to place a kiss on her soft skin and hold her close to me for a moment. I've never felt so at peace before in my whole life. And to know it'll be this way forever—I'm overwhelmed, and it's so nice that here, in Infernis, it can also be the good kind of overwhelmed.

"I love you, Desideria. I just—I want you to know that."

She tilts her head to the side and turns to face me, pressing her forehead to mine. "I do, silly. Always."

"Good. Don't move, I'm coming to help you."

I hop out of the car and rush around to her side, helping her out and hooking her arm with mine. Our steps click on the stone under our feet, and when the door creaks open, I move in behind her, placing my hand on the small of her back, ushering us a few steps forward.

Resting my chin on her shoulder, I wrap my arms around her waist. I take a final look at what I've worked so hard to create. Not a thing is out of place, yet my stomach still flips as if it is competing for a gold medal in gymnastics. I breathe through my nerves and say, "I know you don't dread the commute from the capital to our Circle, but I thought it was time we had somewhere to call our own."

"Jace, you didn't—" she starts, her body trembling against me.

I reach up, untie the blindfold, and let it fall away. Her shocked gasp and widened eyes when she glances back at me say it all.

"Jace . . . it's just like our old house," she whispers, taking in all the details. "Everything is here. The kitchen island, the TV, you even bought a blanket just like my old one. It's all the same . . . you redesigned it." She turns in my arms and looks up at me, with tears shining in her brilliant emerald eyes.

"I did, and all the furnishings are actually from the old house. Since I turned my share of the business over to Edmonds and helped Matt hire a new designer to take my place, I thought it was time to let it go and only focus on creating a life with you."

Desi's eyebrows knit together, and she gnaws on her bottom lip. "That house was the last thing that tied you to the human realm. Are you sure about this?"

It amazes me that this beautiful, intelligent being matches my love for her. Despite her lazy nature, she would go to any length to ensure my happiness. It's a wonderful feeling to know I am the center of her world. And she is solely the center of mine.

"The only other thing I've been surer of was the day I passed through that portal and knew I was giving up my human life for you. This is what I want."

"All right, but don't you think this house is too big for just the two of us? Maybe we should advertise for a roommate," she jokes.

"Absolutely not." I tip her chin up until we are eye to eye. "You know, the reason I put the ad out for a roommate wasn't so much to take the financial pressure off me as I started the business. I was tired of being alone and haunted by thoughts of Hannah and my accident. I wanted to make new memories in that house and for it to feel like my home again. The moment you set foot inside, everything changed. I laughed more, opened myself up to new friendships, and wanted more than a successful business. My house was filled with love and happiness because of you."

A whimper escapes her. She stands on her tiptoes and presses her lips to mine. "Jace Wilder, before I met you, I had this warped, black and white image of who I was. I thought I needed organization and someone to offset my chaos. You give me that calm I was thirsty for, but you also taught me that my chaos has its own brand of beauty." She slides her hands up my chest, wrapping her arms around my neck. "I love chaotic me with you. It feels right."

"It sounds like you found your home too."

"I did."

I press my lips to hers again. It doesn't matter if it's this realm or another, this house or a castle. Wherever Desi is, it's the place where my heart finds joy.

With bright smiles we pull away from each other, and I turn to the pantry, taking out a box of cereal. "Shall we christen the house with a bowl of peanut butter puffs?"

"I can't say no to that," she says, hurrying to the cabinet next to the sink. "I get—" She swings open the door and freezes, staring at all the cups turned upside down. "You put the cups in the right way."

I shake my head when she spins around with disbelief written all over her face. My new favorite expression of hers just might be surprise—her parted lips and eyelashes fanning the tops of her cheeks.

"I put them in the wrong way because I'm ready to give up a little control and surrender to the chaos," I say, placing the box and milk carton on the counter.

A smile spreads over her face as she curls her index finger at the bowls. They float out of the cabinet and come to rest side by side in front of me. Before I get the chance, she directs the cereal box to open. Sweet, round puffs fill the bowls, and the milk pours over them.

"Well, in that case, maybe I'll try to be less lazy, and, uh . . . not use my powers to do my chores every day."

I snort and grab two spoons from the drawer, handing her one. "No, you won't. But that's okay, little hurricane. I wouldn't have your chaos any other way."