Sixty-Six
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Dianna
M usic filled the palace, so loud it drowned out the emptiness in my
head. Neverra, Imogen, and I stood in the bathroom as I finished
mixing the face mask Gabby had taught me how to make.
“I think I have this right, but don’t blame me if your face burns off,” I said.
Neverra laughed and peered into the small mixing bowl I held. As soon as I’d mentioned staying over, Neverra and Imogen had started packing up the beach party. They’d portalled to their homes and returned with so much stuff it looked like they were moving in. It had taken us over an hour to convince Logan, Xavier, and Cameron to let us go alone and another ten minutes to explain to Cameron he wasn’t invited, no matter how much he liked face masks. We had to promise that we wouldn’t kill each other and that we would stay in the house.
“I’ve never done this before,” Imogen said, pulling her hair back from her face and securing it with a band.
I snickered. “You guys are practically goddesses. Goddesses don’t need face masks.”
Pleasure lit Imogen’s eyes, and she glanced at Neverra as if the compliment meant something to her. Neverra gave her an encouraging smile and winked. Did Imogen want me to like her that badly?
The truth was, I liked all of them. Well, all except Vincent. He avoided me like the plague, which suited me just fine.
I set the bowl on the counter, and we all turned toward the mirror and picked up our brushes.
“I’m glad you asked to hang out,” Neverra said, painting the green- speckled mask on her face.
I dipped my brush into the sticky goop. “Don’t get emotional. We’re not best friends. I was just bored.”
Neverra and Imogen grinned at me in the mirror, and I knew they didn’t believe me for a second.
Imogen waved her brush at us. “Well, I’d like to be friends.”
“I’m not good enough to be anyone’s friend.” My tone was casual, almost dismissive, but I felt those words to my soul.
Imogen sighed and looked at Neverra for reassurance before continuing.
“Okay, I’m just going to say it now, so it’s out in the open, and we can all
move on.”
“Okay.” I glanced toward her.
“Samkiel and I had stopped being intimate years before Rashearim fell.”
I froze, the brush pausing mid-stroke against my cheek.
“The betrothal was forced, and neither of us was happy about it, but we would have done what we had to if it meant keeping peace within the realms. The other gods were looking for any opportunity to dethrone Samkiel. We knew it was only a matter of time before they claimed he was too reckless and careless to settle down and do what was best for the realms. We didn’t love each other, not like that, and we wanted what everyone else did. That stupid mark.”
Neverra smiled, her gaze going to her mark.
Imogen sighed, dipping her brush back into the mask. “It means so much in our world. The one person the universe crafted for you and you alone. All the bliss and everything that comes with it. Or at least that’s what Neverra and Logan preach.”
Neverra nudged her with her shoulder. “Yup. It is like a spark of electricity when you first meet. The mortals call it butterflies, but it is just your powers connecting and communicating. It is a knowing, a greeting, an acknowledgment that you have been waiting your whole life for this one person.”
Imogen laughed. “Yes, like that. It doesn’t matter if you get along or fight like enemies. They are the person you’d do anything for. You become consumed by a weird territorial drive, and no one else will do.”
Neverra giggled. “Understatement of the year.”
Imogen leaned close to the mirror, carefully applying the mask under her eyes. “I’ve never felt that. Not for Samkiel, not for anyone.”
She glanced at me when she said that, letting me know she meant no harm, and my beast yawned and went back to its nap.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, putting my brush back into the bowl. “That’s beautiful. Gabby would have loved it. She was such a
romantic.”
“You aren’t?” Imogen asked.
“In my world, there was no such thing as romance. I guess it’s hard for me to believe in something I’ve never had.”
Neverra placed her brush down. “I’m sorry about everything.”
“Don’t be. I did what I had to for her, and I’d do it again. Every part.
Even the terrible ones. You guys do realize that, right?”
They both nodded.
“Good.” I smiled at Imogen as she finished her mask. “And I’m sure you still have a mate. They’re probably just sealed behind the realms or something.”
She placed her brush down, examining her face in the mirror, and gave a small shrug. “Well, I guess I’ll be mateless then because the alternative is Samkiel dying, and that isn’t worth it. No matter how great Logan and Neverra say it is.”
Neverra only cleaned her hands off with a small towel. “Okay, movie time.”
N everra hit a button on the small device she ’ d brought , and a screen projected clear as day onto the wall. They had brought movies that they thought I liked, and a part of my damaged heart swelled. We had just made it to a part where the heroine jumped to her feet when Neverra’s phone buzzed once more on the table between us. She leaned over and grabbed it, taking half of the blanket with her. She grinned at the screen, and Imogen nudged me with her foot, drawing my attention as she nodded
at Neverra.
“Logan?” Imogen grinned.
“No, it’s my other secret mate,” Neverra joked. “Yes. It’s Logan.”
“You haven’t been gone that long.” Imogen continued to jest with her.
“He just misses me.” Neverra stuck her tongue out at her.
The room fell silent, the reason for Logan’s unease suddenly weighing on me. Kaden had taken Neverra because she’d tried to protect my sister.
My fault.
“He wants a picture,” Neverra said, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Want to do something funny?”
“Yes!” Imogen all but cheered.
Neverra waved us closer. Imogen and I scooted in, one on each side of her. “Okay, make a funny face,” Neverra said. We all pulled our goofiest faces, and the camera flashed, capturing the moment.
“Perfect.” Neverra laughed and sent the picture before placing the phone down.
We got comfortable again. Imogen and Neverra returned their attention to the movie, but I watched them. Imogen stuffed her face with so much popcorn her cheeks bulged. Neverra laughed at a part of the movie that would have terrified most mortals. They were relaxed and happy to be with each other and me. They deserved happiness after all they’d been through. I had laughed a lot today, but while neither of them had made a big deal out of it, it had surprised them each time. They hadn’t said anything, as if afraid I would notice and stop. They wanted me to be happy, too.
This was it, the feeling I had wanted, needed, and searched for. Family.
They weren’t cruel like Kaden, Alistair, and Tobias. They were sweet and kind. This family cared for each other. All of them had checked on me throughout the day, even when I glared or rolled my eyes.
I sighed, the ache in my chest growing. I had fun today for the first time since Gabby was taken from me. A single tear rolled down my cheek, and I turned away from Imogen and Neverra, hoping they wouldn’t notice as I
swiped it away.
They are like a family. A home.
That was what Gabby’s note had said, and I was so sorry I hadn’t been able to provide her with this. But more than anything, I was heartbroken she wasn’t here to share this with me tonight.
We made food and watched another movie, and by the time the credits rolled, Neverra and Imogen were curled up on the couch, sleeping like
babes. I was exhausted, but my mind was noisy trying to process all the emotions from the day, my thoughts yipping at me. The living room was dark and quiet, the sound of Imogen’s and Neverra’s soft snores comforting.
I propped my head on my hand, watching the stars dance across the night sky.
Neverra’s phone buzzed, startling me. I slid from the couch to sit on the floor, careful not to wake them. Several messages flashed across the screen
as I picked up the phone.
LOGAN
Very funny, Nev.
That was right after she sent the picture of us. The next message came
thirty minutes later.
LOGAN
I love you. I hope you guys are having a good night
LOGAN
Call me before you go to bed if you can
LOGAN
I’m glad you are home, baby
LOGAN
I can come get you first thing in the morning. I assume you
are asleep, but I wanted to tell you I love you.
I closed the phone and placed it face down on the table between us, a hint of jealousy making my chest ache. Samkiel hadn’t checked in on me today. He seemed to be back to avoiding me. Not that I blamed him after everything. Maybe he’d changed his mind and only wanted to help me but didn’t want anything more. I shouldn’t care. He didn’t owe me anything.
We weren’t together, and he had done more for me than anyone ever had.
We had never officially been anything, really. But my heart whispered that I wanted us to be something. I wanted that more than I cared to admit.
I stood and padded to the window on silent feet, curling up on the bench in front of it. Neverra shifted on the couch, pulling the covers up and turning before settling again. Imogen had an arm thrown over her head on the opposite end, her mouth slightly open. Her eyes danced behind her lids,
and I wondered what she was dreaming. Watching her reminded me of when Gabby and I would stay up as late as we could when I visited. We would eat and drink as much sugar as we could stomach, trying to stay awake until the sun came up just to spend time together. Ultimately, we would fail, fall asleep, and wake up laughing at the mess we’d made.
A small smile tugged at my lips. The memories were not crippling this time. Instead, they brought a bittersweet warmth to my heart. I had missed the comfort thoughts of Gabby had always brought me, and I had feared it was one more thing Kaden had stolen from me. I leaned my head against the windowsill, my gaze falling on the same star that had twinkled at me the night before.
“In my head, you’re up there watching me, watching this. Every time I smile, I feel guilty, so I lash out at everything and everyone. It hurts because you are gone, and I can’t share any of this with you. I read your note, and I know you wanted me to just move on, but it’s so hard, Gabs. It’s very hard, but they do help. They do. He does. And it makes me feel worse because being happy without you here is….” My eyes stung, and I closed them to hold back the tears. “I guess what I am saying is I want to be happy again too, and it doesn’t mean I have forgotten about you or anything we have been through. It just means it will hurt a little less when I think about the life I used to have. He makes me happy, and I don’t feel so alone when I am with them, and I’m… I’m sorry.”
And a lock on a door in a house… quieted.
I opened my eyes to see my star wink back at me.
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