Chapter Forty-One
Danica woke up violently, her arms swinging, her body revolting against the weight on top of her. She gasped for air, her last memory that of the King ripping her throat out, and when she opened her eyes, that was all she saw for a moment.
“Danica, it’s okay! You’re safe!”
Arden’s voice cut through the panic, and she stilled long enough for her eyes to focus, for the plush room to come into view. The weight on top of her was a comforter. The light in the room came from a low fire. Everything around her was luxurious and not the racecourse. There was no sand, no fire, no other creatures.
“How are you feeling?” Phi asked, coming forward. Both vampires moved closer, their eyes roving over her body as if to check everything was as it should be.
The first time Danica tried to answer, nothing came out but a croak, her throat too raw. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if everything was in working order. She wouldn’t have been surprised if she could never talk again, not after having her throat ripped out, but she tried again.
“Thirsty,” she croaked, her body beginning to ache all over. The problem was, she wasn’t sure if it was from the King or left-over injuries from the race.
Phi quickly moved to grab her a glass of water, the cool liquid like a balm to her raspy throat. She downed the entire glass, and when she finished, Phi filled the crystal again and again until she felt like she could finally speak without shards of glass scrapping her esophagus.
“What happened?” She glanced between the two vampires. “The last thing I remember is. . .” Danica reached up and touched her throat, a throat that should have been ripped and shredded. Instead, her fingers met mostly smooth flesh, the barest scars tracing along there. They would most likely only be seen in the perfect lighting.
Phi’s eyes traced along with her fingers, watching her discover the scars, before he looked up again. “You killed the King with the blade Theo gifted you. And when we thought we were going to lose you, the wizard showed up and gave us a tonic for your throat.”
Danica frowned. “And what did you trade for that?”
Arden grimaced. “Friendship, apparently.”
“Friendship?”
“Apparently, the Wizard of the North likes you. He talked about your strength and how it was a rarity in any species. The only thing he asked for in return was friendship and to do the right thing when the opportunity came up. He also said he’d be stopping by your shop,” Phi murmured. His golden eyes met hers. “Apparently, you’ve won over a very powerful being, Danica, simply by being yourself.”
“So, are you the King now?” she asked, preferring to avoid the topic of the Wizard. She wasn’t certain how she’d done that, couldn’t begin to explain it, so it was easier to focus on the present.
Phi nodded. “The entire supernatural world watched my father’s treachery, saw him attack you as a last-ditch effort, and then they saw him die. There will be no contesting the throne. It’s rightfully mine.”
Danica smiled gently. “Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
Phi rolled his eyes. “Don’t tease or I’ll make you a princess.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
For a moment, she stared at them, and then when she couldn’t stand it anymore, she reached for both of them. Arden and Phi came without hesitation, moving over and settling on the bed around her. They wrapped their arms gently around her the same as she wrapped hers tightly around them.
“We won,” she whispered. “We did it.”
“Because of you,” Arden murmured. “We could have never done this without you.”
She smiled and leaned back, and then a dose of reality hit her. Phi was now a King. Arden would be his right hand. Where did a mechanic belong in all that? She couldn’t very well expect them to remain with her despite all they’d been through. They would help the kids and that would be enough. She’d go back home and spend her days in the desert, dreaming about two vampires that captured her heart without intending to.
Danica looked down at her lap. “Now that the race is over, I guess I should go right back to work. I’m sure Leo is worried.” Arden and Phi glanced at each other, weight in their gazes that had Danica glancing at them strangely. “What is it?”
“Arden and I would like to propose something,” Phi began, clearing his throat. He shifted, as if he were nervous, and that only made Danica frown harder. Even before the race, Phi hadn’t been nervous. What could make him nervous now?
“Yes?”
“You’re more than welcome to go back home to Indiana. You have your business there, and we understand. That’s important because you’ve built something amazing. However. . .”
Arden scowled and continued. “What Phi is attempting to say is that we would both like to keep seeing you.”
Danica tilted her head, unsure if she should make assumptions. “You can come visit me at any time.”
“No,” Phi said, grimacing. “Not just to visit. We want to see you. . . romantically.”
Danica stared at him.