Chapter Thirty-Eight

Reagan

 

One month later

 

“Good,” Olenna said. “Again.”

Lightning crackled between my fingers and dove into the ground, blackening individual blades of grass. Then I coaxed them back to green.

“Phew,” I breathed out, wiping sweat off my forehead. “Yeah, not bad.”

“You’re doing excellently, Reagan. I hardly even need to check in on you,” Olenna said. “Unlike my other students.”

“I hope the Coven doesn’t mind if I stay in Cobalt,” I said and glanced back at the house. “But this is where I should be, with the Alphas and my future husband.”

“If you’ve found your place, far be it from us to tell you to come to Veda,” she said and stood up from the back steps. “Besides, I also think you’re needed here. Things have been running a lot more smoothly since you came to Winfyre.”

I smiled at her. “Thanks. But part of that is that more Riftborn are coming into their own.”

“With each passing year, the old world will dissolve more and more,” Olenna said. “They’ll be fantastical stories for our children, whimsy for our grandchildren, and legends for the future generations. Until, one day, we’re myths, and then, maybe the world restarts.”

“Olenna, I love it when you get esoteric on us,” Luke drawled, coming around the corner with the dogs. “How’s my firestarter?”

“One tiny burn,” I said and rolled my eyes. “I told you to be careful.”

“Mm, as much as I enjoy watching you two be the perfect Winfyre couple, I have to get back to Veda.” Olenna stood up and stretched. “In fact, I might not be seeing you for a while. So, continue on as you have been, okay?”

“Are you leaving Winfyre?” I asked, alarmed.

“If I do, it will be at Xander’s request,” she said and smiled at me. “The Coven might need to look into some things. The Stasis Bureau seems to be in the wind. With old powers dying or dead, there’s a vacuum to fill. We need to know who that might be.”

“Have you heard something?” Luke asked.

“Yes,” Olenna said. “It might not just be Excris who got free.”

“What does that mean?”

“That’s what I would find out,” she said and grinned at us. “Have a good night.”

Luke came over and wrapped me in a hug, inhaling the scent of my hair. “I love it when you’ve been back here practicing. You almost smell like cinnamon and firewood.”

“I think you mean sweat,” I said with a grimace. “You smell like sawdust. What are you doing? Working on your secret project?”

“Come here and see,” Luke said and led me around to the front of the house.

There, on the lookout, was a new bench, sanded down and carved with loving details—flowers, wolves, and trees. I walked over to it, marveling, and then looked back at Luke.

“You did this? You’re a secret carpenter?”

“Hey, you were a secret blood magician,” Luke retorted.

“One, you need to stop calling me that, and two, you need to let it go. You found out what I was before I even did,” I said. “Ayani and Lazu, remember?”

We hadn’t seen the two wolves in a month, but we knew if we needed them, they’d be there.

Winfyre was safe, the Skrors hadn’t been seen on our borders or in any neighboring territories, and there hadn’t been even a whiff of the Rotted or a raid. It looked like the three Barrowmen were gone for good, too. I glanced down at my hands.

Graces don’t do anything halfway, I thought with satisfaction.

I ran my hand along the back of the bench as I thought about that and everything that had happened over the last few weeks. Cassidy had finally come to terms with our grandfather’s death. He’d died helping several shifters escape an SB facility. Lately, we’d been making up for lost time, talking and walking along the shore, planning our futures in Winfyre.

“What about rain?” I asked and looked at him.

“I knew you were going to ask me that,” Luke groaned. “There’s no sealant that’s come in, yet. Outside shipments have petered out, so me and Tristan are going to explore some old-school, ecological ones. It’s not staying out here—I just wanted to see if you liked it.”

“Of course I like it,” I said. “May I sit on it?”

“Yes, Reagan, that part is done,” Luke said with exaggerated patience.

I laughed as I plopped down and tipped my head back. Luke made a face and kissed me upside down, causing my head to spin. “You drive me crazy.”

“It’s mutual,” I said dryly, and he laughed, then came around to sit. “Hey, what do you think of a late summer wedding? Down on the beach?”

“I told you, I don’t care when, as long as it’s sooner rather than later,” Luke said.

“Luke.”

“That sounds nice,” he said. “Although whenever I think of you and the beach, I think of sand tornadoes, giant Excris fighting to the death, Skrors, and magic wolf guides.” I smacked him. “What I’m saying is, let’s make some new beach memories.”

“I love my bench,” I said and moved closer as Luke grinned, stretching his arm across the back. “And I love you, Luke Swiftlore.”

“I love you, Reagan Grace, you unassuming wild hippie witch who stole my heart and—”

I cut him off with a kiss because he wasn’t the only one who could use that move. When we pulled apart, Luke ran a hand down my side and squeezed my ass.

“You know, both of us need to take a shower, and there’s only one shower.”

“Bit of a conundrum,” I said, and he growled, his hands lifting me against him.

“Why do you tease me like this, woman?” Luke asked.

“Payback,” I said. “Never should have won me in a game of dice.”

“You need to let that go.”

“You need to kiss me—”

“Reagan?” Drue’s voice echoed up the hill.

Luke gave me a look, shaking his head. “Again?”

“I didn’t,” I whispered and turned. “Hi, Drue, honey, we’re up here.”

“You planned this,” Luke said and kissed my cheek.

Drue, Bix, and Gabriel tumbled up the hill, Drue running ahead, while her brother and Gabriel ran alongside in their shifted forms. Gabriel let out a happy roar.

"I did not," I said. "Hi, guys. What are you doing?"

“We wanted to see you!” Bix yelled, shifting back and doing a cartwheel. “Wow, cool bench. Can I sit on it?”

“I’ll get you back later,” Luke whispered in my ear.

Drue hopped up, squeezing between us, and Luke ruffled her hair and smiled at me. His blue eyes were soft and happy. My breath caught.

“I swear, I didn’t,” I whispered.

He shrugged. “Forget it. It’s good practice for me and you.”

“Forget what?” Bix asked.

“What didn’t you do?” Gabriel frowned. “And you shouldn’t swear.”

“What’s good practice?” Drue piped up.

“I think you might have a point,” I said and kissed Luke over Drue’s head, causing the three kids to groan and beg for us to stop. At that, Luke rose up and began to chase them around, shifting and tackling them, rolling in the dirt.

I stood up, looking between them and the bay, happy to be home.

 

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