Chapter Twenty
Joran felt Nicole stir beside him on the bed and watched as she opened her eyes to look around. Her heart hammered in her chest until her eyes stopped on his. Their hearts beat as one again, and a calm seemed to pass over her.
He smiled down at her. They’d done it. They’d not only escaped, but they’d even managed to escape with the source of Agatha’s power and destroy the dome. The balance of strength was finally on their side. For once, the situation didn’t seem hopeless.
It was late in the day now. Nearly night again. When they had gotten back to the compound, Joran had tucked Nicole safely into his bed and told the group their story. He was surprised by the old sheriff and how well he was handling things.
Only after he’d explained his side of the story did Joran learn that their reinforcements had only just arrived when he and Nicole ran into them. What had been a long time for the Vestal and hybrid had been but a few moments outside the blue haze. None of them could explain it, but he supposed that was just another thing to add to the list of things they might never understand. Some things were beyond science.
Nicole sat up a little. She leaned against his side, and Joran winced slightly.
“Are you still hurt?” she asked slowly.
Joran nodded. “You healed most of it, but I was in bad shape. You saved my life.”
Nicole looked around the room. “Where’s the stone?”
He swallowed. They had debated the best course of action. It was clear the stone had powers, but it had nearly killed Nicole when she used it to heal him. That didn’t even take into account the dark side of the stone they’d seen when it’d been used to reduce people to liquid as part of taking their lifeforce.
“Rem has it locked away for now,” the hybrid said. “Just so nothing happens to it.”
Nicole opened her mouth and then closed it again before nodding. “It needed me,” she said, struggling to find the right words. “It was crying out for me. I had to save it.”
A tear trailed down her face, and he reached out to swipe it off.
“It’s okay,” he said. “It’s safe. We’re safe.”
She shook her head. “Those things, they are coming for us all. Aren’t they?”
Joran frowned. Godsons is what the intelligent Glycon had said. The hybrid’s only guess was that maybe they were operating on a different level with more exposure to the true power fueling Erebus and the stone. No one could be sure, but whatever the truth was, it didn’t bode well for the people of Eagle Ridge or the hybrids.
He reached out and pulled Nicole hard against him, ignoring the pain it caused.
“We’re working with Frank now,” Joran said. “We have a duty to this town. We’ll find a way to protect everyone.”
“You’re damn right we will.”
They both looked over to the door where Frank stood. He stepped in and walked over to the side of Nicole’s bed.
“You gave me a hell of a scare,” the sheriff said softly.
Nicole nodded, but Joran wondered just how much she even remembered.
Rem followed close behind the sheriff. “If we all work together, we can stop them,” he said. The conviction in his voice was so strong, Joran couldn’t even doubt it.
“I want you to rest,” Frank said to Nicole before he returned to the door. “You were a fine deputy today. Now I’ve got to call Ted’s wife and figure out just what the hell I’m going to tell her.” He shook his head. “We have to be careful. From what Rem told me, if word gets out, those Horatius people will show up, and a lot more innocent people could be killed just like Ted.”
Nicole and Frank both looked down. Ted might have been an asshole, but that didn’t mean they took pleasure in his death.
“Should I come?” Nicole asked.
Frank cut her with a sharp look. “Two days off. I want you to rest.” He looked over to where Joran sat next to her. “I’m counting on you, son.”
The hybrid nodded as Frank slipped out the door.
“We’re already fortifying the town as best we can,” Rem said. “Still no movement we’ve spotted, but if these new Glycons, these godsons or whatever, are as smart as you think, it’s not surprising. They will take us by surprise. Likely study us to learn our patterns.”
Joran’s stomach rolled. This was a whole different kind of war. They might have the stone now, but that didn’t mean victory was assured.
Rem stepped back to the door. “We need you healed. Battle is fast approaching.”
Joran nodded and watched as his leader left. The click of the front door to his house signaling that he and Nicole were finally alone.
Nicole still didn’t know just what to say. When they had been in the moment, it had just been about surviving. Now they were planning a war against mysterious creatures that even the hybrids feared.
“You okay?” Joran asked.
Nicole turned and found him staring intently at her. She started to nod but instead shook her head.
“What’s going to happen to us all? Can we really ask the people of the town to fight?”
They were normal people. Not warriors. It seemed like such a bad plan to hope they could all handle those creatures.
“Let’s get married,” Joran said.
She was so stunned, Nicole just stared at him for a minute before she even thought to respond.
“What?”
Joran took her hand. “Marry me.”
“But…” She wanted to find reasons to object, but at that moment, her mind was drawing a blank.
Joran smiled. “I’m your hybrid. You’re my Vestal. We are meant for each other. Our hearts are one. Share your life with me.”
All her life she’d been ready to run. She’d always been looking for the next destination. For some reason, the idea of giving up on all that for Joran didn’t seem as scary.
“What about the war?” Nicole asked.
Joran shrugged. “So we win the war first. Big deal.”
A small smile played at the corner of her mouth. “Are you saying you’re going to defeat a whole army of Glycons to marry me?”
Joran leaned in, his lips just inches from hers. “Do I have to?”
Nicole could feel the soft flutter in her heart and wondered if he felt that as well. She stared at the amazing man in front of her. He was the one for her, not just the man of her dreams but the man who made her a whole.
“Okay,” she said softly.
Joran blinked a few times. “Okay?”
She sighed loudly. “I love you, and yes, I’ll marry you.”
A wide smile split Joran’s face before he leaned in for a kiss.
“After you defeat the army,” she added.
Joran chuckled and took her mouth against his, their passion rising until he pulled back again to stare deep into her eyes.
“If I can win you, defeating an army will be easy.”
Nicole huffed loudly.
“But only because you’re by my side,” Joran said softly.
Her heart melted at his words. Joran was the man for her. Together, they would take on the whole damn world to secure their happiness.