Epilogue

M alcolm's Home in Glencoe

December 23rd

"I'd say it turned out all right, what do you say, Kitty?" Sofia looked down at Kitty, who wore a festive red bow around her neck.

Kitty meeped and Sofia nodded her agreement, then sipped her mulled wine and looked toward the fire.

Malcolm's library was decorated for Christmas with every strand of garland and ornament that she could find. Red and gold, silver and green—it really was a bit gaudy, but she loved it. It was their first Christmas together—and the first Christmas she was able to spend outside of the jungle—and she wanted to enjoy it.

They'd debated spending the holiday in Bruxa's Eye—which was now entirely rebuilt after a solid month of reconstruction—but had decided it would be nicer to spend it in the cold. This way, all the Christmas songs about snow didn't make her long for it, because she could go right out into the stuff and roll around.

Which she wouldn't be doing tonight, because they had guests. Everyone from the university who'd helped them in Bruxa's Eye had been invited over for a thank-you dinner. They all sat around the fire now—Felix and Aurora, Andrasta and Camulos, Diana and Cadan, Warren and Esha, and Vivienne. Inara and Aleia were pouring themselves wine from the table and gossiping, as they'd gotten into the habit of doing.

Mouse and Chairman Meow, the two other familiars, lounged in front of the fire. If she wasn't mistaken, Mouse was sitting a bit closer to the Chairman now. He looked pleased. And festive, in his green bowtie.

Everyone was laughing at something Vivienne had said. Snow fell outside the window and holiday music drifted out of discretely placed speakers. The smell of the turkey was making her mouth water.

In short, everything was perfect. She almost couldn't believe her luck. But life had been so good lately that she was starting to accept it.

She glanced at the door. Malcolm should be here by now. He'd gone to his aether room in the basement to make a last minute gift for Inara—who they'd thought wouldn't be here.

He appeared in the doorway.

"Finally," she said as she went to him and kissed him. His mouth tasted of wine and spices. Divine. "What took you so long?"

"A letter arrived. Shot right out of the aether when I opened a portal. "

"From Corrier?" Nerves danced in Sofia's stomach. For an unknown reason. Malcolm's warlock powers, and his ability to access the aether, hadn't disappeared with his death. With the curse gone, they'd assumed his powers would go too. When they'd first realized it, she'd been worried that the curse was still upon him. Though Mnemosyne had said it wasn't, they'd gone to Corrier to confirm.

But he hadn't been there. They'd left a message with his apprentice. Hopefully this was the answer.

"It was," Malcolm said.

"And?"

"It's fine. Death broke the curse, but I'd already learned the skills required to be a warlock. Hence, I keep the power. He said that some warlocks believe you're more powerful after death. It's a transition. A magnifying glass."

Her brows rose. "Wow. That makes sense though. You have to refuel your power so much less often, even when I siphon some off you for my own use."

He pressed a quick kiss to her mouth. "Which you're welcome to do anytime you like."

She grinned and pressed another kiss to his mouth, squeezing the shoulder that bore her tattoo.

She couldn't get enough of kissing him now that he was back with her. The last month and a half had been divine. They'd settled into their routine—which wasn't very routine at all—and it was like slipping into a comfortable chair.

A sexy, comfortable chair.

"Have you brought the gift for Inara?" she asked.

He nodded and held up the bag. "Good. We'll put it with the others. And the turkey should be done soon? "

"Twenty more minutes." He'd started cooking from scratch lately instead of using his magic, and she couldn't wait to see how the turkey came out.

"Perfect." Her grin was so big that it hurt her face. Fates, she loved this life. It was more than she'd ever hoped for.

"You know you're everything to me, right?" he asked. His golden gaze was intense, devouring. It made her shiver.

She was damned grateful for what fate had finally given her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and met his gaze. "I love you—"

"More than life." He finished her sentence for her. It'd become their thing, and though it was a bit morbid, it suited them. Because she did love him more than life, as he did her. And that's what had saved them.