I squeezed Doreán tight and peppered his face with kisses until he wiggled out of my arms and threw himself at Tweety. The griffin caught him midair and swung him around until Doreán grew dizzy. He wobbled and almost fell when Tweety put him down.
“My dad?” Doreán asked when he got his bearings.
My chest squeezed. Demarco had died. If it wasn’t for Asclepius… No. I couldn’t think about that. The pain was still too intense. Slamming the door on that memory, I pointed at the sofa and Doreán rushed it.
“Careful!” I called out. “Your dad has a couple of owies.”
Doreán stopped short and stared at him. “You do?” he asked. “From what?”
“Fighting bad guys,” Tweety said, sitting on the loveseat. “You should have seen your dad. He was great. He has a big hammer and he brought up metals from inside the earth to trap a really big bad guy.”
“You did?” Doreán’s eyes went wide. “Will you tell me what happened?”
Demarco reached over and picked Doreán up, settling him in his lap. “There’s nothing I want more.” To me, he said, “Join us?” Something in Demarco’s eyes had changed. He looked older and more weary as he patted the cushion beside him. “Please, Romi? I know you’re upset, but I need this.”
And how could I deny him when he asked like that? Unable to stay away, I joined them on the sofa. Demarco draped his hand over my shoulders as I leaned against him. After he told the story about how we’d trapped Ares, Tweety made popcorn and put on a movie.
Tomorrow we’d have to face our demons. There were still three more essences to get. Shade was desperate to get me back and he’d do whatever it took. I needed to figure out a way to pry Talon’s book from his sleazy little clutches and learn how to take my sire down once and for all.
Thinking about freedom made my mind drift to Asclepius. I’d asked Demarco what the underworld was like, and he refused to talk about it. We couldn’t condemn Asclepius to that place. There had to be a way to get him back.
But those were all worries for tomorrow.
Demarco kissed my forehead and I snuggled against him and held Doreán’s hand. Tweety snored on the loveseat across from us. The smells of fresh popcorn and home relaxed me more than all the incense in Asclepieion. I released tomorrow’s worries, content that tonight my family would enjoy a well-earned moment of peace.
Thank you so much for reading Lucky Courage. I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey. Please take a moment to write a review. They only require twenty words and help me tremendously. I appreciate your support! Lucky Tricks, Gods and Pawns Book 3 will be available early 2017, so be sure to watch for it. If you’re up for a little variation from urban fantasy, I’ve written a romantic-comedy mystery series with my best friend (Linda & Lynda Detective Agency), a mafia family series (Mariani Crime Family), and a dystopian series (Perseverance). All of the titles are listed below!
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Other books by Amanda Washington
Lucky Blow: Gods and Pawns Book 1
Dial L for Lynda: Linda & Lynda Detective Agency Book 1
Throw Linda from the Train: Linda & Lynda Detective Agency Book 2
Dom’s Ascension: Mariani Crime Family Prequel
Making Angel: Mariani Crime Family Book 1
Breaking Bones: Mariani Crime Family Book 2
Rescuing Liberty: Perseverance Book 1
Liberty’s Hope: Perseverance Book 2
Amanda Washington is a lover of animals, books, dark chocolate, and red wine. She's always up for a good adventure (real or fictional), and when she's not building imaginary worlds, she's dipping her toes into reality in southwest Washington with her husband and their boys.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to the following people for their invaluable support and assistance with the writing of this novel:
Jackson Jackson, who challenged me to write a series that crossed between mythology and the mafia.
My husband, Meltarrus, our boys, and all my friends and family for understanding when my mind is in a fictional reality.
Editors: Ellen Tarver and Roslyn McFarland.
Cover artist: Lindsay Cimina
Cover model: Ashley Lingle
Lucky Courage (9781370361410) Page 19