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“It’s the heart of the afterlife, my sweet Emma.”
With my hair whipping through the air, I spin around on my heels and coming face-to-face with Aunt Lydia. I cry out, the tears that were already welling at the surface spill free as I close the distance to hug her before she can even open her arms. Burying my face in her shoulder, I breathe her in. She looks just like she used to when I was little. The memory of her, the sound of her voice, all of it was starting to fade when I was desperately trying to hold onto her.
“My brave girl,” she whispers. “You aren’t so little anymore.” Her nimble fingers play with my hair.
I pull back and take in her fiery hair, the light dusting of freckles and hazel eyes that I used to stare at every night when she would tuck me in. And I’m drawn back to a time of sweet lullabies and dresses dusted with dirt from playing outside.
“You look exactly how I remember.” My voice is full of awe as my eyes take in every inch of her face.
A light laugh follows her soft smile. “That is a blessing here; we simply stop aging.” She winks before her eyes cast over my shoulder. “Someone else has been waiting to see you.”
Her hands lightly grip my shoulders, turning me around, and I slam my hand to my chest. Urging my heart to calm when my eyes stumble on ones that match mine.
“Mother,” I croak out. My heart doubles over itself, refusing to slow down. The muscles in my legs threaten to give out with seeing her again.
Her arms spread wide, and I welcome myself into her embrace without a moment of hesitation. Sniffling, I whisper, “You weren’t supposed to leave me again.”
“Shh.” She nuzzles her head against mine. “It’s a mother’s job to protect her children, and your life is just beginning.”
“Everyone who protects me dies,” I mumble, sniffing away the tears threatening to fall. My cheek rests on her shoulder as my gaze connects with Kye’s.
Her eyes must follow where I’m looking because she says, “Kye told us what happened, but you must know… Nothing could have changed his fate. It was his time.”
A choked sob rips from my chest, shaking my head against her because I don’t want to believe it.
She grabs my face between both of her warm hands. “And if I remember correctly, you have someone who would walk through fire to protect you, laying his heart on the line. A heart that is beating and still very much alive.”
“But Kye—” I turn to face him again, the one who put himself in harm’s way, only to find him now smiling with a female under his arm. She’s looking up at him with doe eyes that hold so much love.
“It was my time, Princess,” he speaks so calmly. So at peace. “I knew what would happen, and I did it anyway. My vow was to protect you.” The muscles in his jaw tense, his eyes growing dark. “I messed up before. When you were consumed by the darkness and left, I should have stopped you. I should have done everything I could to help you fight the demons that were trying to take you away from me.”
He pulls who I assume is his mate closer to his side. The tension leaves his body, his shoulders relaxing as he beams at her. “But the stars knew you would need me.” He turns those now-gentle eyes to connect with mine. They glimmer like a male in love. “And I swear on the stars Princess, I’m happy.”
My mother releases me as Kye steps forward, bringing his mate closer. Her auburn hair shines brightly, waving down to the dip of her waist, with small pieces braided throughout. She’s about my height, curvy, and the most stunning female I have ever seen. Her golden skin radiates brightly from the small rays of light streaking through the branches, and her eyes… They are the deepest green I have ever seen, reminding me of the pines in Asiza when they get caught by a fragment of light.
She holds a delicate hand out to me. “I’m Elira.” I try to stop my hand from shaking as I take her hand in mine, only for her to pull me in for a friendly hug. “Thank you for bringing light and meaning to my mate’s life when I couldn’t. I will forever be thankful.”
My muscles loosen as I hug her back. “It is I who should forever be thanking him. And now, you, because I know he won’t be alone. That he has someone who will take care of him.”
Elira lets go, snuggling back into Kye’s side. “He may be a big brute, but deep down, he wears his heart on his sleeve,” she responds as she rests her hand on his chest, and he holds it there.
Kye looks down at her, and all I see is contentment. An ease in his body that was never there before. My heart feels like it’s ready to burst out of my chest. He is truly where he wishes to be… He’s more than happy.
Rustling draws my attention away from Kye and Elira. Twigs snapping, the ground vibrating from what seems like an army marching against the forest floor.
“Emma, there is much you need to know.” My mother’s voice reaches my ears above the hundreds of footsteps growing closer and the drum of my heart pounding louder in my ear.
Before I can ask her what it is that I need to know, bodies of males and females step from between the trees surrounding us. Hundreds of them circle us, and they are all looking at me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Emma
Remaining steady, I stare back, my gaze roaming over them carefully. As I scan each one, watching them pause their movements, their shoulders lower in what seems like relief… I don’t find an enemy looking at me. Only warmth and kindness.
My mother comes to stand beside me, her arm brushing mine, as my eyes connect with one person after another. Slowly, my breathing evens out, and my feet loosen. “They are stuck in the in-between, just like you.”
“What do you mean?” So many of them border the clearing of the woods, making it impossible to truly see how many are here. Shock still mutes my mind from comprehending what is being told to me.
