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“This is my mate…” Alaric begins, but he’s cut off.
“She’s a showoff is what she is,” Skarlyt chuckles.
“I’m Phoebe, and this is my sister, Sophia.” The now-clothed Phoebe pulls me in for a hug. “And this little munchkin is Aurora,” she says, pulling Aurora closer to her.
“I’m Loukas, and this is Zach and Amelia.”
I watch in awe as Aurora walks over to both of my children and throws her arms around them. The hug doesn’t surprise me.I’ve been hugged more on this island than I was in the last eleven years combined. It’s my children’s faces that have me shocked. It’s as if all the tension leaves their bodies as soon as this little angel touches them.
“We don’t know why or what the cause is, but when Aurora is able to soothe people when she touches them. If they’re upset, they calm down. If they’re afraid they have courage,” Pearl whispers.
“It’s been like that since the day she was born,” Skarlyt adds.
“Incredible,” I whisper back, still staring as this little girl begins talking animatedly to my children about all the fun things they’re going to get to do on the island and how much fun they’re going to have.
“Do you mind if we take them to the beach?” Phoebe asks, gesturing to herself and Sophia.
“Zach, Amelia, do you want to go to the beach with Aurora, her mom, and her aunt?”
Amelia’s eyes light with excitement while Zach tries to keep it cool and simply nods his head, but I can see how excited he is. He looks like a kid again and it makes my heart happy. The girls take off running, but he remains, biting his lip.
“You will still be able to see our group from the beach behind my house,” Pearl offers to Zach who no longer tries to hide his excitement. Instead, he runs to catch up with the girls.
“We will keep them safe,” Sophia says.
“Thank you,” I respond, looking at the two phoenixes, knowing without a doubt that they will keep them safe.
When Pearl was telling me about the island, I thought it sounded too good to be true, like there couldn’t possibly be that many supernatural creatures living in harmony together. But as I look around, I see vampires, witches, sea nymphs, phoenixes, and shifters all laughing and joking with one another, helping strangers set up their homes, and keeping the kids occupied.
“It’s a lot to take in at first,” Breanne says.
“I think…” Alaric begins but is cut off by a group of people rushing toward us, each with brightly colored hair and pearlescent skin.
“Pearl,” an older woman breathes.
“Narissa. I’m glad you could make it,” Pearl says, her voice is colder and more detached than I’ve ever heard it before. Her posture has changed too. She was relaxing into my side, but now she is ramrod straight, her shoulders stiff, and her chin raised.
“This is my mate. Loukas.”
I stick out my hand to shake hers.
“It’s nice to meet—” But the older woman snarls at my hand, dismissing me and looking back to Pearl who steps in front of me baring her teeth.
“You will show my mate the respect he deserves.”
“He deserves nothing until you keep your promise and help us,” Narissa counters.
“Now wait a minute.” Alaric tries to insert himself but is met with twin hisses, so he holds up his hands in surrender.
“Why do you think I called you back here?” Pearl challenges.
“I don’t know. What I do know is that my daughter is currently sitting on some island listening to her cousin scream as those monsters torture him. All because you had to go save your mate.”
Pearl steps up, right in Narissa’s face, leaning forward so their faces are only inches apart.
“You will watch what you say about my mate. You are rightfully upset, but that does not give you the right to speak so brazenly about things you knownothingabout.”
“You’re right. Of course. My mate is just upset,” a man with hair the color of seafoam says, stepping up and wrapping his arm around Narissa.
