Taint (Formerly Claimed) Dark Midnight 1

Chapter 48--Epilouge

Okay, so I lied.  This isn't really the epilouge (as in it doesn't take place years in the future after El and Miri get married) more than it is the final chapter that takes place the day after the events in the last chapter.  

I just really wanted to convince myself that Claimed was finished, so I could feel productive over my weekened of furious writing.  

I really procrastinated editing this and I'm still not happy with it, but people were just freaking out too much and I realized that it wasn't really fair to leave you guys hanging.  I didn't want to post this until the end of the week, but...

Eh, here. 

Hopefully this sums up most of everything.  Of course, there are still some loose ends, but those will be picked up in future stories.  

If there is still something you really want to know--or you still feel like this left you hanging, let me know.  

Thank you all so much for your support.  I wasn't really expecting the massive response so it may take me a while to get to everyone's questions on the other parts.  Give me some time, though feel free to private message me with anything.  

Thank you all again.

-Nikki

Chapter 48

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Eliot stood on the cusp of an alley, trying to ignore the vibrant rays of sun that threatened to poke through a layer of cloud cover.

It was reckless to risk being out on a day this bright.  Overnight the weather had warmed, causing the snow to melt into fat puddles.  Even in the shadows, heat prickled along his skin in warning.

 But, after a day of trying to put everything into perspective, he couldn’t put it off anymore. 

He was surprisingly calm as he slipped into the thin morning crowd of mortals, rushing off to work, and headed down the narrow block, where he slipped into a shop tucked inconspicuously near a corner.

Inside, the oppressive scent of Jasmine nearly knocked him over, followed by the lighter scent of hundreds of dried herbs.

“Hello,” a musical voice called from behind the counter.  “Chamomile his half off.  It makes the perfect tea to fight this horrid weather.”

The speaker, a girl almost too short to reach the counter, trailed off.  Her head cocked to the side as if catching wind of an interesting sound.  Her mouth formed a lazy smile. 

“Eliot,” she murmured.   “What a lovely surprise.”

Alazzdria had dropped the poor pathetic waif act and wore a cropped black top paired with a nondescript leather skirt.  Her black hair was slicked back close to her skull, making her gray eyes stand out.

“I see my hunch was correct,” she announced triumphantly.  Her mouth took on a smug, satisfied grin.  “Miriam is one of the seven.”

“Apparently,” Eliot grumbled, taking a step further into the narrow shop. 

The yellow walls and wooden floors were exactly the same as they’d been the day he visited Allwyn Danva.  Only now, with Alazzdria at the helm, the cheery shop took on a slightly more lethal vibe. 

Suddenly those plants and herbs didn’t seem so charming.    

“I see that you’ve discovered my humble little abode,” Alazzdria added lacing her hands together over the countertop.  “However did you find me out?”