“But that can wait, at least a few more hours, I suppose,” Hollister continued. “Perhaps you can meet me in my chambers later,” he gave Ravyn a pointed look, before turning his eyes to Eliot, “both of you.” He then glided out of the room, leaving both Ravyn and Eliot looking after him apprehensively.

Upon his departure, neither of them had much more time to say anything before Tasie rushed over to Ravyn, her husband, Daniel, trailing her with his own smile. Upon reaching Ravyn, Tasie wrapped her in a tight embrace as both women laughed happily at their reunion.

It was only a moment later that Tasie stepped back ever so slightly and then moved to place a long, deep kiss over Ravyn’s lips instead. Eliot couldn’t help blinking down at the two women as the kiss continued, only to eventually be interrupted by Daniel touching Tasie’s shoulder gently to finally get both women’s attention.

“Now, now, don’t be selfish, Tasie,” he teased her as she finally moved back from Ravyn and looked downward with a grin.

“So, this is Tasie?” Eliot couldn’t help stating thoughtfully, as his eyes moved over the tiny Spanish beauty. “Mental images growing clearer,” he stated more to himself, which only caused Ravyn, Daniel, and Tasie to chuckle slightly.

Daniel then moved to wrap Ravyn in a tender embrace that lasted a bit longer than necessary as well. He and his wife then stepped back, Daniel wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they did.

The next to approach then was Nicolas, who definitely had a much shier demeanor than the Denbouroughs. He smiled at her as he stopped near her, but did not move to embrace her just yet. “I missed you very much... Ravyn,” he stated with a small smile.

“I missed you too,” she assured him as she was the one who moved to hug him, though as carefully as she had always touched him. Though, he thankfully did return her embrace with another shy smile.

Then Eliot did speak up, directing his words to Nicolas, “Je voulais te remercier. Sans cette conversation que nous avons eue sur le balcon, il y a toutes ces années, je ne serais probablement jamais devenu ce que je suis devenu. Et devenir ça, c’est ce qui m’a permis de la sauver, alors merci beaucoup.”

Nicolas gave Eliot another smile before responding in their mother tongue as well, “Si tu l'as sauvée, c'est moi qui devrais te remercier, Eliot. Après tout, c’est elle qui m’a sauvé, bien avant ça, même.”

As the two spoke, Aidan had also approached, looking between the two men as he did. He then spoke furtively to Ravyn, “Is it even possible for us to get overheated?” he asked, to which she couldn’t help smirking in return.

“Just maybe,” she smiled back at Aidan, causing a slight blush to rise to Eliot’s cheeks, as Nicolas also looked down with another shy smile.

Aidan just shook his head and then moved to also embrace Ravyn before he too moved to give her another long kiss that did do well to bring back many, many memories between the two of them. But of course, it being Aidan, he wasn’t done even after their kiss ended.

He then turned his attention to Eliot, pulling the other man close also, and then giving Eliot a rather passionate kiss as well, to which everyone in the room couldn’t help their own slight grins in response to.

“So, you did save her, after all?” Aidan spoke against Eliot’s cheek once their own kiss finally left the mage a bit breathless. “Remind me to fuck you for that later, err thank you I meant, I’m sure. Things get so confusing in this group,” he teased, causing Eliot and Ravyn to both smirk with a shake of their heads.

----------------------------------------

Eliot and Ravyn came to realize that Hollister would indeed still expect Eliot to make himself available ‘on occasion’ when London’s Prince had need of a mage again. After all, Eliot was likely even more skilled than Summer at this point. She had been starting to feel her age quite a bit since her last visit to America, and the intense ritual that had been required to help free Eliot from that Paradox Realm that had claimed him for the last three months.

As Eliot wasn’t sure how often Hollister would be calling on him, and when, he decided to blink himself back to California, briefly, to claim Connor and bring him back to London with him as well. Connor still was two-thirds of the way bound to Ravyn, and with Kirielle’s whereabouts still unknown, he would have no surefire way to avoid the withdrawal and rapid aging process without a new regnant. So, the beautiful young ghoul was more than happy to take Eliot’s offer of a new home and a new mistress to serve.

Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles another red haired beauty who used to serve the Prince’s wife was watching as that Prince somberly waved away the last group of Kindred and their ghouls who were petitioning him that night. Though he hadn’t really seemed too present as he listened to their concerns, nor had he for the last three months now.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Sean was indeed quite melancholic and withdrawn since Baron’s heinous attack that had also led to the death, and subsequent embrace of the new enforcer who was standing at the side of the hall that night. Lyka’s expression was just as sullen, which didn’t fully hide the anger beneath it as well. And that had been her mood since that night turned day that had brought so much pain, and so many other changes months earlier.

As the last of the petitioners left, Sean turned his haunted blue eyes toward the only person remaining in the room. As he did, Lyka’s own sad and angry pools of blue immediately turned away.

“Join me in the study, won’t you, Lyka?” he instructed with an attempt to sound formal to cover the pain remaining in his voice, as he stood and headed in that direction.

She tried to stifle a heavy sigh and simply nodded as she moved to follow him. Once she entered the room behind him, Sean closed the door, turning his eyes back to her once more. And she avoided his gaze, once more.

“Yes, Sean?” she managed after waiting a moment for him to explain his request. Though all he had done was move to take a seat on the sofa at the side of the room.

“You could sit too,” he gestured to the sofa next to him, though his voice carried the same sadness as hers had ever since that day.

“Is there a matter of security you needed to discuss with me?” Lyka asked, as if every word hurt to form.

“Lyka, please sit,” he stated more gently.

That did cause her to look up at him slightly. With another shaky sigh, she grudgingly moved to obey her Prince’s request and take a seat at the other end of the sofa.

Sean took another long moment, gathering strength to speak again, “This is hard enough, without... this.”

“This?” she asked, her voice breaking slightly as she kept her eyes locked to the floor.

“Every night, I can hear your thoughts just screaming at me. And most nights, I can’t tell if you’re more sad or angry. But either way, it hurts me too. I’m already drowning here, and...” he just shook his head sadly.

“Sorry my thoughts are so... loud?” she whispered with a slight sniffle.

Sean only sighed heavily in response. “No, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this anymore, and I shouldn’t. After all, you are my new enforcer; the one in charge of anything security-related,” he paused only a moment, his tone changing ever so slightly, “You should know.”

She looked up at him again, her voice tiny, “Know what?”

“There’s nothing I can do to make you feel any better about Lissa’s banishment. I hated having to send her away as well. But if the enforcer is immune to the laws then... then they won’t matter at all. And she is still close by if you ever need her. She just can’t be here in my territory any more,” he finished, apologetically.

“I know all that, Sean,” Lyka replied in a near whisper, casting her eyes downwards again.

Sean let out another heavy sigh, “But there is something else you should know too.”

Lyka narrowed her eyes as she warily moved an inch closer, “What’s that?” she asked furtively.

Another heavy sigh from Sean, he quickly scanned the rest of the house to make sure no one else may have been within hearing range before speaking. “With Lissa, and Kirielle, and her servant, all now gone from the city, you really would be the only other person here who knows, other than myself.”

“Knows what?” she asked, leaning closer.

“You have to understand, we have to keep pretending... It’s the only way...” Sean told her in the same urgent, desperate manner.

“What are you talking about, Sean?” Lyka whispered, trying to rein in her hope until she knew there was a real reason to allow herself to ever feel it again.

Despite there being no one nearby to hear, for safety’s sake alone, instead of speaking the words aloud, Sean transmitted them to her in that same way he had always used to contact others across great distances in centuries past.

She’s not dead, Lyka. She’s reinvented herself just to try to be sure that something like this could never happen again. But no one else can know. That is certain. Understand?

Lyka sighed with disbelief and joy as she heard his thoughts. She then moved across the sofa to embrace him with a wave of relief as she squeezed him in her arms.

“Sean, this is...”

“Shh,” he smiled, though easily returned her embrace, both of them needing to finally allow themselves one moment of that happiness and relief, despite her absence. Just knowing that she was actually still out there, alive, was enough in that moment.

“But where?” she asked as she looked up at him. To which, Sean only held a finger up to his lips. Lyka allowed a small smile and nodded. Then as though, just remembering herself, she pulled back. “Sorry I shouldn’t have hugged you like that. It’s not...”

“Considering I know you shared a bed with her on many nights, I don’t think you were really going to use the word ‘proper’ there or anything like that, were you?” he teased softly.

“Well... but... you’re the Prince,” she replied, flustered.

“It’s quite alright, Lyka,” he smiled back at her. “Besides, you’re my enforcer, which is even a slightly higher station than some others who may have... offered me comfort, now and then,” he couldn’t help an amused smile at her sudden embarrassment.

Lyka swallowed as she managed to bring her blue eyes back up to his. “Is that what this is, then? Comfort?”

“It could be.”