“I’m right here.”
She snapped her eyes open. He towered above her. He was the most beautiful sight. His scent enveloped her. She felt stupid tears prickle in her eyes and her lip trembled. “You came.”
Brennus glanced over at her sleeping aunt as though checking he hadn’t disturbed her, and then he knelt down beside Avery, hesitantly reaching out to help her sit up. “Are you OK?” He asked softly and she nodded, disappointed as he let go of her quickly.
“I’m fine.”
“I heard.” His face was dark. Dangerous. She knew that look. He was seething. “Anonna has been punished. She’s no longer an Ankou. She’s been sent into her afterlife.” He shook his head, regret in his dark eyes. “I am so sorry, Avery.”
“No.” She hurried to assure him. “Don’t. It wasn’t your fault.”
He waved away her reassurances and stood back up. “I just came to see if you were alright. I don’t know where you learned to do what you did, but I’m glad. I’m glad you weren’t hurt because of me. Goodbye Ave-”
“No!” She yelled and then bit her lip, glancing back to make sure she hadn’t woken Aunt Caroline.
Brennus stilled, startled by her exclamation. He frowned down at her. “What?”
Feeling a little unsettled sitting at his feet, Avery struggled to her feet and gazed up into his face imploringly. “Brennus… I- I miss you.”
His jaw clenched. “I miss you, too.”
“No.” She reached for him, clutching a hold of his arm, her fingers digging into his skin in desperation. “I mean, I miss you. Tonight I went to the club looking for you.”
His eyes widened and he clasped her hand tight. “Avery?”
She smiled softly, reassuringly, and then lifted a hand to silence him. In a hush, she went over to Caroline and stared down at her aunt’s peaceful, yet sickly face. Slowly, so not to wake her, she leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to her aunt’s forehead.
Just as silently she returned to Brennus’ side to take his hand. “I want to make the deal.”
The colours of the room faded around her until she vanished from the Brooklyn apartment. The only evidence of her existence was her tiny teardrop that had dripped onto her aunt’s cheek.
It slid down off Caroline’s chin and splashed onto her favourite sweater.
Indelible. Eternal.
You Can Feel the Earth Shake
When They Start to Dance
They closed the deal. In more ways than one.
Avery stretched like a cat. A naked, satisfied cat. She smiled with her eyes closed and let Brennus pull her back into his body.
“I don’t ever want to get up,” she said softly, stroking a finger along his cheek.
He took hold of it and kissed it. “I know. But we have to.”
She grinned at the colour of his pallor. He was no longer pale. He was no longer Ankou. And she was no longer mortal. “Why? We have all of eternity to get up.”
The sheepish look he gave her made her draw back from him a little.
“What did you do?”
He sighed, rubbing his cheek with his fist. It was a gesture of his when he wasn’t looking forward to telling her something. “I may have promised the house to the new Ankou.”
She felt a twinge of disappointment. She loved the house. “But this is your home.”
“If I can use the old cliché, my home is wherever you are.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and she melted into him happily.