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I fall silent, breathing him in.

He lifts his face. “I’m free. It feels so strange not to be trapped here anymore.”

My heart constricts in sudden, unreasonable worry. If he’s free, will he still want to spend time with me? I have no idea. But I also have no intention of trying to restrict him.

“You can live your life now. Do anything you want.”

“I — I have no idea what I want,” he admits, his brow twisting.

“You’ve got time to figure it out,” I reassure him.

His fingers tighten on my ribs. “Will you still be next to me?”

His eyes are clear and bright as a spring day. I could fall into them forever.

“I’ll be around for as long as you want.”

“Forever?” he asks softly. “Everyone says the only permanent vow a fairy is capable of is the King’s Oath. But not me. I want forever, Ezra.”

“Then you can have forever,” I promise, my heart pounding.

Fuck. Are we getting married?

“Good,” he says decisively. “Because I told Elsabeth I’m leaving the hotel and moving in with you. I want to wake up with you every morning. I want to be there when you need me, and when I need you.”

Warmth fills up my chest. I lean against the headboard next to him and his head drifts to my shoulder.

“Then I’m gonna ask Syril for my job back,” I say decisively.

It turns out I never lost the job. Syril didn’t take me off the payroll or make a single move to replace me.

“Are yousureyou can’t see the future?” I demand as they hold up the familiar amulet.

“Not I. But I may know one or two monsters with a touch of foresight.” In their human form the knowing smirk is more evil mastermind than fond mentor, so I can’t totally bring myself to believe them. “At the very least, I had every intention of welcoming you back eventually. Whether or not King Hellebore approved.”

I swallow, suddenly choked. “You took a big chance on me in the first place. I wouldn’t want to cause you trouble.”

Syril arches their brows. “I didn’t take a chance on you, Ezra. I simply opened the door for you to take a chance on us.”

I lift the amulet over my head, and when I open my eyes the world is right again.

In the same weekend, I help Lysander move into my apartment and help Fitzie move intohisapartment. Lysander is easy — everything he owns fits in the back of my truck. Fitzie has a lot more stuff than I expected, once delivered from his old place, and it takes us the whole day to unpack the massive pods and carry everything upstairs. I’m definitely not imagining his new doorman giving us the stink-eye as we do. With my ripped jeans, Orion’s mohawk-bun and t-shirt that says ‘Donate To Your Local Bartender’ with a pair of rainbow lips underneath, and Fitzie’s dancer chic, we’re not the demographic he’s used to.

“Wow.” I set the last box down on the pile. There’s no furniture yet, but we put his mattress in the living room where a huge floor-to-ceiling window looks over a heated patio. Beyond that is the stunning river valley — I can even see Whitecourt Lodge nestled in the mountain from here. It’s a million dollar view, that’s for sure.

“No take-backsies from your boyfriend,” Fitzie threatens from his seat on top of the counter. He scarfs down another slice of pizza and finishes his soda.

“Aren’t we supposed to be the ones getting free food?” Orion asks dryly.

“When you’re done with the boxes, peon.” He points to the one I just set down. “That one goes into the bedroom.”

I snort. “As if you labeled them.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I have no clue what’s in these things. Just junk.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay here on your own?” I press.

It feels weird to ask, because I’m dying for some proper alone time with Lysander — Elsabeth is staying at The Sanctum,which means it’s been too weird to do anything while she’s next door, and with Fitzie on the couch at my apartment, we haven’t really had time to ourselves. Well, lots oftalkingtime. If silently making out like we’re teenagers counts as talking. But we’vetalkedso much my balls are starting to hurt.