Starlight's Heir - ✔️

Epilogue

Walking down the carpeted hallway cellphone in hand, I stop in front of the apartment door I haven't been to since I last saw Chelsea a year ago. When I told her everything and said goodbye. Dialing her number, I put the phone to my ear, waiting for her to pick up. Reaching for Zev's hand, I smile at him as he pulls me against his side and wraps an arm around my shoulders.

"Evelyn?" Chelsea's voice, muffled through the phone, is filled with surprise.

"Hey," I laugh.

"Oh my god! Are you here? Like in New York? Where are you? I'll come meet you right now!"

"Open your door."

The line goes dead and a ruckus of stampeding footsteps follows my statement. The lock clicks as the door flings open to reveal a wide-eyed Chelsea. "Evelyn!" Grinning like a hyena, she yanks me away from Zev to crush me in her iron grip.

I hug her back with the same enthusiasm for a moment before worming out of her python-like squeeze. "I've missed you too Chelse."

Laughter lighting up her face, Chelsea drags me through the doorway to the couch. "Get your butt in here and sit down. There's so much we need to catch up on - I'm serious." Eyeing Zev, she turns to me, wiggling her eyebrows and jerking her head at him.

I purse my lips together, trying to suppress a giggle at her antics.

"You finally got a piece of Tall-Dark-and-Handsome over there, huh?"

"I sure did." Holding out my hand for Zev, he walks over to perch on the arm of the couch beside me and I lean against him. "In fact, I married him."

"You what?" Chelsea squeals, shooting off the couch. "Oh my god, Evie! I'm so happy for you!" She pulls me in for another hug. Pulling away, she rounds on Zev with such fierce intensity she might as well have lasers for eyes and pokes him on the chest hard enough he almost falls off the couch. "You treat her right, boy, or I will tear you to pieces. No joke, Zev. That's my girl right there, and if you fuck with her, you fuck with me -- are we clear?"

The stricken look on his face tells me he's torn between laughing and running for cover, but sincerity falls over his features, masking the play of terror and amusement in his eyes. "We're clear. I would never do anything with the intent to hurt her. I love Evelyn more than anything -- she's my life, my heart, my everything, and there's nothing I wouldn't do for her."

A smile tugs at my lips and I rest my head on his arm. I know he loves me -- he never hesitates to show me and he tells me a hundred times a day, but it never fails to warm my heart when I hear him say it.

"No need to get sappy. Ack." Chelsea shakes her head and sits back down, turning to me with her Eyebrow of Doom. "Now, why wasn't I invited to the wedding -- or hell, even told about it?"

"I'm sorry, Chelsea. It happened so quickly I never got the chance to come tell you beforehand. And since the wedding was in Terradstrum, you couldn't be there since humans can't pass through the veils."

"Okay, well, you're forgiven. But only if you promise you'll be the maid-of-honor at my wedding."

"I promise I--" My jaw drops as what she said hits me.

She holds up her left hand, wiggling her fingers to show off the glittering engagement ring around her finger.

"Chelsea! You're getting married!"

"I know!" she laughs. "Connor proposed last week, just completely out-of-the-blue, and I actually said yes. And I am just so incredibly happy. He makes me happy."

I hug her, happy that she's happy. "So," I tease, "when are you two having kids?"

"Oh god, don't say that. Not for a long time. But speaking of, when are you two planning on having mini-yous running around?"

"Well, about that... I'm pregnant."

Chelsea jumps up, shrieking in excitement the same time Zev tumbles off the couch.

"I'm guessing you hadn't told him yet?" Chelsea asks, laughing at the shocked expression on his face.

"Surprise," I say meekly as Zev kneels in front of me.

The love and joy blooming in his eyes as he smiles up at me proves without-a-doubt that he is as thrilled as I am about having a child. His adoring gaze sears me, and I lose myself in his green eyes.

He wraps me up in his arms and brings his lips to mine in a scorching kiss that sets fire to my blood. Swept off my feet by the torrent of passion, I wrap myself around him, tangling my hands in his hair.

"Uh, hello?" Chelsea coughs. "I am still standing you here know. Now, I'd say 'get a room' but since the only room here is mine, I'm just going to tell you to knock it off."

Turning beet red, Zev sets me back down but keeps an arm locked around my shoulders. Blushing an even deeper shade of crimson than Zev, I flash a sheepish grin at Chelsea. "Sorry."

Chelsea just shrugs. "Ah, I'm happy you're happy. Now, come here you guys." She pulls us in for a hug, grinning from ear to ear.

Zev kisses the top of my head, and I sigh. Standing here wrapped up in the arms of the two people I love more than anything, I'm content, and happier than I've ever been. And I know with absolute certainty that nothing can break me down.

Though the demons will always be out there fighting to swallow the world in darkness, I'm stronger than I've ever been. And those of us with love and light on our side won't back down. If there's one thing I've learned after all this, it's that when the darkness beats you down, you get back up and fight back all the harder with a smile on your face. Because it can't break you. And when you find your light, you'll be all the happier knowing you never gave in.