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Chapter Eighteen

Talyria

I don’t feel too different despite having used magic as a sorcerer. At least I’m not immediately dead. I don’t want to say that I got off free, after all, the warnings against mixing sorcery and magic are there for a reason, but so far, I haven’t noticed any adverse effects, so I’ll take it.

Better than watching Victor bleed out, even if he claims his demigod would have healed him eventually. I tap my finger against the table as Victor’s father strides by with a mop and bucket in his hands. He heads toward the back of the inn. Vera and Mika have finally gone to bed… now that it’s daylight out.

Estelle is sitting on the far side of the inn, a blanket wrapped around her shoulder. She seems to be having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that her longtime friend Lek was responsible for this and that he killed all these people for her in his own sick twisted way. Although she does admit to having flirted with both the guards earlier that night, she had no idea that it would lead to their untimely demise.

A chill wind blows from the open door where Victor is working to dig a path out. The snow fell hard last night, and it got so high that it blocked part of the door, but hopefully we’ll be able to leave soon enough.

I turn to Corallin and frown at where she is sitting across from me. “Are you sure you need to go now? It isn’t exactly good traveling weather.”

“I’m a vampire, and he is a Highlander,” she replies with a smile. “The cold won’t be too much of a problem. Besides, if I’m gone for too long my father will come looking for me.”

“And we can’t have that,” I mutter. We’ve already agreed that we won’t be telling her father Elwis the Eel about this. I’m not sure what to do about Elwis, especially considering that he now holds the power that I want, but obviously straight up displacing him is off the table now that he is my sister’s father.

I suppose I’ll just have to start up my own empire, from scratch. Find the thieves that slipped through Elwis’s net and make him have to share some of the power.

He won’t like that, but I was here first, so he is just going to have to find a way to cope. And in the meantime, we will have to find some way to coexist with each other for Corallin’s sake.

“Are you sure that I can’t convince you to come work for my father?” Corallin asks, tilting her head.

I offer her a small smile. “I’m not very good at taking orders. Are you sure that I can’t convince you to stay here?”

“I have a family that I love.”

I reach out and rest a hand over hers. “You had better visit.”

“I’ll figure out something,” she says as she gives me a crooked smile. She glances up as Lief walks into the room, two books balanced on his open hand. His other hand is wrapped up in a sling from his wound.

“Are you done, my dear?” Corallin asks as she glances over her shoulder at him.

“We are lucky the arm they cut was not the dominant one.” He drops the two books on the table. The top was the one he brought with him that he had apparently been penning a story in it. The other was Valentine’s spellbook. While we had worked on cleaning up after the evening, Lief had been transcribing the words in Valentine’s book into his as well. It was a compromise that Corallin and I came up with. I wasn’t willing to give up such a powerful spellbook, especially since I have it to thank for the fact that Victor is up and walking around, but she couldn’t return to her father empty handed. Now there are two copies and already I feel a bit like I’m returning to my old position of power.

Corallin reaches out, grabbing Lief’s book. She casually flips through the pages and then looks up. “I wonder who Valentine was and how he got the spellbook. You don’t suppose….”

“What?” Lief asks as he braces his good arm on the table as he settles in behind Corallin.

“I was just wondering if Valentine was actually the original writer of this spellbook. Devalen Tine himself.”

“But Devalen was one of the founders of the Academy,” Lief says, which is something I’m learning for the first time. I’m going to need to start brushing up on my history, especially if I want to be able to beat Elwis at his own spellbook finding game. After all, Corallin had mentioned that there was still one more spellbook that Elwis didn’t have. “That would make him what? Five hundred years old? No human can live that long.”

“Try me,” Victor says as he steps up behind me. He wipes the snow out of his hair. “I’m pretty sure I can’t age as much as I can’t die, but I guess that’s only a theory right now.”

“Hey, if the demigod fails, there’s always vampirism,” I say as I turn to look at him over my shoulder.

Victor’s eyebrows rise in surprise, and he lets out a small laugh. “So, you’re not in a hurry to be rid of me then?”

I smack his stomach in reply. Victor smiles and grabs my hand before I can pull away, holding it in place. He turns to Corallin. “So, what is this about five-hundred-year-old humans?”

“I was just conjecturing that perhaps Valentine was the one who penned the spellbook that he was actually Devalen Tine and that his healing magic somehow kept him alive all these years.”

“Until last night,” Victor says with a sigh. “Poor man. He probably gave me that spellbook so I could heal him. I had no idea it was that powerful that it could bring back from the brink of death or else I’d have done it for him.”

“Then I would have had to make three copies of the spellbook,” Lief says. “I can write fast, but maybe not that fast.”

“Oh well,” Corallin says as she pushes to her feet. “I suppose it will just be a mystery.” She holds the spellbook to her chest. “Are you ready to go, Lief? I want to be on our way before the law arrives.”

Lief throws her a smile. “Always, my love.”

Victor steps around to clap Lief on the shoulder as I push to my feet to hug Corallin. “I’ll see you soon,” I tell her and it’s a promise that I intend to keep.

I may have lost a lot in the past but not everything. And that which I have I intend to fight to keep.

We wave them off and I can’t help but feel oddly empty as Corallin closes the front door behind her. Leaving me in the inn.

I turn to Victor to see that he is watching me closely. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine?” I ask tilting my head. “Shouldn’t I be the one asking that question though? You’re the one who was gutted.”

He bites down on his lip as he studies me before he reaches around me to grab the book. He balances his fingertips on it as he slides it towards him. I lean back, bracing my hands on the table to keep from falling over. Victor is standing so close that I have nowhere to go except over the table if I want to get away. I don’t feel trapped though, a bit thrilled though as he looks me in the eye as his brown ones sparkle with green. “Just no more magic for you. I think it is best if you leave any madness to me. All right, wife?”

“So, am I still your wife?” I ask arching my brow. My voice comes out abashedly breathy.

Victor holds up a single finger. “About that…” he says.

I swallow hard, feeling my heart begin to sink. I had known that this was likely coming. After all, nothing had truly changed. We were still just a pair of liars. I draw in a shuddering breath as I remind myself that I’m right back to where I was before. A new start, but not hopeless. I’ll find a way to make it in this new world.

Victor pulls away and I feel the absence of his presence and warmth acutely. I ball my hand into a fist to keep from reaching out for him. But then he drops down to his knee in front of me.

I feel my eyes widen as he reaches into his pocket. He pulls out two small silver objects. I recognize them almost immediately. The rings.

He holds my gaze as he slides his ring back onto his finger. Then he holds up the other one. “You’ll always be my wife. What do you say, Mrs. Andreev? Can I still be your husband? You are still the most enchanting woman I know, even though I know most of your secrets now.”

“Only most,” I say with a smile as I reach out and grasp the ring. It slides into place on my finger, it never should have left in the first place. But this time, at least I mean it.

I started out thinking I was marrying a handsome yet desperate stranger. I thought I had stolen his heart, not realizing that Victor had stolen mine instead. I’d thought that while he might someday come to love me, I’d never love him in return. I’d always have to be holding back a part of myself.

Only to learn that all my broken jagged pieces fit perfectly with his.

He is my thief. A vessel of madness, an innkeeper’s son, a brother, and the man that I would face the threat of insanity for.

“Oh, and husband?” I say as I lean forward cupping his cheek.

“Yes?” he inquires.

“You may kiss the bride,” I breathe but then I don’t give him a chance to comply to my wishes. I lean forward, closing the distance between us and finally claim my first kiss.

Victor wraps his arms around me and pushes to his feet, lifting me with him. He spins in a circle and I kick my leg. I move my lips across his, tracing them and getting to know every curve and bend. His mouth is a feature that I’m sure I’ll get very used to.

I let out a little laugh as he squeezes me tight and then he starts laughing until we’re both chuckling between kisses.

Yes, I know exactly what I got.

Not just the great love of my life, I got a perfect partner in crime.