Page 118 of Tricky Princess

Loki’s mouth shut with a snap. He squinted at her slowly, assessing her, then he bowed, allowing her to continue.

Ellea turned back to Ros, grasping him by the shirt to pull him close to her. His eyes were wide with wonder and shock.

“You said ‘I love you,’” Ellea whispered as she ignored Sam’s gushing oh my Gods over and over again.

“I did,” he said, closing some of the distance between their lips.

“Say it again.”

The sky cleared around them, and her restless magic calmed, waiting. How had they gotten to this point? How did one hiccup all those months ago in Halifax lead to this moment?

“I love you, Ellea,” he said, both dimples showing as he smiled. “I have loved you for longer than I knew, and I wish I told you sooner.”

A tear escaped Ellea’s eye, running down through the rivulets of her earlier ones. Closing her eyes for a moment, she basked in Ros’ warmth and scent.

“I love you, Rosier,” she breathed, and when she opened her eyes, his shone with unshed tears. “I don’t know when, but I’m pretty sure I loved you first.”

She smirked at him before his mouth was on hers, consuming her and her confession as Sam continued to freak out about them, about Loki—it didn’t matter. All that mattered was they were whole, they were alive, and they would continue on.

“This is going to be fun,” Loki said.

Epilogue

NOEMA

“The binding of the Gods’ chosen and its promised will amend the lapse of the realms. The chosen must seek out the Creator Of Chaos and Bringer Of Shadows. Until they are forged, there will only be death.” Noema gagged out the words as she overlooked the embrace in the street below her. Her talons scraped along the windowpane, desperate to claw out the eyes of those two imbeciles. They had escaped her plan. Twenty-eight years of setup hadn’t been enough. The room still smelled of her—electric, soft, and powerful—and the demon that was grossly grabbing her ass.

“Gods’ chosen, my ass,” Noema cursed.

They were her words, spoken eons ago when those weak Gods had entered her realm and taken over all she had created. Speaking the prophecy out loud was one of her biggest regrets. Her second biggest regret was the bodies in the street below, useless to her now. They’d been a waste of time; they couldn’t bring the heir to her. She would not let the prophecy come true, even if she had been the one to speak it, damning herself from the worship and power she deserved.

The Goddess clawed three Xs into the window over the heads of those who would die. They would not outsmart her; she had created the very earth they were standing on. All she needed was to out-trick a trickster. She cackled, and then bright, ethereal eyes turned to her from the street below. She let out a snarl; only he could see and hear, no matter the distance. With a hateful wave of her fingers, Noema shimmered into a wisp of gray shadows, ready to set a new plan in motion.

Epilogue

ELLEA

The leaves were changing in the supernatural territory as Hel’s autumn fully took over. Ellea had begun wearing thicker clothing on her outings with the souls, mostly to appease Ros, who was as protective as ever. It had been a month since the fight. Loki kept appearing at the oddest times, never being seen outside of her immediate group. He had told her he wasn’t ready to be fully present, but he was there to help clean up the mess.

There had been a cult involved, information they’d gathered from the vampires they’d left alive. They had been capturing women and children to fill the pews to worship a new Goddess. Except she wasn’t new at all, but the oldest of all the Gods, even older than Loki and those that had rested with him. They’d dismantled the cult, and the council had given those affected a way to get back on their feet.

Loki also said that he believed the Goddess, Noema, was behind the actions of her parents—or at least her mother. Ellea wasn’t sure that was fully true; she couldn’t bring herself to believe that her torment and torture hadn’t been her mother’s fault. If that were true, then she would be in the supernatural territory with her father.

The Gods’ magic had deemed him worthy, depositing him in the wooded lands, surrounded by his family. Ellea watched on from a distance as he talked animatedly with fellow witches and tricksters. She couldn’t stop the tears that fell as Ros’ strong arms wrapped around her. He always came with her when she checked on her father and walked with the souls. He’d even started to help her move them to their rightful places.

“That’s your family too,” he mumbled against her hair and brushed a kiss across her temple.

She couldn’t respond as so much hate and love circled her chest. Her father was free from the clutches of his wife and a Goddess who had some part in it. He was with those he loved after spending his life alone and afraid. But she felt jealous, like she was missing out on what they could have had. And that made her feel guilty since her days were spent being loved and surrounded by those she loved.

“I hate this.”

Ros squeezed her tighter. “I know, princess.”

“I love it, but I hate it so much. I just want to see him and I want him to know me.”

The only way for her father to know who she was to join him in the afterlife. She turned in Ros’ arms, smothering her face into his warm chest that rumbled under her.

“We’ll come back tomorrow and the next day.” He squeezed her tight, kissing the top of her head. “But we have to go.”

She groaned. They had a feast to attend, one to celebrate all the Gods had done for this realm. Beelzebub’s court weren’t invited; they were banished from all meetings, events, and balls. Belias was still in the pits where Loki left him. That was yet another thing they were sorting out.

“You're lucky I love you.” It was barely heard in the fabric of his shirt, then she smiled. Even though she was sad, she had love. They whispered it to each other every morning and night and when they were wrapped around each other so deeply that their magic became one.

Ros peeled her face from his chest, grasping her chin so he could give her a warm glare, “First, I love you more. Second, you’re the one who wants to be here as much as fate does. Welcome to your new life in Hel, princess.”

With one last teary look to her father, who was laughing so freely, she left. They had work to do.

* * *

The end for now.