EPILOGUE

“Noelle—”

“No! I don’t want your help! You and…and…blood boy there can just go about your merry little way. I can find my own man, thank you.” Noelle stalked over to the window in the flat, the same window I’d been looking for such a short time ago. Her body language bespoke anger, leaving my heart aching to know I had caused so much unhappiness.

“I have promised Belle that I would help you, and I will, regardless of your pride,” Sebastian said calmly. His hand slid around my waist. I leaned into him, the feeling of him next to me giving me strength. “I will personally see to it that every unredeemed Dark One in Europe is brought before you, so that you might find the one for whom you were meant.”

I assumed Noelle would bristle up at that, but to my surprise, the look in her eyes when she turned toward us was more cautiously speculative than angry. “You think another Dark One is the answer?”

“I do.” Sebastian nodded. “You are a Beloved—there is no denying that. Since there is also no denial that Belle is my Beloved, we can only assume that the one for whom you are intended is still out there, waiting to find you.”

It took a moment for the meaning of what they were talking about to sink in. “Wait one minute!” I pulled out of his embrace to stand in front of him, my hands on my hips. “Let me see if I have this correct…she’s a Beloved, originally yours until you met me.”

Noelle straightened her shoulders and tried to look huffy, but sighed and slumped into a chair. “Oh, I give up. I’d like to be angry about this, I really would, but it’s clear to me now what Sebastian meant all along. We just aren’t compatible, and you two are.”

“Well?” I asked Sebastian, nodding to Noelle to show her I’d heard her comment.

He looked momentarily disconcerted. “That is as good a summary as I believe can be made in a single sentence.”

“In other words, you’re saying Beloveds are not unique? That they can be passed along from Dark One to Dark One?” I poked him in the chest. He captured my hand, casting Noelle a long-suffering glance over my shoulder. It just made me want to poke him even harder.

A faint giggle escaped Noelle.

“It’s not quite as stark as you stated, but in this instance, yes. Noelle was born a Beloved, but has yet to find the Dark One she was meant to redeem—”

I punched him on the arm. Hard. “You told me a Beloved was the one woman in the world who could save you. That is, one woman in the whole history of time who could bind herself body and soul to you, who would fulfill you, complete you and make you whole. And now you’re saying that we’re…disposable? I thought I was the only one for you!”

Noelle covered her mouth and pretended to cough, but I knew she was hiding her laughter. Sebastian made like he was going to pull me into another of his mindmeltingly wonderful embraces, but I held him off with an outraged glare.

“You are the only one for me, but since you bring it up, I would like to point out that you had five husbands before me. Five. Did you love them?”

“I…they…I was lonely…” My teeth snapped shut over the protestations I wanted so badly to make, but damn it, Sebastian had a point, and he knew it.

“You see? You managed to have five husbands whom you loved, and yet you still love me to the exclusion of all else.”

I grumbled to myself that I could change that if I really wanted.

“Add to which the fact that I don’t love her,” he said, pointing at Noelle. “I never have.”

“You know how to make a girl feel so special,” Noelle said, her lips twisting slightly.

Sebastian offered her an apologetic smile. “I meant no insult.”

“Oh, none taken.” She sighed again, then stood up and gave us a watered-down version of her usual cheery smile. “Men tell me all the time that they don’t love me. It seems to be a frequent theme in my life. Very well, I give you two my blessing, not that you’ve asked for it in particular. I’m still a bit confused by this whole Beloved thing, but it’s obvious to me how much in love you both are. I will hold you to your promise to find me a Dark One of my own, mind you, so don’t think you’re getting off easily.”

“It will be our pleasure to help you,” I said as Sebastian grabbed my wrist and started pulling me toward the door. “We won’t rest until we’ve found the perfect man for you, one who is tender and witty and wholly deserving of your affection, not like this monstrous beast I seem to be stuck with.”

Sebastian stopped in the doorway, raised one eyebrow, and growled deep in his throat.

My legs melted. I just can’t resist you when you do that, I told him as he pulled me through the door into a blessedly empty hall.

That is the plan, my sweet little zombie, he said as I met him halfway in a kiss so hot, it came close to melting my shoes. I’m so very glad it’s working.

Behind him, Sally appeared for a moment, smiled, then turned back into the flat. “Noelle! Vous avez besoin de a spirit guide tres groovy cool! Luckily, je suis maintenant available. Shall we talk about how je peux aider you be tres jolie Guardian?”