My heart melts and I have to work to keep my utter giddiness in check.
“Was that too cheesy?” His face scrunches. “It was, wasn’t it?”
I shake my head. “Just enough cheese, I think.”
He beams back.
A moment of silence spreads out between us and he clasps his hands between his legs.
“So, is she family?” he asks, pointing to Charlotte’s grave.
I shake my head. “No. I don’t think I have any family here. I was just in town, so I thought I’d stop and check out the older part of the cemetery. What about you?”
“I came to visit my grandpa. He’s over there in the columbarium. But no family over here, as far as I’m aware of.”
“So, what brought you to this part of the cemetery, then?” I ask. I have my own hunches, and I’m sure a certain angel actually did have something to do with it.
“I guess you could say I feel sorta drawn to the spirits here,” he says, laughing to himself.
I glance down, trying to hide the smile that springs to my face. If he knew I was actually in on his little joke, I wonder what he’d think? Would it be a relief? Or would it freak him out?
“So, Drusilla, do you believe in ghosts?” he asks, flitting his gaze around the headstones.
Taking a moment to think, I’m struck by the déjà vu in the flow of our conversation. There are so many synchronicities, even within the tiny differences from the last time we met.
“Yeah, actually, I do,” I say, kicking out my legs and leaning back on my hands.
“Me, too,” he says, clearly happy about this statement. “Guess that must be why we both love us a good Buffy reference. We’re on the same wavelength.”
“Guess so,” I agree with a nod. “Well, to be fair, my mom used to make me watch it with her. But who’s counting?”
He tips his head back and laughs. “Ah yes, the obligatory Mom duty. I totally get that.”
My head snaps up and I quirk an eyebrow. “You do?”
He snickers, making a face. “Well, of course I do. I do have a mom, you know. It’s not like I was forged or something, as cool as that would be.”
I shake my head, trying to knock loose my surprise. “Yeah, of course.”
“Anyone ever tell you you’re a little odd?” he says, scrunching his face.
Nodding, I say, “On occasion, yes.”
“Well, I suppose I better head back,” Wade says, standing back up.
“So soon?” I say, pulling my legs in to stand as well.
He reaches a hand out to me, and I accept his offering. Even through my glove, my hand vibrates at his contact and as I rise, the warmth of his body radiates straight through me. My breath hitches as I stand only a few inches from him.
“Thanks,” I mutter, releasing his hand and taking a deliberate step back to clear my head.
He blinks, as if he was suddenly under the same spell I was. Inhaling deeply, he releases the breath and nods to himself. “Yeah, my mom’s over there paying her respects, but I’m sure she’ll be ready to leave soon. She’s not dressed for the cold.”
I look over his shoulder, beyond him and the gate into the other area of the graveyard. A woman with long brown hair is sitting on the bench just outside the columbarium. Her hand is clutched at her neck as she pulls her winter coat in tighter.
Part of me would love nothing more than to go with him and meet her, but at the same time, I’m terrified.
“Oh, I see. Well, I need to get back to Windhaven, anyway,” I say, checking my watch.
“All right. Guess I’ll be going, then,” Wade says, shifting through the snow. He moves away from me slowly, as if he’s fighting the same urge to stay together.
“Okay,” I say, biting my lip.
He flashes me another grin and turns on his heel, making his way to the gate. When he reaches it, he turns around, “See ya around, Dru.” He winks, opening the gate and walking out.
Everything inside my chest screams to follow him. To kiss him, to give him my number—anything. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I know this is the way it begins.
The hunt. The mystery of it.
We’ll both be at Windhaven Academy soon and if he’s anything like the Wade from before, he won’t stop until he finds out who I really am.
I don’t move from my spot in the snow until he and his mom get into a red SUV and drive off. There are so many fighting emotions within me as I make my way to my own vehicle. I’m so happy for Wade. His mother’s with him and he still has his father—sort of.
After the way this trip started, I actually feel like everything is really going to be okay.
When I clear the gate, I notice a woman standing beside my vehicle. Her dark hood obscures some of her face, but instantly, I know who she is.
No, no, no…
Everything inside me is screaming to run the other direction—to walk away from this fight. But instead, my feet continue carrying me forward.
“What are you doing here?” I demand. With my fists clenched at my sides, I take a deep breath.
I will not let her take my second chance away.
The woman pushes back her hood, her worn face somehow years lighter now. In her hands are the large shears used to cut the threads of life. The same shears that had stabbed her sister and ended countless lives.
“Aisa,” I breathe, narrowing my gaze. Despite myself, my heartbeat quickens.
She grins at me, then slowly places the shears in a holster at her side. “Don’t worry, it will be a long while before these shears come for you again.”
“How can you be here? I thought I stopped you?” I breathe, fighting back my surprise and terror.
Stepping forward, she reaches out, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Oh, but you did, sweetheart.”
“Then… how are you here?” I ask, blinking hard.
“We are inevitable. Should the Moirai cease to exist, there would be no balance to the world. People live, but they still must die. It’s the natural order of things. However, what you did was ease the suffering brought to humanity,” she says. “You should be very proud of what you accomplished. I wasn’t so sure you had it in you.” Smirking slightly, she pats my shoulder.
I shake my head. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. Just enjoy your life, Autumn. Make it a good one,” Aisa says, her voice far gentler than I remember. “Like your mother, you will have a long while until the end of your thread comes due.”
My forehead creases, and I take a step back from her.
“Are you saying I’m immortal?” I ask, surprised.
She shakes her head. “Sadly, no. However, your deeds have not gone unrewarded. Now that things have been…righted, I guess you could say you have inherited longevity from your mother. Something you should always have had. It will be a very long time before death catches up to you.”
“Oh,” I say, my eyelashes fluttering as I fight to process fully what this means.
“But you should know that in time, however long that is, you will still face the scales to be judged.” Her expression again turns dark and she sighs. “The burden you carry now is a heavy one. I should know.”
She points inside my car and I bend down to have a look. Sitting on the passenger seat is the small, intricately carved wooden box.
“Regardless, I’d like to think things played out the way they were meant to,” she says with a lopsided sort of grin. “Maybe you could even call it fate.”
The End
(For now…)
The Windhaven Witches Series…
Secret Legacy (available now)
Soul Legacy (available now)
Haunted Legacy (available now)
Cursed Legacy (available now)
Also by Carissa Andrews
The Pendomus Chronicles
Trajectory: A Pendomus Chronicles Prequel
Pendomus: Book 1 of the Pendomus Chronicles
Polarities: Book 2
of the Pendomus Chronicles
Revolutions: Book 3 of the Pendomus Chronicles
Diana Hawthorne Supernatural Mysteries
Oracle: Book 1
Amends: Book 2 (Coming in 2021!)
Immortals: Book 3 (Windhaven converges with Diana Hawthorne! Coming in 2021!)
The 8th Dimension Novels
The Final Five: An Oracle & Awakening Bridge Novelette
Awakening: Rise as the Fall Unfolds
Love is a Merciless God
About the Author
Carissa Andrews
Sci-fi/Fantasy is my pen of choice.
Carissa Andrews is an international bestselling indie author from central Minnesota who writes a combination of science fiction, fantasy, and dystopia. Her plans for 2021 include continuation of her Diana Hawthorne Supernatural Mysteries. As a publishing powerhouse, she keeps sane by chilling with her husband, five kids, and their two insane husky pups, Aztec and Pharaoh.
For a free ebook and to find out what Carissa’s up to, head over to her website and sign up for her newsletter:
www.carissaandrews.com
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