All The Wrong Signs

They say the world can pass you by in the blink of an eye. I’d never really known how real that was until the months started flying by.

The war was over. Most of Gregar’s men had surrounded, swearing their allegiance to Blaze. The others had fled but were not strong enough to be a threat, with their leader dead.

I still couldn’t believe that I had killed Gregar, although the picture played in my head almost every night. Something had snapped inside of me that day, and ever since, I could feel my power bubbling up under the surface.

Even though it was better than he deserved, I convinced Blaze to kill Kyler and put him out of his misery. I’d braved another visit and was sickened by the sight of him. You could smell his putrid skin the moment you transported into the cave. Maggots had moved into his dying flesh and I thought I may never stop vomiting afterward.

Blaze gave in, probably more to do with the fact that we were both ready to tie up all of our loose ends and be done with them than anything else.

It had been harder than I thought.

Saying goodbye to Hollie had been the single hardest thing I think I ever had to do. A part of me was still on earth, and no-one would ever fill the hole saying goodbye to her caused.

We had arranged a trip, or so she would think. Our plane would crash and there would be no survivors. Blaze had set the whole thing up. You’d be amazed at what the demons could do and make you believe.

The day before our supposed flight, I had called Hollie. We talked for hours. Lakyn was in on the cover up and would have Luna and Shadow until things calmed down enough they could come back to hell with me.

I let a lot of things out that day. Things I’d never told my sister and while it felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders, it was also a bitter reminder that this was it. This was the end.

Blaze and I had moved into his house. I know knew for sure that he and Petra tossed around the word home. Blaze lived in a fucking castle. I wasn’t surprised in the least. While yes, it was our home, calling it a house was offensive.

A lot of things had changed. Even more changes were to come. Blaze had finally given his blessing to Petra to start officially dating Soren. He still liked to give them a hard time, but would he really be Blaze without out it?

I had officially got to meet Lucifer and he was nothing like I imagined he’d be. The cartoons always painted him red with a pitchfork and a tail. The man was the complete opposite. I could believe he was a fallen angle because he was gorgeous and charming.

In all the hustle and bustle of the last few months, time passed by so fast that I now found myself at the finish line of my pregnancy. I’d been having contractions all morning and Blaze had called in a midwife.

The demon realm was a funny thing. They still liked to do things the old-fashioned way. While they knew how to use technology, they avoided it whenever possible. There were no TVs. No computers.

At least Blaze had a library for me.

Frowning as a contraction hit, Blaze squeezed my hand. “It won’t be long now.”

I turned my head to look at him. “What do you think we are having?”

He shook his head. “A happy, healthy, half witch, half demon baby.”

“I think more like 1/4 witch, 3/4 demon. I’ve been thinking about it.”

Blaze chuckled, leaning down and kissing my forehead. “I did kind of water you down, didn’t I?”

I rolled my eyes at him. “You gave me all this power. I don’t even know what to do with.”

Squeezing my hand, he lifted it to his lips. “You will know when you need it. Just like you knew how to stop Gregar.”

“But I didn’t,” I said. “I screamed because I thought they were going to kill you and…”

“And you stopped them, didn’t you, my little witch?”

I looked up at him, trying not to cry out as another contraction hit. “Think peaceful thoughts. You have the power to calm your body. You just need to channel it.”

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, imagining that we were on the beach my sister thought we were flying to before our plane crashed. Crystal clear water. A soft breeze. I could smell the sea salt in the air as I stretched my legs out, letting my skin soak up the sun.

“It’s time,” the midwifes voice said, cutting through my vision.

Opening my eyes, I glanced at Blaze. He nodded at me. “You got this little witch.”

The labor was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. In the moment it was the most horrible experience in the world, but as soon as our baby was lifted screaming into the air, I knew everything was alright. All the pain had been worth it.

“It’s a girl,” the midwife said, quickly looking over at Blaze.

I knew she would think he would be disappointed, but he honestly didn’t care. She was still the next heir to the throne, no matter her gender.

Tears stung my eyes as I watched Blaze cut her umbilical cord. The midwife quickly wrapped her in a blanket, handing her over to Blaze before bowing and taking a step back.

Blaze adjusted her blanket, looking down at her before smiling. “You look like your momma, little one.”

His eyes turned to me. “meet your little girl Riley.”

I never cried at appropriate times. Never for the right reasons. But today I couldn’t seem to keep my emotions in check. She was perfect. She had my dark hair and Blaze’s blue eyes.

“She’s perfect,” I whispered, kissing her forehead as she grabbed onto my fingers, greedily sucking them.

Blaze nodded, reaching down to swip a stray strand of hair out of my face. “Did you ever question it?”

Looking up at him, I started to speak, but the door opens wide and Blaze groaned. “Petra. We have not invited anyone in yet.”

“Too bad,” Petra said, coming to a stop beside my bed and winking at me. “Oh, Riley, she is gorgeous. Thank God she looks like you and not that troll.”

I couldn’t help but giggle. Lakyn stuck her head in the door, looking around, still a little weary of being in hell. When our eyes connected, she smiled at me, letting me know she was ok. I was grateful that she and Petra had clicked.

“Have you named her?” Lakyn asked, sitting in a chair beside my bed as I handed over the baby to Petra to coo over.

I looked over at Blaze. “Yes. She will be named after his and Petra’s mother. Elodinithia. But we will call her Elodie. Elodie Reign.”

“Elodie,” Petra said, looking down at her niece. Tears rimmed her eyes, and I could tell she was trying to fight them back. “It’s perfect. Mother would have been proud of you, Riley.”

Blaze came to sit beside me as Petra and Lakyn fussed over Elodie before the midwife interrupted them to get her cleaned up so that she could eat.

Looking up at Blaze, I felt my lips curve into a smile as he winked down at me. Collin had never been able to make me feel the way he did. I’d never felt that I was the center of anyone’s universe. Blaze might aggravate the hell out of me sometimes, but he loved me unconditionally.

Petra and Lakyn stayed for a little longer, promising to come back for a visit tomorrow. I was glad they had been able to come visit, but I was also relieved when they left. I wanted the time to bond with Elodie.

Much later, I sat awake in the bed, nursing Elodie. She was a greedy little thing, but I wouldn’t have her another way. Blaze sat in the chair beside our bed, watching us. Any sound and his eyes would immediately dart around the room, still in protective mode.

He had taken his place on the throne and had yet to have any major uprising. For the most part, after Gregar’s death, hell had been peaceful. Well, as peaceful as hell could be.

“I don’t think anyone is stupid enough to attack right now,” I said, laughing as his eyes darted toward the door. “It’s just Luna and Shadow mad that you kicked them out of our bedroom when they just got to come back home.”

Blaze’s lips curled into a smile. “I’d show them what the fiery pits of hell were all about if they even thought of disturbing my daughter’s sleep.”

I looked down at Elodie. Her eyes were closed and every once in a while she’d start sucking again. Lifting her up, I offered her to Blaze, so he could burp her. It was funny seeing him hold something so small, so delicately. But I guess that’s how he was with me, too.

I’d found my happily ever after in the most unlikely place. Yet, I’d have it no other way.

This was my story, and I’d end it like I wanted to. Madly in love with a demon prince. Mother to an heir to the throne of hell. And most importantly, happy. I was finally happy. What more could anyone ask for?