Page 78 of Unmasked Prophecy

We really, truly did it.

Finally.

I WAKE TO THE SOUNDof quiet footsteps, the sterile scent of the hospital room lighter now that I’m out of the ICU, now that I’ve spent two days awake, finally able to see Lily and know she’s safe. Seeing her face slowly coming back to life, her cheeks rosy, her hair soft, her eyes bright, makes everything worth it. She has the club wrapped around her little finger, and every single one of them adores her.

I have slept most of the afternoon, and it’s now dark out. It’s impossible not to when I’m given constant painkillers.

My body needs it, though.

Each day, I get a little stronger, and the wounds that nearly killed me slowly heal.

The door opens, and Talon slips in. For a moment, I just watch him. The way he fills the space with an intensity that makes everything else feel less real, less immediate. When he realizes I’m awake, his eyes soften in a way that I don’t think I’ll ever get used to.

It’s the kind of love I need.

Want.

Crave.

“You’re awake.”

“The drugs they are giving me knock me out,” I try to smile, shifting to sit up more, and he’s at my side in two long strides, adjusting the pillows behind me.

“I’m glad you’re up, I want to show you something,” he murmurs, nodding toward the window.

I frown, confused. “Huh?”

“Just come look.” He takes my hand, and I feel the familiar roughness of his fingers, the warmth that spreads through me at his touch.

He helps me out of the bed. I’m still in a great deal of pain when I get up, but slowly, the more I move, the easier it gets. Little by little, my body is on the mend and hopefully, I’ll be out of here in a few days. Home with Lily, safe and free.

When I reach the window, I gasp.

I had no idea what I was expecting to see, but this certainly wasn’t it.

Hundreds of people gather along the street below, a sea of candlelight flickering against the dark. Some hold signs: "Nia. Hero." The words blur as my eyes fill. Are they all here for me? I don’t understand.

“The hell you went through, Nia, it’s not just yours anymore,” Talon says, his voice low. “Someone from a women’s violence shelter wanted to show support. Word got out and now look.”

I’m numb, unable to speak. They’re here for me, for Lily. I feel something cracking open inside, unfamiliar and vast. I’ve never been anything but lost, and now—hero?

My bottom lip trembles as I look down at them, and slowly, I lift my hand, waving. I can hear their cheers and applause even through the hospital window. I press a hand to the glass, letting them see my tears, letting them see how grateful I am.

They raise their hands in unison, as if we are all connected.

Talon’s arms wrap around me, steady and strong, his chest pressed to my back. “Can’t say I’ve ever seen anythin’ like it. Your story captured so many people. Your bravery showed them they can be brave, too.”

I shake my head, trying to comprehend.

“But, I’m just one person...” My voice is small, almost lost in the enormity of the moment. I’ve never been the center of anything other than control, and now all this light, all these faces turned upward with hope.

“What you did matters,” Talon says. “You gave them something to believe in, you showed them there is a way out.”

I feel the weight of his words, the truth of them settling in. I’ve done something good. It seeps into the cracks of me like warmth, like light. I watch the people below, and I feel their presence rising up, surrounding me, lifting me.

Talon presses his lips to my temple, and I lean into him, breathless. “I never thought—” I start, but there aren’t words for this. For the first time, I feel like I’m part of something bigger, something that isn’t just fear and survival, but strength and possibility.

It’s overwhelming, and I cling tighter to Talon, to the window frame, to everything I’m not sure how to hold. For a long time, we stand at the window together, the glow of candles like stars against the street, like a universe I never knew existed.

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