Lucien instantly recognized the fear in Imari’s eyes. As a reaper, he knew that look all too well, because when he’d been active and working, he’d seen it regularly. People feared death. They feared him. And while Imari’s physical life wasn’t at stake, her freedom and happiness were.
But he’d come to realize something in the last few moments. His life, without her, was pointless. He loved his grandmother, and he knew she loved him, but he also knew that she could live without him. Especially in a town like Nocturne Falls. And at least then she wouldn’t be reminded of what he’d done to her every time she saw his face.
He needed Imari. Needed the spirit and color and joy she was capable of infusing into his life. When she was around, he remembered what living felt like. With her by his side, he was living. And he wanted to do more of it. So while he wasn’t certain about her feelings for him, he was crystal clear on his feelings for her.
He loved her.
He would do anything and everything in his power to ensure that whatever happened when they returned to her home was in her favor.
And if, in the end, she decided she didn’t want a relationship with him, he could at least go on without the regret of never having at least tried. It wouldn’t be much of a life without her, but it hadn’t been much of a life before her, either.
Hugh and Stanhill strolled in. The rook held a small trunk by its handle. He set it on the couch next to Adira. “I believe you’ll find your bottle in there, miss.”
She looked up at him and shook her head. “I don’t have a key, and he wished that I would never be able to open it with magic.”
“No worries. Magic isn’t everything.” Hugh grabbed the lock and twisted it off. Lucien almost laughed. Brute vampire strength for the win. “There you go.”
“Thank you.” Adira opened the case and drew in a happy breath. “That’s it. My bottle.” She looked at Imari. “And your stopper.”
“At last.” Imari went over and took it from the case, then placed it into Lucien’s hand. He did as planned and tucked it into his pocket for safe keeping. Her face was a combination of relief mixed with what looked like disappointment. Or anxiety. Perhaps because of the impending confrontation. If so, Lucien completely understood.
Adira smiled weakly. “Even though he made me do it, I’m still sorry about stealing that.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Imari said. “We must do as we are commanded by those who hold our bottles.”
Adira glared at the wish merchant. “I wish he didn’t hold mine.”
Imari glared at him too. “That’s about to change.”
“But how?” Adira asked. “Our magic doesn’t work against humans.”
Imari smiled. “There’s a loophole for that.”
She picked up her bottle from the small table where it still sat and turned to Lucien, holding it out to him. “For you.”
He hoped she knew how much he valued her trust in him. He gave her a wink as he took the bottle. “Thank you.”
He slipped the stopper from his pocket and seated it in the bottle’s opening, making it whole again. Then he tucked the bottle under his arm and held his other hand out toward Adira’s bottle. “Genie, bring me that bottle.”
Imari craned her head at him. “The one that belongs to the wish merchant?”
“Yes. I wish to own that bottle.”
Her smile was strong, but her eyes still held a hint of that fear he’d seen earlier. “As you command, master.”
She gave a sharp nod toward the bottle in the case.
Glitter spilled through the air, and instantly, Adira’s bottle appeared in his hand. Without a moment’s hesitation, he repeated the words Imari had taught him. “Adira, I return this bottle to you. And I give you the bottle of my own free will as a gift with no strings attached.”
With tears in her eyes, Adira leaped from the couch to take her bottle. She hugged it to her chest, weeping softly. “Thank you. Thank you. I’m free. I can’t believe it.”
Imari turned to Lucien, her voice soft and a little strained, despite the smile on her face. “That was my last wish.”
“Are you ready? Or do you want to wait until sunrise?”
She took a deep breath. “No. I want to go now. On my own terms.”
He handed her the bottle that had started everything. “I return this bottle to you. And I give you the bottle of my own free will as a gift with no strings attached.”
She took it. “Thank you.”
“This is your show now.”
She stared at the bottle. “I don’t know if I can get through this.”
“You can. I’m right here with you.”
She took the bottle, then held out her hand to him, sighing out a trembling breath.
He laced his fingers with hers. Her grip was firm but a little shaky. He had the briefest thought about how restrained the colors of Elenora’s library were and how that seemed perfectly suited to the austere woman, but the task ahead pulled him back. “Ready when you are.”
She nodded, then tucked the bottle under her arm and pulled out the stopper.
In a flash, everything changed.
For a second, they were surrounded by brightly colored swirls of smoke. Or maybe they were brightly colored swirls of smoke.
When it cleared, they were no longer in Elenora’s library. They were…he wasn’t sure where. But they were whole again.
Three arches of pale, polished stone intersected over a pool of sparkling blue water. From each arch, wide stretches of bright blue cloth reached out to poles anchored in the sand, providing shade. More of the same pale stone ringed the pool three rows high.
Three beautiful women in gauzy jewel-toned dresses sat on the stone edge. One held a silver flute in her hands, another had a scarlet bird with long tail feathers perched on her shoulder, and the third played with a small, crystal ball, rolling it through her fingers. They offered Imari and Lucien lazy smiles, but said nothing.
Two guards stood at either side of the pool, but they didn’t seem the least bit interested in Imari or him.
Colorful woven rugs covered the shaded ground surrounding the pool. Here and there were piles of fat pillows. It reminded him of an outdoor version of Imari’s apartment.
Beyond the pool and arches, in the distance, sat an immense palace of the same pale stone, but it was decorated with elaborate colorful mosaics. It seemed like something out of a dream with its curved lines and delicate arches.
In all other directions, the landscape was palm trees, exotic flowering plants, and farther on, sand dunes that stretched as far as the eye could follow.
His instincts told him this was a mirage, but mirages weren’t real. And if this was a desert of some kind, did that make this…an oasis? But whose oasis? Who lived in that palace?
He glanced over at Imari, who was still, thankfully, gripping his hand. “Is that where you live?”
She was staring at something in the distance. She shook her head. “No. This is the Well of Wishes, and that palace is—”
“Beloved,” a voice boomed. “You have finally returned.”
Lucien followed the sound.
And found its owner coming through a stand of palms. The voice belonged to a mountain of a man. A dark, towering creature with long, black hair braided back from his face, a full complement of leather body armor, and a glittering blade-tipped staff in one hand. He was walking toward them with steps that seemed to shake the earth.
Lucien blinked to make sure this wasn’t another mirage. It wasn’t. He let out a soft curse.
“Indeed.” Imari’s face went ashen. “That is the captain of the guard. And my betrothed. Khalid.”
Khalid.
For a few seconds, Imari was unable to move or respond or think. Then she snapped out of it and the reality of everything returned, sending an icy shiver down her spine. She lifted her chin and faced the man who stood before her. There was no putting off the inevitable. “We need to talk.”
He nodded. “Yes, I agree. You have been gone a very long time.”
“I have been gone as long as it took to use up my wishes.”
“I grew tired of waiting. We are to be married.”
She didn’t need the reminder. She also didn’t want to tell him out here in front of his soldiers and the maidens of the well that she was already married. Such a public announcement would only worsen the situation. “Khalid, we should find a place to talk.”
“We can talk here.”
“I’d rather not.”
For the first time, he seemed to notice Lucien. Imari had to hand it to the reaper. He showed no fear in the face of her betrothed. He hadn’t let go of her hand, either, something she’d expected. Then she realized that was selling him short. Lucien wasn’t the kind to back down, was he?
That could prove his undoing with a man like Khalid in front of him.
Khalid’s gaze narrowed in on Lucien. “Who are you?”
Imari hoped against hope that he did not introduce himself as her husband. That would not go over well.
Lucien straightened, somehow growing taller and broader and darker in the blink of an eye. Not quite his reaper form, but not altogether human either. “I am Lucien Dupree, reaper of men’s souls, War Angel, Rider of the Pale Horse, and death’s own chosen emissary. Who are you?”
Now was not the moment to smile proudly, but Imari had never heard Lucien introduce himself in such a manner before and it was rather impressive.
Khalid seemed to feel similarly as he pondered Lucien’s words for a few seconds longer than Imari expected. “I am Khalid Sherazahn, Captain of the Well Guard, son of Khan Memnat, Prince of the Chaos Realm, and betrothed to the one at your side.”
Imari decided that was the perfect time to change the subject. “How is your father, the king?”
Lucien very quickly cut his eyes at her as if to say, You might have mentioned your fiancé is the son of the king.
True. She might have. But she’d only feared that would make things worse.
Khalid frowned. “He is tired of awaiting grandchildren.”
Imari couldn’t contain herself anymore. She rolled her eyes. “He’s going to have to wait awhile longer.”
“Yes. Nine months from our wedding night.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Imari said. “At all.”
Confusion filled Khalid’s dark gaze. “What did you mean?”
“We should really find somewhere else to talk.”
He tamped the end of his staff into the sand. “Tell me here. Now.”
She stamped her foot, just to match his arrogance. “Fine. You want to know why he’s going to have to wait for grandchildren? Because you and I are not getting married.” She sighed. “I hope not anyway.”
A collective gasp went up from the well maidens, and the bird squawked.
The guards might have flicked their eyes at Khalid, but otherwise remained unmoved. Their training was exceptional. Whatever faults Khalid might have, he was a good leader. Or they were afraid of him. She wasn’t sure which.
A storm rolled through his eyes, then he leaned in. “Why are we not getting married?”
Something crunched in Imari’s hand, and she realized the sound came from her grip on Lucien. She eased her hold on his hand and looked at him apologetically.
His face was a mask of steel. He took a half step forward and in front of her, putting himself nearly into Khalid’s personal space.
She realized too late that he’d taken her glance of apology as a plea for help.
Lucien stared into Khalid’s eyes. “You are not getting married because Imari is already my wife.”