The Rise of Fortune and Fury (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 5)

“I wouldn’t hold it against you if you did,” I assure him, giving his face a little pat as I move to the sink to wash my hands.

He reaches out and snags my arm, then spins me around and pulls me into his body. Carrick’s arms go around my waist as he pulls me in close.

Bending his head, he catches my eyes with his own luminous gold ones. “I’ve been thinking.”

“You’re always thinking,” I tease.

He ignores me. “I’ve been thinking we should work on kid number two.”

“Um… that is not work,” I remind him, looping my arms around his neck. “That is pure pleasure.”

His smile is both languid and joyful at the same time. “You ready to add?”

“More than ready,” I reply.

As an immortal, the pregnancy game is pretty easy. I don’t even have to take birth control—I merely rely on my magical demi-god husband to keep me from ovulating until we’re ready to conceive.

It appears that time is now.

Carrick kisses me, and it’s the type of kiss that says if dinner wasn’t almost ready and we didn’t have a six-year-old who could potentially run in on us at any time, we might drop to the floor to start our baby-making efforts right away.

Instead, he keeps it short, pulling back with a smile. “Remember all those years ago—when Patty and Stan saw your future?”

I wrinkle my nose. “That wretched Light Fae,” I grumble, meaning Stan, but then admit, “Patty was nice.”

“Well, everything they predicted has come true,” he points out.

“I still don’t like him,” I mutter.

“He sent us a nice wedding gift,” he replies, trying to make me feel a little guilty for my salty feelings.

“Hmmm,” I murmur noncommittally. “We did have a great wedding, didn’t we?”

“We did indeed,” he replies.

It was an intimate gathering with only Maddox, Zaid, Mala, Rainey, Myles, Titus, Caiden, Deandra, and Rebsha in attendance.

Our core group.

Our family, the one that defeated Kymaris.

Sadly, I couldn’t invite any of my friends from my former life.

My pre-aneurysm life.

After I died—and they all knew about my death—Finley Porter couldn’t return to Seattle. It’s why Carrick and I moved on to southern California and I had new identity papers drawn up, but to Carrick and my friends, I would always be Finley.

Because I was now immortal and Rune’s curse was broken, it would be the last name I’d ever have. No more reincarnations. No more heartache and pain. No more prophecies.

There was only love for Carrick and Naomi. For our future children. And for my friends who had stood by my side in the darkest of times.

So much had happened in the past, but it was just that…

The past.

But now, my life was truly beginning.