Page 46

San Juan

Wesley stood alone on the tiled rooftop patio, under the awning’s shade.

In front of him, the ocean stretched out endlessly to the horizon until it met the rich blue of the deepening evening sky.

Down below, turquoise waves were rolling up on cream-colored sand, their gentle roaring in his ears, the warm breeze ruffling his hair.

Wesley watched the beach for a long moment, the scent of salt in his breaths. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he finally muttered. “It really is that color.”

“Wes.”

He looked over to see Sebastian coming out of the house, a drink in each hand.

He looked deeply relaxed, with rolled-up sleeves and the collar of his white linen shirt open to show tanned skin beneath.

“Tomorrow is going to be a full day, with the wedding.” Sebastian held out one of the glasses. “But tonight we have time for drinks.”

In the golden-hued light of a tropical evening, the vivid colors of the magical lion tattoo on his inner wrist nearly glowed.

Wesley absently brushed his hand over his own heart, then took the blessedly cold drink.

“It’s about time Miss Robbins and Mr. Zhang got hitched.

It was nice of you to invite everyone here for the wedding. ”

“It was my pleasure,” Sebastian said, with feeling. “All of it.”

Wesley sipped his drink, a new flavor as bright on his tongue as liquid sunshine. Mango, perhaps? “Geoffrey sent a cable. Seems both Alfred and Louis Fairfield will stand trial for Hyde’s murder, although given they’re from a duke’s line, I have my doubts on how much justice they’ll actually see.”

“We have their relics, though, and have found all seven relics now,” Sebastian said.

“We will keep our eyes on the Valemount line. And not just us: Jade is starting a paranormal ladies’ society with Gwen.

Maybe they are not you ,” he added, with a teasing smile, “but I would not want to cross them.”

“Fair enough,” Wesley admitted, with his own rueful smile.

Down below on the beach, a large knot of friends and family had gathered to bask in the tropical evening: Jade and Gwen laughing with Isabel and Molly; Jade’s brother, Benson, diving in the waves with Ellis and Zhang; Stella looking particularly glamorous lounging on her beach chair with Benson’s family and her girlfriend, Sasha, as Sasha’s brother, Pavel, strolled hand-in-hand along the shoreline with Zhang’s cousin, Ling.

Even Rory’s aunt, a Mrs. McIntyre, was there, sharing celebratory drinks with two American tourists and watching with a fond smile as Arthur seemed to be trying to show Rory how to throw an American football, with Mateo patiently waiting to make a catch.

Mateo would have to board his ship back to New York the day after tomorrow to make his train to Ohio and back to university, but for the moment he had a broad smile.

“Can your brother see if this is our future?” Wesley said.

“I want it to be,” Sebastian said, almost shyly. “Puerto Rico, England, Spain, New York—it doesn’t matter where. My favorite place in the world is wherever you are.”

Wesley set his drink on the small table and pulled Sebastian into his arms. “Mine too.”

Sebastian smiled, and then they were kissing as the ocean rolled endlessly on.

* * * * *