Released (Eternal Balance) (16 page)

Epilogue

Jax

We waited by the edge of the cliff. The sun was about to set, the sky painted in hues of pink and orange that reminded me of Sam’s breakfast this morning. Rainbow Sherbet. For the past four months, ever since expelling the Pure energy, she’d been eating the stuff like there was no tomorrow. Heckle said it was just a side effect of purging the energy. Nothing to worry about.

I hadn’t been spared a side effect of my own. Several, actually. Though not nearly as pleasant as Sam’s, nothing so far had presented itself as a serious hindrance to our lives. In fact, one of them was downright helpful.

While nowhere near as hardy as I’d been when Azi and I had been sharing the apartment, I had found that my ability to heal faster than normal had remained. Simple cuts and bruises were gone within hours, and when I’d broken my leg a month ago, it had healed completely in a week’s time.

The other lingering effect from Azi’s residence was an ability to sense demons. I couldn’t explain it—there wasn’t a telltale smell or distortion in their appearance. It was as simple as passing someone on the street, and knowing deep in my gut that they weren’t human. Again, not horrible, but it rankled. Knowing what they were, that they would probably hurt someone sooner or later, made it hard to keep walking. And with Azi gone, I was merely human. A fight to the death would probably mean my own.

Sam had stayed in contact with Van, and since her own experience with demons wasn’t a warm fuzzy one, we were currently trying to come up with a system that used her coven’s magic and my demon radar to help combat the threat these things posed. It made me feel like I was doing something, and since Heckle had released Sam and me from service as Balance Agents, there’d been an odd hole in our lives—which was seven kinds of fucked up when you considered we’d never wanted that job to begin with.

I turned back toward the path and noticed someone approaching from the distance. When his features came into view, I realized it was Heckle. “’Bout time you showed,” I called, as he sauntered up to us, casual as could be. He was late—knowing how important this was hadn’t seemed to light a fire under his ancient ass.

He glanced around, offered Sam a small nod, and shrugged. “Seems I’m not the only one.”

He had a point. While we hadn’t needed Van’s supernatural help to combat demons chasing us down, we had enlisted her help for this particular mission. She was supposed to be here, with one of her coven sisters, to make sure things didn’t go south. There was one last thing to wrap up. A task that needed completing. After this, Azi and the whole demon mess would be behind us.

After this, we could move on.

“We’re here,” Van shouted, running up the path toward us. “We’re here. Sorry!”

“Clearly magic hasn’t improved your ability to be punctual.”

Sam rolled her eyes and threw her arms around the witch. “Ignore him. I’m just happy you could make it.”

“Are you kidding?” She pulled away and gestured to the older woman standing to her right. “This is Calla. She’s our curses and charms expert.”

Sam nodded to the woman. “Thank you for helping us with this.”

“Of course,” she said. Her voice was soft, but it rang with authority. “We are indebted to you for bringing our Savannah back to us.” She gestured to the edge of the cliff. “Shall we start?”

I sucked in a deep breath and wondered how exactly we’d come to this point—standing at the edge of the world together, with a centuries old Balance Agent and two witches, about to do the thing I once thought truly impossible.

Glancing down, I spread my fingers and ran the tip of my thumb along the inside of my ring finger. I’d had a single word tattooed there nearly four months ago. Samantha. Sam had a matching one with my name as well. Our version of engagement rings. I offered to buy her a proper one, but she wanted no part of it. In fact, she threatened bodily harm if I ever bought her jewelry of any kind for the rest of our lives. This was fine. Better than fine. This suited us so much more than metal and stones. She was etched in my skin the way she was etched in my heart. In my soul.

“So we’re doing this?” I said, glaring at Van. She had on ripped black jeans and a halter top. I was the last one to bitch about dress clothes, but even I’d cleaned up for this. Black pants and vest with a blood red—Sam’s idea of a joke—shirt underneath. “Dressed like that?”

She looked down at herself and cringed. “Oops.” With a snap of her fingers, the offending outfit was replaced by a floor length, shimmering gown of green, the same color as her coven sister Calla wore. Had to be a witch thing.

Calla cleared her throat and gestured for us to come forward. “Samantha Merrick and Jax Flynn have been touched by the world of the supernatural. They have endured and survived—thrived—where many would have faltered. For that reason, the goddess has given me her blessing to join them as I would any of her children. With the bonds of magic.”

I didn’t know what goddess she was talking about, and I didn’t care. The only goddess that existed was the one standing in front of me. With her soft, caramel hair and sparkling brown eyes, Sam was amazing any day of the week, but today… Today she was nothing short of ethereal.

“Are you both here of your own free will?”

“Yes,” Sam and I said in unison.

“And you understand that the bond I am about to bestow is unbreakable? That not even death will have the ability to sever you? That from this day forward, you are no longer two halves, but equal parts of a whole?”

“Yes,” we said again.

Sam grinned, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. We didn’t need this magical blessing for that. Death had tried to separate us not once, but twice already. It had failed. It would always fail. We were soul mates in the truest, simplest form.

“There is beauty in this world,” Calla continued. “But also great horror. Are you prepared to face it, as one, for the rest of eternity? To stand with your friends and fight against your enemies?”

“Yes,” we said.

“And who stands for you both?”

“I stand for Samantha Merrick,” Van said. “Savannah Gray, daughter of Imogen and Mark, member of the Seaborn Coven.”

“And I for Jax Flynn,” Heckle said. “Abel, son of Adam and Eve, Keeper of Balance.”

Calla’s lips tilted with the smallest hint of a grin. She placed a hand over each of our hearts and said, “
Vernatum LoVioum Etertius
.”

The skin beneath her palm stung for a moment, and when she removed her hand, it was warm.

“Grasp each other’s left hand, then each of you place your right hand over the other’s heart.”

We did as instructed.

“Samantha and Jax…” She placed her hands over ours and whispered something too low for me to hear. A second later, a jolt went through me. Something like electricity, only comforting. Familiar. “Your souls are joined. Be together in happiness for the rest of eternity.”

When she let go, I tugged the collar of my shirt aside. There over my heart was a black symbol—a perfect circle linked within a circle, surrounded by vines. Like the fresh ink of a tattoo, the skin surrounding it was slightly reddened, but it felt amazing.
I
felt amazing. “That’s it?” I said, adjusting my shirt.

Calla smiled. “That’s it.”

“Then I can finally kiss my wife?”

With a widening grin, she stepped back and gestured to Sam with a flourish. I wasted no time. I wrapped my arms around her and brought my lips to hers.

We’d been to hell and, even though we hadn’t come back unscathed, we
had come back
. Together. Because in the end, that’s how we were strongest.

I’d finally gotten Samantha Merrick, and nothing in heaven or hell would ever take her away. They couldn’t. She was mine and I was hers.

Always had been—and always would be.

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Acknowledgments

As always, a huge shout out to my family—especially my husband who is a never ending source of support, and my mom, who embodies the words fighter and survivor—I’d be lost without you.

A huge thank you to my editor, Liz Pelletier and everyone who helped get this book out into the world, including Stephen Morgan, Kelly Elliott, the Embrace publicity team, and, of course, Curtis Svehlak (I’m going to miss your cheerful emails!). And to my agent Nicole Resciniti who is an unending well of encouragement.

To the readers who fell in love with Jax and Sam (and, of course, Azi)—you guys all rock my world. The enthusiasm for this series is amazing and it never fails to make me smile!

And last but very far from least, a very special thank you to everyone who stuck with me during the break between the first book, and books two and three. For all the heartfelt good wishes, prayers, and overall encouragement—I am grateful.

About the Author

Jus Accardo
is the author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy fiction. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald. When not writing, Jus can be found volunteering at the local animal shelter or indulging her passion for food. After being accepted to the Culinary Institute of America, she passed on the spot to pursue a career in writing and has never looked back. As far as she’s concerned, she has the coolest job on earth—making stuff up for a living.

www.jusaccardo.com

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