Chapter 84

My eyes go wide as the light fades and suddenly…

I growl, my canines sharpening to points.

“Aw, little viper,” Faiza coos, standing in the clearing before us perfectly corporeal and smiling at me like I’m the cutest thing she’s ever seen. “I missed you!”

“Get out of here,” I snarl.

“Who are you?” Orion asks, taking a step back, apparently completely surprised.

“Faiza, baby,” Anton says, laughing and stepping forward towards the Priestess with his hand out. “How’ve you been, girl?”

I snarl again and smack at Anton’s wrist even as Faiza reaches to take his hand. To my extreme displeasure, my hand passes through Anton’s arm even as Faiza’s fingers curl around his hand, tugging him close.

“Hey, cutie,” Faiza says, laughing and grinning up into Anton’s face. “I gotta say, death is still suiting you in all this blue –“

“Yeah, who knew, I always figured I my color chart leaned more towards a summer –“

I growl, low and deep, and step forward to shove Faiza hard, my hand against her chest.

She bursts out laughing, stumbling back and grinning at me. “Once,” she says, holding up a finger towards me. “You get to do that once in your life, demon kitten. Next time I take you out.”

Orion snarls now, not liking this at all and reaching out a protective hand, crossing it in front of me.

“Oh, Juniper, I’m so proud!” Faiza says with a happy sigh, grinning at me like she’s enjoying the hell out of herself. “You’ve added to your harem since I last saw you!? What is this now – two ghosts, an Underworld prince, and…a Selkie maiden?” She beams, shaking her head at me. “I mean, I’m impressed, but you Sinclair girls have got to learn to share.”

“Um, we’re just friends!” Laila squeaks, peeking out from behind Orion.

“Oh, that’s what they all say at the start,” Faiza coos, giving her a sultry wink.

“All right, enough of this,” I snap, getting pissed at the way that Faiza sucks all the attention directly to her. We’re here, after all, to talk to my fiancé. “What are you doing here?”

“Princey-boy called for his auntie-Goddess,” Faiza says, still grinning but pretending to be bored and lifting a hand to inspect her nails. “But she’s indisposed. So she sent me instead.”

“In-indisposed?” Orion says, balking at Faiza. “She’s an eternal being with limitless time – how can she be indisposed?”

“Don’t know, don’t care,” Faiza says, flicking her eyes up to him with a grin. “I, however, am quite pleased to be here. The view has…vastly improved since the last time I was in the Doldrums.” Her eyes move appreciatively up and down Orion’s body. “Honestly, you’re giving Ariel’s hot mate a run for his money. Good choice of a sidepiece, June.”

I blush and so does Orion, making Faiza laugh.

“I mean, I could do this all day,” Anton says, grinning around at all of us as he steps to Faiza’s side. “But…Orion? What were you going to do if your aunt came?”

“I was going to ask her,” he says, a bit through his teeth as he gestures towards to the still-unresponsive Blythe, “to restore his memories temporarily. So that June could ask some questions.”

I spin to Faiza, all my embarrassment wiped away. “Can you do that?”

She holds up another finger towards me and then glances up at the sky as she’s done before, like she’s listening.

“Is my aunt – is she eavesdropping on this conversation!?” Orion asks, appalled.

“Yup,” Faiza murmurs, “watching this all like the series finale of a reality TV show. Apparently she’s been waiting for this moment for a long time. Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Then come down here!” Orion shouts, looking angrily up at the sky.

Faiza just laughs. “She says no. But!” she looks around at us again. “She gave me the okay on the memories.” Grinning she moves towards Blythe and gently brushes her fingertips against his arm.

We all go still, turning towards Blythe, just…waiting.

Slowly, a change comes over him as he starts to stand straighter, and then lifts his head. I stop breathing, just staring at him, my eyes wide.

Blythe blinks and looks around, taking in a sharp breath through his nose as he stumbles back a step. “Where…what the…” He looks around, almost frantic.

“It’s all right,” Orion says, steady and sure. “You’re fine.”

“Where the hell –“ Blythe murmurs, frowning at the landscape of the Underworld before he whips his head back to us.

And then drops his gaze to me.

“Oh my god,” Blythe murmurs, reaching out towards me. “Oh my god…Juniper…”

A little cry breaks from me as I step towards him, reaching for him too.

But his hand passes through my cheek as he tries to cup it, and mine falls through his chest.

“What…what’s happening,” Blythe begs, staring down at me and then looking up again at the world and the strangers around him. “Where are we – why…” he goes still, his eyes flashing wide. “Tony?”

“Hey, man,” Anton says, his voice sad and dry. “It’s…nice to see you.”

“Why are you all…blue?”

“Well, you’re all grey,” Anton snaps back, gesturing towards Blythe’s ghost form. Blythe gasps and looks down at himself, horror coming into his eyes.

“Blythe, it’s okay –“ I say in a rush, reaching for him again.

“Hi, Blythe,” Faiza says, stepping forward authoritatively and pitching her voice louder than mine. “My name is Faiza, I’m a priestess of the Goddess of Life, just here in my official capacity letting you know that you’re super dead.”

Blythe stares at her in shock.

“And Miss Junie here,” Faiza continues with a sunny grin, pointing towards me, “signed away her life for the chance to come and save you. So, I think you owe her a nice big thanks.”

“You…what?” Blythe gasps, returning his eyes to me. “Oh, Juniper…that was…”

“Way, way too nice?” Anton provides, dry.

Blythe ignores him. “Juniper, I can’t believe you did that for me,” he whispers, shaking his head. “You’re so wonderful. I love you so much.”

He looks at me with such love and faith that tears fill my eyes. Because this is him – this is the Blythe that I fell in love with. Not the ass-kissing parasite that Anton and Jesse described. God, how could I have lost such faith in him so quickly?

“Blythe,” I say, shaking my head and stepping forward. “I’m so sorry it took me so long –“

“Hey, I mean, I didn’t even notice if it took a long time,” he says, giving me his gorgeous smile as he raises a hand to curl a finger beneath my chin, like he always used to do. “So, no harm done there. Seriously, Juniper, I’m so touched. Are you…is there any way to bring me back? So that we can…be together, live out our lives?”

“I’m trying,” I say, nodding vehemently. “There’s…um, it’s a Competition?” I say, turning back and gesturing towards Orion and Anton, both of whom are frowning at us. And Laila, who has her hands clasped to her chest, her eyes a bit starry as she stares at Blythe’s gorgeous face. Only Faiza stands emotionless to the side, watching everything with rapt attention.

“A competition?” Blythe asked confused.

“Um, the details don’t really…matter…” I murmur, turning back and blushing as Orion gives a scoffing huff behind me. “But yes, if I win…there’s a wish? And maybe I could bring you back?”

“Please, Juniper,” Blythe begs, looking intently down into my face like the others around us couldn’t possibly matter. “Please, do your best. Because I’m so in love with you, my darling. You are the absolute light of my life. All I want in the entire world is to have you back in my arms, to marry you and spend the rest of our lives together.”

Laila gives a squeaking little coo behind me as I stare up into Blythe’s gorgeous face, completely swept away.

“All right, cut the shit,” Anton snaps, completely ruining the moment.