“I know. I will try to be okay with it.”
“Thank you. So where are we going?”
“Tau gave me his home to stay in for as long as we need it.” I know the place he’s talking about. It’s one of the biggest mansions in Grosse Pointe on Lake Shore Drive, right on the water.
“Is he there?” I ask.
“No. He’s currently in Paradise with your mother.”
“Is he happy?”
“He is.”
I’m silent for the rest of the ride, thinking about my father. I wish things could have been different, but maybe, when I see him again, they will be. Reed drives through an open wrought-iron gateway into a circular drive. He parks in front of the graceful French Normandy style fa?ade I know fairly well from hanging out with Xavier in high school. The house is built from limestone and the roof is covered with slate. The copper accents have a verdigris patina that compliments the limestone.
Reed turns off the car. He gets out and comes around to open my door for me. Taking his hand, he leads me into the house through the stone-carved frame surrounding the front door. We walk beneath the enormous chandelier in the foyer, crossing the room to the impressive formal living room that overlooks Lake St. Clair. The room has exquisite glass windows on one wall. The other walls are paneled in the finest carved wood, housing recessed bookshelves. The furniture is impeccable. He takes both of my hands in his and looks into my eyes.
“Evie, I know that our hasty binding ceremony was not what you ever expected would happen when you risked everything to find me in Dominion. I have thought since then that we should renew our commitment under less dire circumstances. Now that we are no longer bound to one another, we have the unique opportunity to do everything exactly the way you’d like to do them. I love you. I will always love you. Will you commit to me again? Will you bind your life with mine?
My eyes cloud with tears. “Yes, of course I’ll bind to you, Reed.” He exhales deeply. Picking me up off of my feet, he swings me around before setting me down. He kisses me with heart-stopping sweetness, teasing my lips and making me hunger for more.
I have something I need to show you,” he says. He puts his hand to his neck, tugging a chain from beneath his collar. Attached to the chain there is a golden charm in the form of a boatswain. I recognize it at once. It’s the whistle Emil wore in Sheol. “Just as you’re the keeper of the key of Sheol, Evie, I protect the one to Paradise.”
“You took Emil’s key—in Sheol.” I say in awe. I reach up and touch the charm that shines with an ethereal light.
“Just before I gave you your key when we were in Sheol, I took Emil’s off of his corpse. I couldn’t leave it there. I thought I would return it to Earth with us, but I ascended with it instead.”
“So, you can open a door to Paradise with this whenever you want to?”
“I could, in theory, but there are strict rules regarding how or when I can use it.”
“Which are?” I ask.
“I’m not allowed to tell you.”
“Of course not.”
“But,” Reed grins, “this job comes with some perks.” He tugs me with him as he walks backwards so he can still face me. I follow him.
“What perks?” I ask. “A 401K?”
“No.”
“A retirement plan?”
“Nope.” He brushes up against a huge door. Twisting the handle, he throws it open. Inside the brightly lit room that is similar to the one we just came from, Buns and Brownie are arguing about who has the best destination getaway idea for my binding ceremony. Zephyr is killing Russell at chess. Anya is snuggling a gray kitten in her lap. And Preben is arguing with Phaedrus over what, exactly, a miracle entails.
“The best perk of the job,” Reed says, “is that I get to have a team to help me protect the key.” I stare inside the room, unable to move right away.
Buns and Brownie notice us. They squeal while bouncing up from the elegant sofas they were lounging on. Crossing the room, Brownie leaps at me and hugs me in a death grip. Sparing Reed less than a glance, Buns throws her arms around Brownie and me. “You finally decided to visit us, Sweetie! I’m so happy! I missed you!”
“Me too” Brownie agrees. “Buns has been so hard to live with since you’ve been busy.”
“I was,” Buns admits. “I was super hard to live with, but that’s about to change now that you’re finally here!”
The Reapers let me go, passing me off to Russell who picks me up and gives me a hug. I rest my head on his shoulder, trying not to cry. It doesn’t work, a few tears sneak out of the corners of my eyes. Buns takes Reed by the hand and pulls him inside the room, shutting the door behind them and leaving us alone.