Page 50 of Queen of the Wicked

That’s what makes the silence bearable.

Because Kaius and Adelasia fill it with more freedom than wings ever could.

Epilogue Three

Kaius

I used to dream of this very life. To wake up in the morning and feel alive. To breath without the weight of centuries pressing on my shoulders.

I very rarely allowed myself the luxury of hope, but it’s no longer a luxury. I’m no longer a monster of someone else’s creation. No longer driven by insatiable thirst and rage.

And now, here I am. Simply a man. A human. A lover. A survivor.

My curse is gone. No shadows, no hunger, no throne, no war, no magic.

When Adelasia so bravely looked Eternity in the face and ended all the supernatural evil in this world, everything magic touched disappeared with it. Rowan and I inhaled, finding our bodies warm-blooded, my eyes and hair returned to their natural colors. Sometimes I still catch myself in distorted reflections and see a stranger.

This is what I’ve always wanted, but in many ways, stepping into this new life was terrifying. Living without a shield of immortality makes me so much more careful with myself and the two others I share my soul with.

Sometimes, when I catch Adelasia twirling barefoot across the cold floor of our home while baking bread, I have to close my eyes to convince myself that it’s all real. That she’s here, alive, no longer a shadow of herself, but the beautiful, gentle woman I fell in love with. We no longer live on borrowed time, and yet, sometimes I still wake in terror at the thought of Eternity crawling back from death to take her from me.

As for Rowan, I find myself regretting not allowing him back into my life sooner. I find all the jealousy, betrayal, and resentment I held against him so stupid now. He’s a deep sleeper, and sometimes when I wake from the nightmares, I crawl to his side of the bed and hold him just to hear his heartbeat.

Rowan and I often find ourselves watching Adelasia like she hung the constellations herself. I think, in a way, she did, because without her, we’d have none of this.

This chance. This life. Thisafter.

I am Kaius Voroninov. King of nothing.

I am mortal. I am loved. I am free.

And Adelasia and Rowan shall share in this eternal happiness with me.