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  Istvan had never seen the woman look so peaceful.

  Other bonds entrusted Oscar’s magic to Nils, and Sorcha’s to Yana. Emil had vowed his magic to Radka, blushing as he did so. Everyone could still use their own magic, but the tug of service brought a new sense of responsibility as to how they used their magic, both for the familiars and their magician partners.

  “And when the latticework finally frays irreparably,” Berre said. “We’ll be ready to teach humans how magic can bind a community together.” He was drinking at a card table with Stella, Mike and Urwin, and playing poker. Stella was winning the penny-ante stakes.

  Nora wasn’t included in the gathering.

  Istvan had accepted their separate flight paths. Whatever might have been between them, they were too different; their interests and personalities too divergent. He did feel a sense of loss that surprised him, but it was for what might have been—an idea of love that he hadn’t previously considered—rather than for Nora herself. And realizing that, he was glad that their relationship hadn’t progressed. Nora deserved better than a male who loved the idea of her more than the reality.

  He rather suspected that she’d loved the idea of him more than the reality, too.

  A crush had ended, leaving the bittersweet smoke of might-have-been.

  “Oh!” Amy suddenly sat up straight.

  Jabbed by her uncoordinated movement, Rory grunted.

  She patted his shoulder absently. “Istvan, in all the excitement, I forgot. I promised Anastasia to put in a good word for her.”

  Istvan blinked. “Anastasia wishes to join the magisterial guard unit?”

  Piros snorted.

  Dorotta giggled.

  Everyone else avoided looking at Istvan.

  “Anastasia wants to date you,” Amy said plainly.

  “Oh.” Istvan stared back at his familiar partner, the youngster he considered his fledgling. A picture of the fierce griffin police captain claimed his mind’s eye as Amy watched him expectantly. “Should I call her?”

  “Yes!” Amy punched the air.

  Rory grunted again, another pained uff. He tightened his hold on his wife to get her to settle down.

  “You should definitely call Anastasia.” Piros smirked. “There I was thinking life would become boring. Everyone, suggestions on where Istvan should take our dear griffiness on their first date?”

  Yes, Piros was definitely a troublemaker.

  Sometimes that was a good thing.

  Chapter 16

  Being with family and friends, laughing and teasing, was fun, but retiring to our own room and being alone together was even better. I’d missed Rory so much.

  We squashed into the armchair by the window with his arms loosely around me. I traced my fingers over the bumps and valleys of his knuckles. I’d thought he’d take me straight to bed.

  “Do you regret it?” he asked.

  I flattened my hands over his, interlacing our fingers. “Regret what?”

  His didn’t move, and his voice remained equally detached. “If your ancestors had gotten the spell right, Earth’s magic and humanity’s development might have happened sustainably. Humanity’s activity would have reinforced rather than worn away at Earth’s shield. The Rift would never have happened.”

  His question turned me swirly-upside-down and inside-out. Sobs tore out of me, even as I fought them.

  Rory panicked. “Sorry. Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that. Of course you—” He crushed me to him, attempting to squeeze the pain out of me.

  I shook my head against his throat. “It’s not what you think. It’s me. It’s realizing how selfish I am.”

  He froze, literally holding his breath. Only his pulse beat strong and fast.

  I hurried my confession out in between hiccupped sobs. “I chose you. That was my unthinking response. Loving you over billions of lives. I couldn’t wish—”

  His desperate, demanding kiss silenced my self-accusation. Our kiss was ugly with my sniffly, leftover tears, but it was also triumphant and life-affirming. Rory’s question had been hypothetical, but my answer was real. We couldn’t change the past, but I was passionately grateful for what we had. And we could change the future.

  Our world would be Faerene and human.

  So would our children.

  “Earthlings,” I whispered to Rory. “Faerene and human babies. We’re going to have Earthling babies.”

  His husky laugh was raw with emotion. “I can’t wait to hold them.”

  I wiped away the last of my tears. “Then you’d better do more than just hold me.”

  Wickedness and love lit his eyes. They glowed amber with his wolf. “Challenge accepted, my heart.”

  Baby Ivan was born nine months later.

  Istvan and Anastasia, and Yana and Berre, became his godparents.

  “You’re giving Berre ideas,” Yana said as she held Ivan. By her doting voice and expression, they were ideas she shared.

  Berre beamed with happiness. He’d be a great father.

  Istvan and Anastasia weren’t rushing their relationship, but they weren’t hiding it either. They were an accepted couple, translocating between Civitas and the North American Territory. With the familiar net underpinning the latticework, some of the Migration’s rationing of magic had been relaxed.

  I leaned against Rory. The apocalypse was over. There were other challenges ahead, some that would surprise us. We’d meet them together. Family and pack surrounded us, and Justice was prospering.

  The town let in humans, now, acknowledging that the future included all of us. Many of the humans entered carrying copies of my book, This Is The Faerene.

  Other Faerene had chosen a different, more insular, lifestyle.

  There was room for differences on Earth.

  “Oh no.” Yana’s nose wrinkled. “Godparents don’t do diapers.”

  I accepted my son back. “Aunty Yana’s a wimp,” I told him.

  He kicked his legs. He really did smell bad.

  Istvan and Anastasia hurriedly retreated. Berre slunk away.

  Stella patted my arm reassuringly. “Remember this moment when they have their own bundles of stinkiness.” Then she also retreated.

  I smiled at Rory. “Honey?”

  He smiled back, and lifted the diaper bag. “I’m here.”

  He always would be.

  Want More?

  It’s a strange experience releasing the final book in an apocalyptic series while COVID-19 is changing our world. I want to reach through the screen and give you virtual hugs.

  For those of you who read my Interstellar Sheriff series there is good news. Thanks to everyone who read Space Specter and then immediately asked for Space Baby, I intend to write the fourth book for release in early 2021.

  My act of defiance to the monster that is 2020 is to continue with my plans to publish a fantasy trilogy, Uncertain Sanctuary. Maybe Kira will let us join her in the new House?

  The House That Walked Between Worlds is out June 25 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083ZNMK34

  House in Hiding is out September 3 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083ZQ1JNN

  The House That Fought concludes the trilogy, November 12 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083ZNMC25

  To stay up to date on new releases from me, please follow my author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jenny-Schwartz/e/B0042MAD86

  Catch up with me at my Facebook page, on Twitter @Jenny_Schwartz, or at my website.

  Wishing you health and hope,

  Jenny

  The Faerene Apocalypse:

  Stray Magic

  Bound Magic

  Loyal Magic

  First Magic

  Rough Magic

  Interstellar Sheriff:

  Space Deputy

  Space Rodeo

  Space Specter

  Space Baby

  Shamans & Shifters Space Opera series. Complete (for now):

  Her Robot Wolf

  Cosmic Catalyst

  Shattered Earth<
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  Jingle Stars

  The Ceph Sector

  The Old School series:

  Phoenix Blood

  Fantastical Island

  Storm Road

  Fire Fall

  Desert Devil

  Amaranthine Kiss

  Shangri-La Spell

  The Collegium series:

  Demon Hunter

  Djinn Justice

  Dragon Knight

  Doctor Wolf

  Plague Cult

  Hollywood Demon

  Alchemy Shift