Adrian took a deep breath, bracing himself for the monumental story he was about to tell. Everyone else had gone very still and very silent, as though sensing the gravity of what was to come. “What I’m about to say is going to change everything you think,” Adrian said. He focused on Rose and Dimitri. “You two in particular are about to get your worlds rocked.”

EPILOGUE: ADRIAN

EPILOGUE

ADRIAN

“IS THAT THEM?” MY MOTHER CALLED. “I thought I heard the door.”

“It had better be,” I said, taking a pan out of the oven and carefully setting it on the counter. “This roast is at peak deliciousness. I’m not waiting for them to dive in. It would be a crime. A declaration of war against fine cuisine everywhere.”

My mother, used to my theatrics, smiled. “Sydney’s not here yet either.”

“Oh,” I said. “Well, I’ll wait for her.”

Eddie stuck his head in the kitchen, his face alight. “They’re here.”

I took off my oven mitts and apron and strolled out to the living room to see the guests who’d just come into the living room of our small rented house. I hadn’t seen Rose and Dimitri in almost a year and a half, right around the time Jill had been rescued from the Warriors in St. George. They looked the same as ever, gorgeous and formidable, as they stamped snow off their boots and gave us big smiles. Jill, who’d traveled with them, had already thrown herself into Eddie’s arms and was kissing him.

“Whoa, hey,” I said. “It hasn’t been that long since you saw each other. Control yourselves.”

It had actually been about a month since they’d been together, which I knew probably felt like an eternity to them. They’d been dating ever since her rescue from St. George, but she had had to go back to Court to finish her education while Eddie stayed with us. So their relationship had become a long-distance one over the last year, with her visiting us on breaks or him going to Court when he could get another guardian to stay with us.

Jill flushed pink and extracted herself from Eddie long enough to give me a hug. “I’ve missed you so much!” she said.

“I’ve missed you too,” I told her warmly. Every time I saw her, I was astonished to see how much she had transformed from an awkward girl into a poised princess of the Dragomir line. “But you’ve got to admit, I’ve been pretty good about updates. And I send you pictures every week.”

She grinned. “I know, I know. It’s just a little different not being with you like I used to.”

I planted a kiss on her forehead. “Better for both of us that way, Jailbait.”