I give a sad little cry of disappointment when Anton moves his mouth from mine.“Nooo,” I whine, tightening my arms around his neck, pulling him back to me.Anton laughs, his shoulders tightening, resisting. “Juniper, you’ve got to sleep –““No I don’t, I’m magic –“He laughs harder now, grinning at
Anton sits down on the couch and tugs me down with him. Then he curls his arms around me, pulling my back to his chest, and we lay down, all snuggled up.“Love you, June,” he whispers, his mouth so close to my ear that I’m sure I’m the only one who could hear it.I smile, well pleased, and snuggle b
“Oh geeze,” I say, my eyes fixed on my sad little slug ex, perched there in Faiza’s hand. I take a big gulp of my coffee and then set it aside on the table, looking around at my friends for perspective.But Anton, Orion, and Laila just look at me with wide eyes and blank faces, letting me take the l
“Not anymore,” Orion grumbles, glaring at Faiza from his chair.“Yeah,” I say, smirking smugly at the Priestess. “I fixed him.”“You did?” Faiza asks, tilting her head to the side. Then she takes a step back from me, looking me up and down, her eyes shifting subtly like she’s no longer looking at me
“Yeah,” he says, his head dropping in sudden relief.“Oh god,” I say, crossing my arms again, my shoulders going up by my ears as I look around at my friends and Faiza. Everyone but Faiza just stares at me wide-eyed. The priestess, predictably, is thrilled.“So, what now?” Faiza asks, twisting back
I gasp, delighted, clasping my hands beneath my chin as I beam at my ghostly handmaid, who is also kind of my boyfriend now. “I would love pancakes!” “Well then you’d better conjure up some ingredients, Princess,” Antons says, crossing to me and slipping an arm around my shoulder. Faiza snarls at
“Juniper, this is no joke –“ Faiza growls. “She has said, expressly, that you are not to come –“ “Okay, then why is it forbidden?” I snap, putting my fork down. “Is it because it’s dangerous for me and she cares so much about my safety?” Faiza narrows her eyes and straightens her shoulders, not
“What else are we gonna do, if not go to the temple?” I ask, looking up at Orion with wide eyes, spreading my hands wide. “Plan our assault on my father, educate you about your future kingdom, plan our wedding,” Orion suggests, the final word coming out from between clenched teeth. A gasp sounds
“No!” she sputters out, stumbling a few steps towards me, shaking her head so hard her pretty blue-green hair flutters out all around her. “No, Junie, don’t make me go! I want…I want to stay here! And help! I mean…” she bites her lip. “It will be nice to be able to visit home. But I want to stay wit
“I’m sending you home too,” I say quietly, doing my best to look each in the eyes. “I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m sorry if you’re disappointed that you didn’t get the wish.” They murmur a variety of responses back to me, most of them relieved. One by one they step forward and I take their ha
“Does…” I whisper, my eyes still fastened to Orion as my eyes move over him, feeling the powers that radiate from him now. “Does that mean you have all of the powers of Darkness too? From…from the wish?” “No,” Orion murmurs, looking down at his hands and flexing them, experimenting with the feel o
Beatrice is the last to go, staring at me in shock, realizing finally that she bet everything on the wrong horse. I bare my teeth at her, fangs extended, and Beatrice’s eyes go wider as she trembles and finally submits, going to her knees and bowing her head. “Good,” I say, my voice returning to n
Laila’s knife sinks deep between Death’s shoulder blades and the final scream of a God fills the air as Death falls to his knees. The magic stops mid-stream, like a tap being suddenly turned off. I groan and tilt forward against Anton, who catches me and holds me against his chest. “Shit, June,”
“Just a little longer, June. She’ll do it.” But what if she doesn’t? What if…what if I’m inches from oblivion, and this is it? My heart strains in my chest, my wolf shaking like a leaf from snout to tail. But still, I will myself to hope. To trust in my friend. “I know,” I reply, letting my ey
I gasp, my shoulders trembling under the sheer weight of Death’s magic that flows over and around us, my shield barrier straining and buckling under its might. “June,” Anton breathes, eyes wide as he looks up at the magic streaming over us in an unending torrent. “Shit – are you –“ I crouch besi
The wish presses against Death for a moment and then sinks into him, dissolving into his chest. He sighs with happiness and what looks like ecstasy, tilting his head back to the sky as the magic disappears into him. Beatrice steps away, tucking her hands behind her back, beaming at the God she jus
Before I can get more than three steps after Laila, Anton lunges forward, his paws landing on either side of me as he snatches at the back of my gown with his teeth, holding me back. His fierce growl reminds me that I need to stay here – that Death took Laila because he wants me to come rushing onto