“You don’t know how happy I am to see you,” Marina said.

“I have an idea,” Alexios said.

“We were afraid…” Marina’s voice trailed off.

He nodded. “It was rough. By the time I got back, I was afraid it was too late. But you did it, Marina. The ring made the difference. Zeus defeated the enemy. Our world is safe. Your world is safe.”

Marina’s chest clenched. “Oh my God. That’s incredible. I’m so happy for you. For us. For everyone.”

“And the stalker?” Halcyon asked.

“Was one of our own, as I’d suspected,” he said. “I would have liked to have dealt with him myself, even though that’s not normally how I handle things. But Zeus was in a mood and all that negative energy needed somewhere to go.”

“Yikes,” Marina said.

Halcyon grinned. “I think Zeus and I would get along. There’s something I need to grab out of my truck. I’ll give you guys a minute but don’t leave before I get back.”

As Halcyon slipped out of the building, Marina reached out and gave Alexios’s hand a squeeze. They had shared something that most people never did—they’d been tasked with the impossible and had prevailed even when it didn’t look good right up to the very end. He was her friend, her brother…family.

“The banana nut bread was genius,” Alexios said. “I’ve told that story so many times and gotten so many free drinks because of it. You have quite a fan club in our world. The bakery is even selling ‘Marina Bread’ now. It’s a huge hit.”

“It’s a shame you couldn’t have any of it,” Marina said.

He grinned. “I ate the entire thing. It was glorious.”

“What about your diet?”

He waved a hand in dismissal. “I wanted new clothes anyway.”

“I think you’ve earned them.”

He frowned and leaned closer, studying her face. “Your skin?”

“I know. I’m aging again. It didn’t just sprint back to where it was but everything is starting to come undone. I saw a couple strands of silver in my hair yesterday, and I’m extremely disappointed to announce that my chin hair has returned for a second act.”

He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“I just figured it was the ring. Maybe the ring was where the power really came from and once it was gone…”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. This is me. It’s who I’m supposed to be. And I’m gloriously happy with that.”

He smiled. “You should be. You’re the most awesome woman I’ve ever met. So what is all this?” He swept his arms out.

“I’m opening my own beauty shop. I’m calling it A Touch of Magic.”

Alexios put his hand over his heart. “I love that.”

“I thought you might.”

“Well, if you’re opening up shop, you’re going to need some capital.”

Marina stared. “You mean the money?”

“Of course. We made a promise. And you killed it on your end of things.”

“Oh, but my divorce isn’t final. I know you don’t understand our laws, but if that money appears now, I might have to give half of it to Harold.”