Ashes and cherries

Claire

Beep.

So sleepy.

Beep.

Why can’t I move?

Beep.

A hand touched my forehead and I shivered.

Beep.

I tried to open my eyes but my eyelids felt heavy. When I tried to move, my stomach prickled as if hot needles were stuck under my skin. I whimpered as I lifted my right hand, the one who wasn’t connected with the IV to my left. Wait? I was in a hospital?

Struggling to get up, pushing the blankets hastily from my body, I felt dizzy as I placed my feet to the floor. I was dressed on the awful green robe of the hospital and I cringed with the idea of not having a bath. How long was I out?

“Claire.”

I looked up. Nicola stood at my room’s entrance, holding a paper bag and a cup of coffee. The scent of fries and meat made my mouth water and my stomach crumble. He placed the bag and the cup on the nightstand beside me and hugged me tightly. I hugged him back, relieved he was alive.

“I was so worried. You were gone for a moment but then-”

“What happened? Where is everybody?”

He shook his head as he sat beside me. “When the little girl finished her spell a light covered everything and the men, the statue and the tree disappeared along with the witch. When I opened my eyes again the wolf had you already in his arms, running towards the city.”

Nicola rubbed his face tiredness etches along the lines of his skin.

“How long was I out?” I mumbled.

“A week. The wound on your stomach healed fast, which was really creepy for one. But Jericho couldn’t stay. In his form, he couldn’t even take you to the hospital. So I took you from him.”

“Where is he?” my voice shook and tears threatened to fall.

Nicola sighed. “I searched for him Claire, I even went to the house but there was nothing left.”

My body shook. It was true then. He was really gone, taken away and placed where he truly belonged. But Lora had said…

“I am so sorry child.” He hugged me and I sobbed, not caring for the stained shirt of Nicola’s or for the cracking sound on my chest.

When I finally settled down, got checked by the doctor and the nurses, Nicola helped me with the food and brought me clothes. I refused putting them unless I had a proper bath. Thank to the nurses’ help I managed to look presentable and lie back to my bed again. I looked towards the wall window to my right. Sundown had fallen and the snow glittered like broken glass on the trees.

Nicola also told me that I was renounced dead to the Family along with my father. He was now the boss and for a reason that had pleased many of the Families, which had allied themselves with my father’s mob.

Three days passed and every night I fell asleep with the howls of wolves in my ears, like a haunting song. I didn’t dream of Jericho and with Lora’s words the pain became even more unbearable. But with the realization that the curse was broken, I felt…free.

Free from the shadows of the past, free from the obligation of the haunted house and finally free for myself. I hoped Todd, Elfas, Mina, Lethinia and Fred were able to escape too and I was certain that the poop prince had some old scores to settle, just like Todd had.

A smile crept on my lips and closed my eyes as night fell once again.

A week after the fire, Nicola and I left the hospital. It was really refreshing, feeling the fresh winter air in my lungs as also leaving the behind the sick scent of the hospital. I stopped dead, when I realized that Christmas has already passed and New Year’s Eve was coming.

“I lost many days Nicola.” I said when he looked at my curiously. His eyebrows fell and he took my hands in his handling me a thick folder.

“What is this?” I asked as I opened it and looked in.

“Consider it a late Christmas gift.” He answered and when I touched the plastic, I felt the air leaving my insides.

Id, driver’s license, social security number, everything was inside. I looked up at Nicola, my eyebrows raised and with my eyes wide. “This is…”

Nicola clasped my shoulders and kissed my forehead. “Your freedom. Everything is legal, to the eyes of the law of course. There is also a bank account with a starting amount of money.”

I smiled. “The one with six or seven zeroes?”

He smirked. “More like nine zeros.”

“Nicola, I-”

“You lost too much. Don’t you dare say a word about this” he pointed to the file. “Don’t you dare return to Chicago or the state of Illinois, Claire; go and live your life.”

I clutched the file to my chest and nodded.

“I loved your mother with all my heart even Mimi and Thomas. You are my family Claire and I am keeping you away from this. Go, and find that wolf boy of yours.”

Nicola smiled and gave the car keys. “There is a truck parked to the right side of the hospital to that direction. It’s yours and equipped with everything you’ll need.”

I hugged the man who had placed his faith in me and the last part of my family. “Thank you…dad.”

His arms tightened around my waist and I felt something wet to the left side of my face. Pulling back, I smiled, kissed his scruffy cheek and turned around, heading to the car and away from my past.

I went to the house first. The need to see what was left was like a burning hole inside me and it didn’t take long to reach the familiar driveway. The gates had fallen and my truck’s tires bumped as I passed above them. Parking to the side, close to the curving point of the road, I walked towards the burnt house.

The beautiful Victorian was nothing more but a skeleton of iron and burnt wood. Soot and ashes marked everything and if I could concentrate more I could imagine the familiar path I always would take when I would return from the shopping. My boots passed over broken wood and fallen blocks. The entrance was gone and I detected some parts of the beautiful paintings which used to decorate the walls of the hall. The staircase was gone and I was sure that the plants of Elfas’s had found a horrible death.

As also the beautiful wooden sculptures of Jericho’s.

Climbing above the pile of wood and fallen stones, I reached the part where the entrance to the underground weaponry and garage was. The room might have collapsed but Jericho had told me that there were also two trapdoors which were connected directly to the grounds below.

Cleaning away to the best of my abilities I found the one which led to the garage. I climbed down the stairs and pushed the button which would activate the emergency power. The men had to be ready for everything and a back up plan also required an energy generator.

As the lights shone I saw rows and rows of cars. But as I walked around them, I noticed that the gigantic Harley bike was gone. Crouching down, I noticed the faint marks of the tires and a smile crept on my lips. Jericho hadn’t disappeared like the others. He was still here, somewhere around.

I was sure of that and my heart beat strongly. Nothing was truly lost. Houses could be made anywhere in the world, but homes were made to the person your heart belonged to. Feeling like flying, I climbed back to the remains of the house and out to the winter morning and ran to my car. Opening the back doors, I reached one of the bags and pulled out the laptop Nicola had also provided for me.

Typing into the access code Todd had taught me, I found the program of the tracking devices. Every car and bike had one installed in them and I breathed a sigh of relief when the dots appeared on the map. Thirty were piled together. But one had moved away, towards the city.

“Found you.”

The ride back to the city made me anxious and giddy. I wondered how I would find Jericho in the mess of people and busy street life. As I entered the city center and thankfully found an open parking spot, I pulled out one of the empty back bags and stuffed it with the essentials; wallet, first aid kit and a map. When I made sure I had everything secured I closed the car and began walking.

I had just turned around the corner of the block, pulling my scarf closer to my face when I heard the church’s bell. The sound was eerie and almost mournful as it rung on my ears and when the memory kicked in I began running to the opposite direction. Towards a familiar abandoned building.

The snow had been cleaned from the streets but still the wind was ice cold, as I climbed the hard granite stairs of the ten stories building. It was the first place Jericho had brought me when we met and also the first one which had come in my mind.

The fifth floor had an amazing view of the city which was the first part I noticed. Looking around I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary; there were the pile of rumble and to the other side at my left rows of abandoned tools were placed in order, forgotten.

I walked around the floor until I reached the other corner of the room, which had the forest edges as a view. My instincts kicked in and I walked closer to the corner and then I heard it; the moan of pain.

Huddled under piles of blankets, curled into a ball was a body. Breathing quickly, I pulled the blankets away until my fingers reached clammy, cold skin. Skin.  

“Jericho?” I whispered as I turned the body around.

His eyes snapped opened, a brilliant combination of black and blue irises in both his eyes. His mouth opened in a silent plea and lifted his arms, crushing me to his chest. I hugged him back, fearing that in any moment he would disappear.

“I fought it…the spell…couldn’t go…back.”

“Shh, it’s alright, I am here now.”

His body shook and I lifted on my forearms looking down at him. Tears appeared on his eyes as he shook his head. The double voice of both wolf and man became stronger as he spoke. “I tried…couldn’t let you…thought I lost you.”

I smiled at him, kissing softly his chin, “I am here.” I murmured and kissed his cheeks, “you didn’t lose me Jericho.” His forehead and then his lips. He moaned and pulled me closer as our mouths danced, learning each other, holding tightly each other’s body.

He pulled back, breathing hard and the color of his eyes changed. The black retreated, leaving only the brilliant pale blue. “Hello stranger, welcome back.”

Jericho smiled tiredly and smoothed his rough fingertips over my cheek. “When the spell was done, I fought it. I couldn’t go back to the pack, without knowing you were alive. I couldn’t go back without you.”

When I opened my mouth, Jericho placed one finger on my lips. “Nicola took you to the hospital and I spend the week, trying to get used to the new body. The wolf was unsettled and we both couldn’t sense you. For a moment I thought-”

Pulling him on a sitting position, I pushed the blankets away from his shoulders. He looked like a homeless man with torn clothes and surely he needed a bath. I held him close, breathing in his scent. “It’s over now. Nicola became the new head of the Family.”

Jericho frowned and I told him about my week in the hospital, how my ‘death’ had affected the mobs’ balance as also about the new ID and the money. After taking his arm and placing it around my shoulders, I helped him up. In wobbly legs he walked and together we made our descending to the exit.

“So I am Claire Limona now.” I finished and Jericho laughed.

“Do you know the funny thing in all this?”

I shook my head.

“Everything seems so…big. It will take time to get used to this body.”

“We have eternity. I am sure time is the last thing to worry about.” I said with a smile and together we headed to the car.

“Claire I can shave!”

I shook my head.

“Ahh, shampoo smells so good!”

I stifled my laugh.

“And there is so less hair!”

“Jericho!” I cried out to the closed bathroom door and he boomed from laughter.

We had booked a room into the city, with the plan to rest and then head out tomorrow. Where? We still had no idea but the map was open, so the best chance would be to pick a state and head on the road trip.

The fascination of Jericho’s with his human body, since he never had used the one the moon was giving to him, was tremendous to the point of boasting about it. The door opened and the man candy got out, wrapped only with a towel around his waist, with long black hair falling back to his shoulders.

Oh God…this was going to be a long night…

Jericho stood few feet away from the bed, where I sat, and he shifted from foot to foot. He was as embarrassed as I felt. He rubbed his palms and walked to the duffle bag, pulling out a pair of shorts and a tee we had bought from a local store. He strode back to the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

And why was I so embarrassed? I had seen Jericho as a werewolf half naked many times. I got up and looked at my face on the mirror across the room. Groaning with the red on my cheeks, I changed quickly on a pair of yoga pants and a purple tee; by the time I had changed the door had opened and Jericho came out, using the towel to dry his hair.

He held a comb in his hand. “Will you…?”

I motioned him closer and he sat on the bed, his back to me. Sitting on my knees behind him, I began combing his black hair, letting the strands sweep between my fingers. Jericho titled his head back, touching my shoulder and turned slightly as he feathered kisses on my jaw.

“I want to do this right.”

“You are.” My hands shook as I moved the comb.

Jericho shook his head. “No.”

Suddenly, I was on my back with Jericho hovering above me. His eyes glowed in the darkness a brilliant azure and I reached out, pulling him close. His lips met mine as we kissed and he rolled, settling me on top of him. He reached up and his arms cradled me closer.

“I want to go on a date with you. I want to learn everything; what you love, what you hate, what you fear. I want you on my bed every night and day; I want to wake up and fall asleep with you lips on mine until the end of our days.”

“Are you proposing to me Mr. Nolan?” I said, smiling at his words.

He smirked. “I happen to be a gentleman Miss Limona.” He kissed my cheeks, “but until the actual proposal, we are going to sleep.” Jericho mumbled and rolled us to the side with his frame spooning me from behind. He sighed, as if he had finally reached the finishing line, as if he had just woken from a horrible nightmare and he kissed my nape.

“Goodnight Claire.”

“Goodnight Jericho.”

The next day we loaded Jericho’s bike on the truck, packed the few possessions we had and left the city. We stopped on motels or camped into the car. There was nothing more liberating from this. Jericho had mapped out the entire west States from Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma saying that werewolves preferred forested areas.

With the deal of visiting at least the sea at the summer, we traveled from West Virginia to Minnesota and from Missouri to Massachusetts. We would visit every monument and museum or get lost on libraries and book stores. Jericho had managed to purchase tools for wood crafting and from time to time he would carve small animals or dancing figures as we drove.

I kept all of them.

It had been three months since we had left the house. We had traveled far and saw many places as we searched for our friends. Jericho had shown me how to recognize the tracks of the Fae, or notice how werewolves would walk around mortals. At night, we would spy on the bars where some vampires liked to dwell and smile with the memory of Todd’s jokes.

We missed everybody but mostly Jericho. He had lived the longest with them and they were his family, of sorts. When one day I had asked him if he considered going back to Yellowstone, he had shaken his head. “No, I can’t go back. Maybe one day, when the hatred is gone, maybe then I will.”

I nodded and snaked my hand in his.

One day, we arrived at Nashville, a small city outside Bloomington, Indiana. We looked outside out car windows as we drove through the small town, marveling at the forest at the horizon. I marveled at the local “Ice Cream Place”.

“Yup, this is delicious!” I smiled as I licked around my corn. We decided to take our break in front of the ice cream store, and we sat close to the car, enjoying the frosty sweetness.

Jericho laughed and kissed the corner of my lips taking some of the leaked chocolate. “Lake Monroe is also nice.”

“And there are forests all around.”

Jericho tossed his finished ice cream and got up from the bench. It was the beginning of March and the weather was still cloudy but Jericho was dressed on a long sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans along with dark brown boots. He looked around, turning his head left and right, before looking down at me.

“There is a building downtown. I thought about it…”

I got up and pulled him closer from his belt hoops. “Show me.”

We got in the car and drove. When we reached the building I was amazed by the color. In dark red brick with steel and the indication of a terrace, it occupied all the block. “There is room for two shops and two apartments on the second floor.” Jericho pointed up. “There is also a terrace,” he winked at me “which can also be converted on a garden.”

“Or built a gazebo.” I said with Jericho’s idea forming in mind.

“What Yavaro says about that?”

One of Jericho’s eyes turned black and a growl rose from his chest.

“We all agree then.” I smiled and pulled him to the entrance. Jericho followed and we spend the next three hours looking the building from top to bottom with the werewolf occasionally climbing to the upper floor, inspecting the rooms.

“I want to build a book store.” I announced and smiled to myself. I could already imagine it; rows and rows of books with a special section for anything paranormal even for those who needed grimoires. Especially the witches.

“And I can make a bar.”

“Bar?”

Jericho blushed. “I like the ‘Cocktail’ movie.”

Laughing I snaked my arm on his waist. “The bookstore will work on mornings and at night we can work on the bar. What do you think?”

Jericho tugged me towards the exit, smiling. We both knew this feeling which had found its way in our hearts. We were finally building a home.

Six months later

I wiped the last of the tables and sighed relieved. Glancing up towards the elegant old style clock above the bar, I saw that we had two hours until opening for the night. Taking the rest of the cleaning items I strode towards the back office.

In the first three months after our decision to stay on Nashville, Jericho and I used our zeros to refurnish the building and open our own business; “Mimi’s Books” and “Wolf’s Fang”. In the mornings I would deal with the orders and help every customer who needed a new book, while at nights Jericho would open the bar for both mortal and immortal creatures.

“Claire, are you done?” Jericho called at me from the office, which was at the backside of the bar.

I found him bent over a pile of bills and orders, typing furiously on his laptop. “Yes, how about you?”

“This is really bothersome. Thank the moon for reading about logistics out of boredom.”

I snorted. “Yup, you are the only person I know who would do that.”

He leaned back on his black, comfy chair and rubbed his eyes, sliding up his reading glasses. Jericho groaned and stretched his arms back, letting his muscles on his arms and torso stretch too. I walked around the table and sat on his lap, circling my arms over his neck. His own hands settled around my waist, while his fingers played with my forearm.

I had the tattoo done after we had finished furnishing the house on the second floor. In elegant black ink, I had the names of mom, Thomas and Mimi carved on my skin, a charm and a reminder for the family I had lost. But the family I had gained was tattooed on my chest.

Jericho had drooled over it since.

“We really need to get up.” He muttered as he buried his nose on my hair. I had let them grown and dyed back to black. There was no reason for hiding anymore.

Tracing lines on his arms, I nodded at his words, not that I wanted to lose my wolfy pillow. Jericho’s own tattoos on his arms were gone after the spell was broken and in their place he had a new pattern done. On his right arm he had the phases of the moon done, going up on a single line, while on the other he had a long row of script written in letters unknown to human eyes.

The artist had stared at us curiously when we had given him our designs.

“I know, but you are comfy.”

“Comfy?”

I nodded, smiling. “My very own pillow.”

Jericho got up from the armchair, holding me easily. “Naughty, naughty woman. You always mention the bed.”

“Why I wonder?” I faked ignorance but he knew better.

Ever since that night at the hotel, he hadn’t touched me, but we still slept together, learning about making out. On the other hand, I hadn’t mentioned Lora’s words to him; I didn’t want any prophecies and expectations coming between us, at least not for now.

And we had gone on dates. Lots of dates; apparently werewolves were scared of Hitchcock movies and didn’t like broccoli. And when I would sneer at any woman who would look at him with glassy eyes, Jericho would laugh and spin me around on his bear hugs.

I really wanted the mundane things in my life and Jericho wanted to live as a tame wolf for a while. And when the moon would rise, we would close for three days and spend some camping time, deep into the forests, where Yavaro would roam free and we would ran under the moon and the stars.

Jericho laughed pulling me out from my thoughts. We headed to the front where he placed me on the counter and he began counting the bottles for the night. After a quick glance on the glasses and the tables, he kissed me and headed upstairs to change. I liked working with him and he would help me with the books on the morning.

And if we were to get too tired, it wasn’t hard to take the day off.

I heard the door opening and I turned around. “I am sorry we are not-”

My words were cut off as soon as I locked gazes with the woman. She stood straight, wearing a pair of black jeans, high heels in the color of pink and a tight tube t-shirt of the same color. Her jacket was also leather black and it did nothing to cast more color. Her dark skin was almost like ebony and her hair was short, spiky with blue highlights.

What surprised me was her presence. Her eyes were dark brown and she titled her head to side regarding me.

“May I help you?” I jumped off the counter, taking a tentative step towards her. I had seen my share of Fae and vampires, even some lone wolves in the club. Of them all Fae liked to draw the attention to them with ridiculous glamours. Three of them had once disguised themselves as George Clouney, the younger version, and had entered the club demanding paparazzi and a martini too 007 style.

Jericho had tossed them out, like sacks of potatoes.

The woman took a step forward and pointed to the jukebox to my right. It suddenly turned on and picked a disk. I tensed. A witch? She smiled at me and began dancing to the voice of Frank Sinatra playing “Witchcraft”.

She danced and moved her hands, arranging the tables and the stools to the sides, creating her own dancing floor. I leaned back, letting my lower back touch the counter as I watched her moving, dancing her own fox trot. When she turned and looked at me again her irises swirled into a bright yellow color.

I gasped. “Mina?”

“Took you long enough!” she protested but I had already run to her, hugging her tightly.

“That’s your true form?” I pulled back, eyeing her. “Wow. You are radiating steam girl!”

Her fingertips took fire and she moved her hands, puffing them out and blowing off the smoke. “I know.” She clasped my cheeks and kissed my forehead. “I am so glad. When you collapsed, I thought-”

“You thought right. But Nicola saved me and Jericho fought the curse in order to stay with me.”

“Love is the strongest magic.” She quoted and I rolled my eyes. “Too much Disney, Mina.”

“And where is the wolf in question?”

“Here.” A voice grumbled behind us and we turned.

“Holy Mama of voodoos! Would you look at that!” she laughed and headed at him, hugging him tightly. She quickly pulled back and glanced at him from head to toe. “Nice,” I saw her pressing her hands on his forearms. She turned around and winked at me. “Really nice Claire. Have you ridden him yet?”

“Mina!” we both shouted too embarrassed to look at each other.

“And she is already giving you a hard time.”

Jericho was the first to leap at Todd and they hugged in a manly way which would bring even the hardest to tears.

“Brother.” Todd said and he turned to me. He was the same multicolored vampire I had met with his rainbow colored hair tied back and his red-purple eyes gleaming in the night.

He crossed the few steps and hugged me tightly. “And you reek of wolf of course.”

“Why is everyone assuming that?” Jericho said, looking up at the ceiling as if he wanted to find the answer.

“‘Nice to see you too Claire’, ‘I am glad you didn’t die Claire’.” I mimicked Todd’s voice and we laughed.

“How did you find us?” Jericho said as he strode to the bar and brought a bottle of rum and four glasses.

“An associate of mine mentioned a werewolf bar and I knew that this area didn’t have any.” Mina said as she titled her head back, drinking her shot.

As she hit the glass to the table, Todd said “And of course we decided to find out who runs this place.” Todd pointed at me. “I really want to check out your bookstore.”

I smirked. “I am waiting for the new “Black Dagger Brotherhood” novels to arrive.” I winked and Todd’s fangs appeared in a feral grin.

Jericho placed his arm around my shoulders and pointed his glass at our friends. “So you two are…dating?”

Mina laughed while Todd seemed to…blush? Could vampires blush?

“No puppy, we are married!” she pointed the rock, which rested on her finger at us and I whistled. It wasn’t a diamond; it had a faint rose quartz color with a hint of deep red in its core.

“Now that’s an interesting wedding ring Todd.” Jericho said and I frowned. Reading my expression Jericho smiled and began filling our glasses again. “When vampires exchange vows of bonding, they let drops from their blood seep inside a diamond. Their essences mold and it changes shape.”

“What a…interesting choice of wedding.”

“The Council accepted us, after a few slit throats and some blackmail, so everything is fine now.” Mina said cheerily and both Jericho and I looked at them, dumbfounded.

“So you became a Councilor Tobias?” Jericho asked and the vampire scowled at the mention of his true name.

“I became a Magi. The top of the Council,” he hugged Mina “and my lady became the Matriarch of the American Coven.”

“Wait a moment, so now you two rule America?” Jericho asked astonished while I gathered the glasses in the tray.

“The clans inside the country, yes. Fae have their own King and Queen, but the werewolves are still with no leader.” Todd looked at Jericho with skeptism.

He lowered his head and grunted his agreement; I held his hand under the table in a silent act of support. “Did you have any news about Elfas and Lethinia?”

“No, we tried to contact them, but we found unrest on the Fae Courts. But we found Fred.” Mina said happily and pulled from her jacket a leather pouch, laying it on the table.

I took it in my hand and opened it. “Holy crap!” My eyes widened as I let the cool stones fell on my palm. Rubies, azures and sapphires glowed under the light of the bar, creating tiny rainbows in their depths. Jericho’s fingers brushed mine as he pulled three small round pearls.

“Pink pearls?”

“Fred became one of the best collectors on precious stones. His store is on New Orleans and he likes to trade voodoo secrets for anything that shines.” Mina shrugged.

“When we visited him, he gave us this pouch to give it to you, when we would find you. ‘A wedding gift.’ He called it.” Todd said and smiled.

“There are beautiful.” I mumbled stunned from their beauty.

Jericho’s head snapped to the door’s direction. We all turned following his stare and Todd growled. Suddenly we had all pulled away from our chairs with Mina standing in front of me and the men flanking my sides. And they all stared at the door.

The door opened on its own and thick fog swirled inside the bar, thickening quickly on the wooden floor. We looked forward as the monster of a tall, muscled man entered the shop. He was dressed in crisp suit and he wore cuffs on his wrists. His eyes scanned us and he smirked, deviously. Wait a second…

“Jericho Barrons? Seriously Elfas?” I called out and the glamour frowned.

“Huh?” Mina said and lowered her blazing hands.

“You spoil the fun Claire.” The familiar voice spoke and the vision melted revealing Elfas with his shiny green hair and silver liquid eyes. He was dressed on a business suit, which didn’t lessen his mischievous nature. “What?” he asked looking at us. “You must agree that it was really realistic!”

“Realistic my ass!” Todd growled but smile and shook Elfas’s outstretched arm.

Mina and I shook our heads. I had hoped that the prince would have regained some of his brain after he was freed, but nope, he was same old crazy Elfas.

“May I present you her Majesty, Fourth Fae Queen Lethinia.” He said with pride and gestured to the door.

When she stepped in, a fragrance of lilies and fresh air filled the atmosphere. When she pulled back the hood of her coat, long silver hair fell to her shoulders and shiny green eyes, like precious stones gazed at us. The right side of her face was covered with swirling black ink, indicating the mark of her making into Fae.

Lethinia was stunning.

“Claire!” she opened her arms and we met at the middle as we hugged. Her voice was like a song, soft and gentle. “Nice to meet you.” She murmured and I smiled as I pulled back.

“Nice to meet you too, finally!” I turned to Elfas who was speaking with Jericho and Mina. “You sure have your hands filled with him.”

She laughed. “I love him.”

And that was the truth, simple and clear.

Todd introduced himself, bowing before her in the most formal manner, and Lethinia shook his hand. Mina too took an interest at her and soon we were all talking and laughing as if a day hadn’t passed. We closed the bar and we all headed to the best restaurant of the town. It was the happiest night of my life, with Todd showing of his knowledge for wines, Mina changing the tastes of the food, while Elfas was mad enough to order poop tea.

Lethinia had kindly smacked his glamoured head.

Jericho tightened his hold on my shoulders as we sat closer and rubbed his nose at the side of my neck. “Happy?”

“Very.”

He smiled. “Me too.”

Everyone spent the night on our apartment. Jericho and I cuddled together at the gazebo he had built at the terrace with soft blankets around us. The couch could become a bed and with the sliding glass panels around the big square sized kiosk we had plenty of space.

Jericho’s fingertips made patterns on the ink of my chest. The tattoo of the dream catcher was covering my breastbone and the ends of the Indian like feathers were going down and over the slope of my left breast. In the circle the ropes were swirling into patterns, creating the initials of all the residents of the house, with the ‘J’ on the center, above my heart.

And around it, cherry petals in soft pink color were scattering down to my rib cage, as if the wind was blowing them. I shivered on his touch and moved closer to his warmth, tracing the letters on his arm.

We looked at each other in the darkness and Jericho got up lifting me with him. He stared at the sky and then turned to me. “Let’s howl.” And together we sung in the night the reunion of our family.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

"Love me like you do" by Elie Goulding!

Also stay tuned for the Epilogue! Thank you for the support and your patience! Please vote/comment! <3