Epilogue

  The sun was rising over Dramir. Despite the cramped quarters of their new, hopefully temporary, apartment, it did have a balcony, with an excellent view of the sunrise. Jeremiah gave a pat to the dungeon core, pulsing gently on the tiny table where it had been keeping him company during his enchanting, and turned to watch the sun come up, leaning on the railing to stretch. He had been out there a long time.

  “Made any progress with that thing?” asked Delilah.

  “The dungeon core? Kind of. I can tell the broad strokes of how it feels now. But I think it really needs a place of its own to be able to settle in.”

  “I can relate,” said Delilah. “This place just isn’t home.”

  “Yeah, I miss our old place too,” said Jeremiah. He’d found himself avoiding the part of town that had once been home.

  They stared at the sunrise together for a while.

  “So that Abyss stuff,” said Delilah. “Do you think one of those circles could be here in Dramir?”

  “If so, it’s not nearly as active as the one in Elminia,” said Jeremiah. “It’s almost hard to remember now, right? That madness enveloping everyone. Impulsivity, making decisions we normally wouldn’t…it’s almost hard to know what was us and what was the Abyss, you know?”

  Delilah nodded. “Yeah, I understand. It’s okay, I’m not going to hold you to anything you said then. You weren’t in your right mind.”

  Jeremiah stared hard at the rising sun, trying to puzzle out what she meant. “Well, no. I’m not going to hold you to anything you said. Because you weren’t in your right mind.”

  Delilah glared at him. “What? How dare you say I wasn’t in my right mind? I was perfectly in control of my faculties. You were the one going on crazy missions on your own and taking needless risks.”

  “All my risks made perfect sense!” said Jeremiah. “Wait, are you saying you meant everything you said?”

  “Yes, of course, I always mean what I say.” Delilah was starting to look flustered. “But you’re saying you still meant the things you said?”

  “Yes, obviously,” said Jeremiah, “So you still want to go…you know, do something? Together?”

  “Yes, obviously!” said Delilah.

  Jeremiah turned back to the sunrise. Somehow this outcome had failed to enter into his plan for this conversation.

  “So…” said Delilah.

  “Sew buttons,” said Jeremiah. He glanced over and found her looking at him. Her soft smile, glowing in the warm hues of a rising sun, stole the air from his lungs. “You wear the sunrise nicely.”

  Delilah’s smile widened into a grin for a moment, then she compressed it down into pursed lips, though the grin still threatened to escape. She turned back to the balcony. “Again with that. Why do you have to be so corny?”

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  “‘Cause you like it,” said Jeremiah.

  “Ugh, I know. That’s easily the worst part,” said Delilah.

  “So, even though I did all that stuff. Even though I’m a necromancer again, you’re still…interested?” asked Jeremiah.

  “Why would that matter?” asked Delilah.

  “It’s just that last time we talked, you said that me choosing not to be a necromancer was a big part of how you felt.”

  “I did say that,” said Delilah. “A human turning down power made you interesting. But honestly—accepting the responsibility and consequences of your power? That makes you attractive.”

  “I guess being a necromancer has its perks,” said Jeremiah. Now he was trying to restrain his own dumb smile.

  “And you’re okay with all the stuff I did?” asked Delilah.

  Huh? What had she done exactly? Jeremiah wracked his brain for a long moment, during which time Delilah kept fidgeting, which was so cute it was almost an incentive to keep thinking. But she was clearly suffering, so he relented. “Okay, I’m stumped. What have you done?”

  She stared at him like he was stupid. “I lost our house? All our money? I got you mutilated on the streets? I nearly got Allison killed and because of that I got Bruno’s hand cut off?”

  “Uhh…” said Jeremiah. “ We’re going to need to revisit this.” he thought, “I forgive you.”

  Delilah sagged with relief, rubbing her palms into her eyes. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.”

  “Oh, by the way, I have a little gift for you,” said Jeremiah.

  “So you’re the spoiling type, huh?” said Delilah with a cautious smile.

  “Well, it’s nothing new exactly, but I’ve been working on it all night,” said Jeremiah. He picked the plate off the table and held it behind his back as he turned towards her. “And I finally got it to…woah.”

  Delilah was backlit by the sunrise now, posing casually against the rail. She looked actually radiant. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. So, uh. Here.” He held out an enchanting plate towards her.

  “Feels like we’ve been here before.” Delilah stepped towards him.

  “Yeah, but it, uh, I got it to…” He trailed off as she moved to stand in front of him, very close. She wasn’t looking at the plate.

  “Got it to….?” Delilah, leaning towards him. Her eyes fluttered, her head tilted.

  Jeremiah felt himself drawn toward her like she had a gravity all her own. “To…work…”

  “What!?” she shouted in his face, making him jump and nearly drop the plate. “The hot plate? It works?”

  “Yes, yes, I got it to work, it holds a stable temperature and everything,” said Jeremiah. “Now, where were we?”

  “Dammit, Jay, I gave you one instruction!” Delilah snatched the plate from his hand and shoved past him. “It’s-lovely-weather-for-a-stroll-let’s-go-for-a-walk-right-now!”

  “Okay, okay! Just let me get-”

  “Now!”

  Simultaneously flustered, confused, and oddly pleased with himself, Jeremiah walked with Delilah into the light of a new day.