A Home for Misfit Monsters

Epilogue - A New Life & New Beginnings

Two months later

The world wasn't new nor had anything truly changed since that fateful day Rhia and Ezra cleansed the Earth of Godiran and plunged his and Sephyr's souls into the deep, dark, and howling depths of Gehenna.

The humans still believed in God and feared the devil they knew as Satan. There was no new awakening in their minds of the goddess who birthed their world or her daughter who held the balance between humans and the supernatural–when she chose to.

But none of that mattered to Ezra and Rhia. They were free. They had each other and they had the family they'd always wanted.

Rhia giggled, tugging on Ezra's arm as he dragged a hefty red bag behind him. "The demons don't understand this," he grumbled.

"Yes, they do," she said, plopping a red Santa hat on his head. "They put up a tree and everything!" She waved her hand at the lopsided Christmas tree made of molten rocks, complete with a pile of shiny diamonds resting on top. "Well." Rhia bit her lip. "They tried."

Ezra burst out laughing as he opened the bag and placed the gifts Rhia insisted on wrapping for every demon under the pile of rocks. "I'm sure they'll appreciate the gifts though," he said, looking up at her in her flowing skirts of crimson and the lush crown of holly wrapped around her horns. "Demons love trinkets from the surface."

"I know," she murmured, tapping her finger to her chin. "I'm trying to get them to come up more often."

Ezra stood, taking her hand. "Give it time, sweetness," he said, kissing her palm. "It's been a while since any of them felt comfortable walking freely up there and we still have a lot to do before that happens."

"That's true," she said as her brown eyes lit up, glowing in an iridescent hue. "We have more gifts to deliver and our other family is waiting for us."

"Then let's not keep them waiting."

Rhia and Ezra rose up from Gehenna into the chaotic household they've come to call home. The old Victorian was much bigger now and spanned the once vast yard around it. There was room for everyone and no one was left without a place to rest their head or enough food to fill their bellies.

"Xochi!" Callie yelled. "If you don't stop fucking up my greens with all that salt, I'm going to stick my finger all up in your mofongo!"

"It wasn't me!" Xochi huffed, pointing her finger at the snickering little gods running through the kitchen. "It was them!"

"You little shits!" Callie said, waving her spatula at them. "Vynri! Come get your damn siblings!"

"I'm on it, my love. I'm so sorry," he said, running into the kitchen with two little black and gold gods hanging off his shoulders and using his long wavy black hair as reins.

Rhia held a hand over her mouth at the chaos and burst out laughing. "Merry Christmas!" she exclaimed.

Xochi and Callie glared at her only fueling her laughter. "I hope you two brought some of that Gehenna kush, because I need something to soothe my soul with all those little ones running around," Callie huffed, patting a hand over her curly black hair. "I didn't realize how many of them were just...babies!"

"I got you, auntie," Rhia said, tugging a small black box from the sack. "How are you feeling, anyway? No residuals from being brought back to life?"

"Nope," Callie said, grinning as she took the box from her. "I'm as healthy as a cucumber."

"Good. Good," Rhia said. "Where's Carter and Nina? We need to give them their gift before dinner."

"They're in the dining room setting the tables with your moms, Gavi and Sully."