Page 29 of Threads of Fate

The figure is beautiful, soft, and round like you imagine a grandmother might be in an old movie. They have long, flowing white hair, and when Nix blinks, they are at once old andyoung, ever-changing from person to person over and over while he watches. Every age, race, gender, and from every point in history, in every culture. Nix is dizzy with it.

They are gazing at him intently, smiling and so curious. Nix isn’t sure he should speak first, so he waits. After all, the sun is warm, and he will stay here without the pain or the dark for as long as he is allowed.

Hello again, Austin.

That name causes a cloud to pass over the sun, making him shiver. “I am Nix,” he says, not knowing how, but he knows that it’s true.

So you are. Thank you for reminding me. All right, Nix. Come and sit by Us.

Nix doesn’t walk over to the outcropping as much as he is justthere.

“Do I know you?” Nix has no real memories, even of himself, let alone anyone else, but the voice is familiar. He looks in the clear water, distracted for a moment by the reflection of a dark-haired man in his twenties, whose skin is tanned gold and who has freckles across his nose. It’s a friendly face, Nix thinks.

Someone once told him they loved that face.

Who was that?

We have known you for eternity, Nix. Although in this life you are not born of Us, you will always belong to Us again and again.The voice sounds like it is coming from everywhere at once: on the gentle breeze, in the lapping of the water of the shore, and inside him.

The idea slips away.

“Is this Heaven?” The water in the lagoon looks warm, and Nix thinks about swimming.

If he closes his eyes, he can almost grasp the wisp of a memory. When he could feel hot sand under his feet; running and laughing into the waves. When he looks behind him, he seessomeone running behind him, splashing him and laughing. The feeling in his chest surges, and he almost falls into the water in surprise, but the memory floats away. Nix is sad to see it go, even though the feeling remains.

No, not Heaven. It is a place in between, where We can sometimes talk to Our children.

“Am I dead? This seems too nice to be Hell.” It’s then that he feels a spark of pain. He’d forgotten it existed here. The pain. The darkness. He feels fear.

The voices that beg him to stay are calling.

Do not be afraid. We lost you for a while, Nix Rena. But now you are found, and We will keep Our promises. They’re waiting.

The figure tilts Their head and hums.

Ah. It is time, then. Go. Until We meet again, child. Know you are Our most precious gift. Go.

The light grows and grows and grows. It flows around him like the warmest of embraces. It is a goodbye, and when he listens this time, the voices in his heart urge him to come back to them; that feeling in his chest grows, and he knows he wants–no, heneedsmore. So when the darkness returns, bringing with it the pain, this time Nix knows—until he forgets—thatheis the most precious gift, and they are waiting.

Chapter Thirteen: Rowan

Rowan

Rowan knew he was a little bit spoiled. While Luca was the “baby” of their family, Rowan was the actual youngest and was treated with all the reverence that the role implied. He admits that he uses his wiles to his advantage as much as possible. Sweet smiles and puppy dog eyes during his early pre-presentation courting days or sly, sexy, spiced-rum-scented smirks since. Wrapped around his finger, every single one of them, in any and every way, Rowan got what he wanted sooner than later. No one was immune. Not even Gideon.

Except right now, Gideon refuses to let Rowan in to see Nix, and Rowan doesn’t know what to do about it.

“Ro, go back to the waiting room. You can’t be in here right now.”

He couldn’t escape the ominous feeling that had been riding him since Jay had given Nix enough of the venom to start the change.

Almost immediately, their mate had coded. They had expected as much and were prepared, and the five of them had been shepherded out of the room so the crash carts they had on standby could be used. Jay refused to leave, and where Jay went during hard times, Gideon wouldn’t be far behind.

The rest of them had stayed together in the doorway of the waiting room, watching nurses and doctors move in and out ofthe room steadily for the next several hours. They listened to Luca count the eight times that the vitals monitor had sounded its alarm until around sunset when only the steady beat of Nix’s heart monitor had remained.

Beep.Beep.Beep. Rowan won’t forget that sound in a hurry, although he wishes he could.

It seemed enough to satisfy Riordan, who departed soon after with a wave and a thumbs-up (Boomer!). They’d closed the door to the waiting room, pulled out the blankets, and watched Luca make the nest, the beta so anxious that he’d made them all take their shirts off (Leo had insisted that pants stay on again) so they could be added to the nest. After arranging each mate in a way only Luca understood, he collapsed onto Leo for his usual comfort, suckling at his chest while Grayson spooned in behind, his nose pressed firmly between Luca’s shoulder blades.

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