Page 143 of Between Sun and Moon

“I don’t understand,” I stated with a great deal of confusion. “I’ve watched you age over the years. I’ve watched you lose your eyesight too.” The space between my brows crinkled like a scrunched-up piece of paper. “How is that possible?”

She held my hand tightly, her words spoken directly to me. “Because I choose to live as a mortal—to experience life as they would.”

And I don’t know where, but somewhere, deep inside, her words plucked at a familiar string—a feeling—because once upon a time, I had wanted to do the same thing. “Is that why my body acts more mortal than immortal?” I asked her. “Did I choose this for myself?”

She nodded.

“So what does that make me?”

She gave my hand another squeeze. “It makes you free.”

And although that wasn’t what I was asking, her answer could not have been more meaningful. In my last life, for so much of it, I had never known freedom. My life revolved around serving my husband and being a good, doting wife, even though he’d never honored me, not in the same way I honored him—not even close. And I had turned a blind eye to it all.

Back then, I had been no more than a ghost of the person I was meant to be.

A ghost who wished to live in color—just as the mortals did.

Just so I couldfeel.

And when I was born anew in this life, that was exactly what I had done.

My childhood had been painted in the shades of laughter, of Kaleb and I running barefoot through the trees, screaming “you can’t catch me!” while the other tried to do exactly that. My teen years had been forged from sweat and frustration, of training with Ezra and learning how to hone my Curse, how to fight for a battle she’d never told me was coming. And when I reached adulthood, the bonds of friendship had carried me through the roughest parts of this short life—of when my brother was taken from me.

All of it—the good, the bad, the heartbreak—had all pointed to one thing—I had lived.

And there was one person who had been by my side throughout it all . . .

I turned to Ezra, emotion crackling my voice. “Thank you.”

“It is not my sacrifice that made this life possible for you,” she said.

My brow furrowed. If it wasn’t her . . . “Then who?”

But it was Folkoln who answered. “It was my brother’s. He traded his happiness so that you could find yours.”

Sage

“Sage!” Harper exclaimed as she breezed into the tent, a swipe of red painted across her smiling lips. Her voice brought me out of my conflicted thoughts surrounding Von—a topic I had no idea where I stood on. Everything about us was confusing. But I was more than happy to brush those thoughts aside as I was reunited with my best friend.

Harper rushed over and flung her arms around my neck. “It’s so damn good to see you.”

I hugged her back, surprised to find that my arm, which had been dislocated before, was now in good working order—I imagined Ezra had something to do with that. I bet if I looked to my side, my arrow wound would be healed, too, although it might have sprouted the odd skin-like hair. Ezra’s concoctionsand tonics and salves were never without a few strange side effects.

I would be a complete liar if I said being reunited with Harper didn’t coax a few tears to brim. When she pulled back, she quickly wiped a few of her own away. We took one good look at each other and broke out into grins.

Ryker walked in with a big cocky smile saddled on his lips. “Hey there, sleeping beauty.” The twins exchanged spots and he gave me a tight hug—the kind I felt deep down in my soul.

“Don’t crowd her,” Harper scolded Ryker as she shooed him away, the beads hanging beneath the hem of her cropped top chattering as she moved. She wore a pair of tight leather pants, slung low to her hips, exposing her chiseled abdomen.

The tent flapped open once more. This time, it was Kaleb. His eyes went wide when he saw me, his shoulders falling with relief. In mere seconds, he was at my side, taking me in his arms. He hugged me tightly. “I’m so glad you’re alright,” he said, burying his face into my neck.

“I’m alright,” I reassured him, hugging him just as tightly back.

We stayed like that for a short while—Kaleb’s hug revitalizing my depleted soul.

“Thank you for finding me,” I whisper-spoke.

He pulled back and his gray-blue eyes met mine. Bags had formed underneath—telling me he hadn’t slept in a while. He thumbed over his shoulder to Folkoln, who had plopped onto the empty bed across from mine. His ridiculously large boots—clearly, he had the same massive flipper feet as Von—were kicked up and his hands were tucked behind his head.

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