Her eyes brighten in surprise, and she nods. “Yes. Time,” she repeats slowly, then quirks a smile. “Loving you was out of my control.”
I give her fingers a bite in protest, and she laughs.
“But I choose to trust you. It’smychoice, and it might be the most important choice I’ll ever make.” She leans closer and kisses me tenderly, then pulls away to look into my eyes. “I didn’t want to wake up tomorrow, a year older, without having made that choice.”
My chest lights up as if someone had struck a match behind my rib cage. “Do you choose me, Veil Vulturine?” I ask with a warm smile, trailing my free hand over her beautiful face.
She smiles, her hand finding the crook of my waist, and it’s the most radiant thing I’ve ever seen. “I choose you, Gemini Foley.”
EPILOGUE
VEIL
Apair of hands grabs me from behind and tugs me into their hard chest. I shriek in surprise, although I know that the person walking us back into a more secluded corner of Mercy’s garden is Gemini.
Now that spring is fully underway, she and Wolfgang invited the heirs to dine in her newly bloomed all-black garden. I still barely know Mercy, but even I was surprised by her sudden hospitality. But there’s an inherent understanding between the families now. Times are changing, and strengthening ties between the ruling families is in all our best interests.
Or at least, for the next nineteen years until the next Lottery.
“I missed you, my beloved,” he rasps into my ear as his hands rove over my summer dress, palming my stomach.
I’m only roughly ten weeks pregnant and still not showing, but Gemini doesn’t care. He’s always finding a reason to touch me, as if already sensing the growing life under his fingertips.
“I was gone for less than five minutes,” I tease as I turn around to face him, my arms effortlessly circling his neck.
His back rests against the tree trunk as he pulls me closer, kissing me with lips curled into a grin. “Again, your maddeningobsession with time,” he says before pressing a kiss just under my jaw. “Time has no meaning in the affairs of the heart.”
My laugh is breezy and full of ease. “You’re the maddening one.” I feel his chuckle vibrate against my skin, and I smile into a happy sigh.
Since my birthday, Gemini has been nothing but supportive, and the trust that I so begrudgingly gave him that fateful night has only been growing in strength since.
His support was especially meaningful during my first Tithe Season on the spring equinox, four weeks ago. It was my first Season as an heir of the city of Pravitia. Luckily, it wasn’t as overwhelming as it could have been. For the servant to the god of thievery, collecting tithe is similar to Mercy’s way—personal and much less attention-seeking.
However, since I now ruled over half of Gemini’s territory, he insisted I attend his day of tithing and listen in on the countless secrets divulged to him that day.
“My secrets are your secrets, my beloved.”
After all, trickery and thievery go hand in hand.
Just like us.
And thus, my walls continued to crumble brick by brick until there were no more stones to remove. I know Gemini would like to get married and that, ultimately, it will be expected from us. But I’m in no rush. I’m the one deciding our fate next, not Gemini.
“Come,” I say breathlessly after kissing him one more time. Taking his hand, I lead him back onto the stone path. “We’re missing the feast.”
“He can’t help himself,can he?” Belladonna sighs beside me while giving me a playful side-eye. Her red lips are pressed into a small pout, as if trying to conceal her mirth, but she can’t hide the twinkle in her green eyes.
We finished dining about an hour ago, now stuffed full of every dish imaginable—from perfectly cooked steaks to buttery pastries that melted on my tongue with every bite.
As the long black-draped table was slowly getting cleared away by servants, Gemini took the opportunity to jump up onto the table and make a toast. His speech has been going on for the last five minutes, and Constantine is the only one who seems to be completely riveted by his words, Aleksandr faithfully by her side. Mercy and Wolfgang seem mildly entertained but are distracted, sharing some private words at the other end of the table.
Gemini’s little performance can’t help but remind me of thatotherfateful night, with a feast just as decadent as this one. But tonight, the apprehension isn’t twisting my stomach into knots. Instead, I revel in being here among them.
I take a sip of water and smile at Belladonna, followed by a warm chuckle. “Any opportunity to put on a show.”
She nods, returning my smile. I don’t miss her eyes dipping down to my stomach before looking back up.
“Can you believe he’s the father of your two heirs?” Her tone is in jest, but her words are anything but.
