Chapter 107

I give a sad little cry of disappointment when Anton moves his mouth from mine.

“Nooo,” I whine, tightening my arms around his neck, pulling him back to me.

Anton laughs, his shoulders tightening, resisting. “Juniper, you’ve got to sleep –“

“No I don’t, I’m magic –“

He laughs harder now, grinning at me, shaking his head. “Fine, then blame me. I’m…having trouble not throwing you down in this little patch of dirt and tearing off every stitch of your clothes –“

I make a humming little sound of interest in my back of my throat, raising my eyebrows, intrigued. But Anton just laughs again, shaking his head at me.

“Mercy, Juniper, please,” he sighs, bringing his mouth back again to mine like a magnet that has no resistance to this force. “I want this to be right, and I want you to rest, all of which is deeply at war with my want to just…kiss the hell out of you until dawn comes in this stupid sunless world –“

I kiss him again, quietly encouraging this final option, and Anton gives into it for a few more moments before pulling away, shaking his head at me. “Incorrigible,” he sighs.

“Yes,” I sigh, stretching my arms above my head, pleased as a cat as I smile at my ghost boy. “Precisely as you like me.”

“Brat,” he growls, playfully cruel, disliking the fact that I’ve called his bluff.

“Again,” I say, low and throaty, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. “Precisely as you like me.”

He snarls, snatching me close and making me laugh again as he pulls me up straight for the first time in what might be hours. Honestly, I don’t know – time doesn’t seem to matter here. And honestly, I may have stopped it with my powers. There’s no way of knowing.

“What’s next?” I ask, settling myself comfortably in his lap, facing him, lifting my hands to run my fingers again and again through his hair, unable to resist.

“Next we put you to bed,” he murmurs, breathing deeply in as he leans towards me, brushing his mouth against mine.

“No, you stopped all that,” I snap, petulant, pulling away. “You were rude and cruel and now I won’t kiss you again until you beg for it.”

He growls at me, pleased. “I’ll have you begging first.”

“Oh, you wish,” I say on a happy little sigh. But then I grin at him, shaking my head a bit, turning back to the question. “Seriously, Tony. What do we do next?”

He leans back a bit, more serious now, studying me. “You still want to take over the world?”

“Yes,” I say, leaning back against his supportive arms. “But I’m more concerned with getting you your body back. Domination of the Underworld can wait.”

He smirks at me. “Honestly, Juniper, my corporeality is the thing that can wait.”

“We’ll do both at once then,” I say, flashing a hand through the air to dismiss the problem. “But…” I bite my lip. “How do you think we go about getting a wish?”

He shrugs. “Have you tried just…making me…realer? Giving me a body with your magic?”

I turn my head to the side, considering it, and then I shake my head. I wiggle out of his lap then, wanting to focus, settling across from him so that we’re both sitting knee-to-knee with our legs crossed. And then I concentrate, imagining it, believing it – believing him fully embodied as he was before he died. All rich with color – no longer this faded blue – and life, with a heartbeat and blood rushing in his veins.

And while admittedly a little more color does come to his cheeks…

“Anything?” I whisper.

He twists his mouth to the side and shakes his head.

I scowl, leaning back on my palms, studying him. “It must be more complicated than just believing it’s true. Bodies are complicated, after all. I can’t just call one up.”

“Have you tried that?”

I grimace a little. “Do you really want me to call up a corpse so you can try to possess it?”

Anton bursts out laughing, his head tilting back on his neck, making me grin. When he comes back to himself a little he reaches for me, gathering me close, shaking his head at me. “We’ll do research, okay?” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “We’ll figure it out. But now, please – darling – for my sake, go to bed, get some rest –“

“Darling,” I sigh, leaning my full weight against him, tucking my head under his chin. “I don’t know if I love that or really hate it.”

He hums consideringly. “Well, I’ll keep calling you it until you figure it out.”

“Mmkay,” I say with a sigh. Then I sit up straighter, pressing a kiss to his cheek and standing up. My ghost boy stands with me and, hand-in-hand, we head into the house – walking very quietly. My eyes flash over Orion and Laila, hoping to hell that we didn’t wake them, wanting them to get their full sleep. And while Orion is in a different position than he was before…well, everything looks quite peaceful.

Anton sits down on the couch and tugs me down with him. Then he curls his arms around me, pulling my back to his chest, and we lay down, all snuggled up.

“Love you, June,” he whispers, his mouth so close to my ear that I’m sure I’m the only one who could hear it.

I smile, well pleased, and snuggle back against him. “You too, handmaiden,” I say. He laughs lightly as my eyes fall shut. Sleep finds me fast – deep and rich.

Unfortunately, that sleep is disturbed a few hours later by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

My eyes flutter open at the sound of Orion’s gasp, but before I can get up Anton’s arms tighten protectively around me. Laila gives a little squeak of surprise, spinning her head to look up at…

“Faiza,” I moan, turning my face down and into the couch cushion. “It’s too early for you. Come back at a more reasonable hour.”

“Awww, you sure you don’t want me to say?” she says, all perky and vicious and sinfully awake. “After all, I could join this little cuddle party. Three is way more fun than two.”

I shift my head to the side and open one eye, baring my teeth to see her gesturing towards me and Anton.

But before I can even snarl Anton sighs and sits up. I protest with a half-hearted little squeak, but he ignores me.

“Faiza, stunning dark mistress of my heart,” he says on a yawn. I snarl at that and am again ignored. He grins at her, rubbing a hand sleepily through his hair. “To what do we owe this early morning visit?”

Faiza grins around at our sleepy scene, watching as I drag myself to a sitting position. Orion groans as he unfolds his long legs, stretching them out for the first time in hours. Laila likewise sits up with a sigh, holding out a hand towards Orion.

“Coffee,” Laila croaks.

He nods to her and immediately a mug appears in her hand.

I gasp, instantly jealous. “I want some!” I say, holding out my hands too.

“Why am I responsible for conjuring up all the magical coffee?” Orion grumbles, shooting me a little glare. “You’re very capable, Juniper –“

“You make it the best, though!” I moan, sulky and moody, giving him my best Seraphina Sinclair pout.

He fights a smile and shakes his head at me, but a steaming mug appears in my hand anyway. I hum, pleased, bringing it close and sniffing the delicious aroma before taking a nice long sip.

“This is so cute,” Faiza says with a contented sigh, her hands going to her hips. She looks around at all of us, nearly spinning in a circle to do so. “You are all so generous with each other! Wait, is this like, a four-“

“Faiza,” Orion says, lifting his eyes to give her a little glare, shaking his head. “Please, can you…tell us why you’re here?”

I grin a bit, pleased to see someone else riled by her for a change. Quite subtle, Anton slips closer to me until his side is pressed to mine. I bite my lip a bit, looking up at him with what I hope is a secret little smile.

But when I look back towards the room again and find Faiza grinning wickedly at me, I realize that it’s not quite so secret as I thought.

“Fine, cuteness aside,” Faiza says, lifting a hand up so her palm is flat to the ceiling, almost like she’s carrying a tray of drinks. “I come bearing gifts!”

“Gifts?” I ask, quirking an eyebrow, clutching my coffee and taking another sip. “What gifts?”

“All right, fine, not gifts,” Faiza says, giving a cavalier little shrug. “But I do come bearing…slugs!”

My mouth falls open when a little slug appears on her hand, perched on a leaf, looking…honestly, as defeated as I’ve ever seen a slug look. He wiggles his antennae halfheartedly, like he no longer has the will to go on.

“Holy crap,” Laila whispers. “Has it…has it been three days.”

“It has!” Faiza says, smiling widely, clearly pleased as hell. “Well, Princess?” she says, turning to me. “What do you want to do with him next?”

I just stare at my ex-fiance resting in the priestess’s hands.

Because honestly – as horrible as it sounds…

I’d forgotten all about him.