And I waste no time in answering, circling my arms around his neck and bringing him to me, vaguely aware of the energy veil that dances between his lips and mine, as my mind streams into his. Informing him of all that I saw and what I now understand.
That I’ve accepted the one real truth.
That I will never doubt him again.
We stay like that, our bodies pressed together, intensely aware of the miracle that just occurred.
I’m more than just reborn—I’m truly, newly awakened.
Pulling away a moment later, my gaze posing a question he immediately answers when he says
, “I sensed your distress. I got here as soon as I could, only to find the shop destroyed, and you…essentially…dead. But it wasn’t long before you came back—though I’m sure it felt like an eternity to you. That’s how the Shadowland works.”
“And Jude?” My heart sinks to my stomach as my eyes scan the room, unable to find him, no matter how hard I look.
Then plummeting even further when Damen’s voice drops as he says, “Jude’s no longer here.”
twenty-eight
The first thing I see when we arrive is pretty much the last thing I expected:
The twins.
Romy and Rayne standing side by side, with Romy in head-to-toe pink and Rayne in head-to-toe black, their jaws dropping in unison the moment they see me.
“Ever!” Romy cries, running up to hug me, her skinny body barreling right into mine, practically knocking me over from the force, as she wraps her scrawny arms around me and holds tight.
“We thought for sure you were stuck in the Shadowland,” Rayne says, shaking her head as she blinks back her grief. Coming forward to stand quietly beside her sister, who’s still attached to me. And just when I’m sure she’s going to chase it with some kind of sarcastic crack, some derisive dig about how disappointed she is that I made it out in one piece, she looks right at me and says, “I’m so glad we were wrong.” And her voice warbles so badly, she can barely eke out the words.
Recognizing a peace offering when I see one, I slide my arm around her, amazed by the way she lets me, the way she leans into me. Not just returning the hug but holding it for much longer that I ever would’ve expected. Pulling away a few moments later, she clears her throat, combs her fingers through her razor-slashed bangs, and wipes her nose with her long cotton sleeve.
And even though I’m dying to know how they got here, for now, it’ll have to wait. There are far more pressing concerns.
But I don’t even have a chance to voice them, before they nod their heads solemnly and say, “He’s here.” They turn and point toward the Great Halls of Learning just behind them. “He’s with Ava. It’s all good.”
“So…he’s healed then?” My voice catches, cracks, hoping that’s what they meant, and instantly flooded with relief when they confirm it. “And you? Do you guys live here again?”
They look at each other, eyes meeting, faces still wearing the same somber expression, though it’s quickly replaced with shaking shoulders and great peals of laughter. The two of them falling all over each other, enjoying some kind of private joke, before Rayne can calm down enough to say, “Do you want us to live here again?” She quirks her brow and looks me over, right back to being her normal self, well, for the most part, anyway.
“I just want you to be happy,” I tell them, not wasting a single second in answering. “Wherever that takes place for you.”
Romy grins, lifting her shoulders when she says, “We’re sticking with Ava. Now that we know how to come here and visit whenever we want, well, we don’t really feel like we need to live here again. Besides, we really like school.”
“Yeah, and school likes us back.” Rayne flashes a rare and brief smile that makes her eyes dance. “I’ve been voted class president.”
I nod, not the least bit surprised by that.
“And Romy made cheerleader,” she adds, rolling her eyes.
“I think all that practicing with Riley, you know, back when she lived here and used to hang out with us, well, I think it must’ve really helped.” Romy shrugs modestly.
“Riley helped you with cheerleading?” I squint, more than a little surprised to hear that, though I’m not sure why.
Seeing Romy nod when she says, “She wanted to be just like you, you know that, right? She memorized every single cheer you ever did, and then she taught them to us.”
I press my lips together and lean against Damen, enjoying the shelter of his strong solid warmth, of his hand squeezing mine. Knowing for sure, now more than ever before, that I can have this anytime I want, anytime I need it. He will always be there for me.
Focusing on the twins again when I say, “And speaking of missing people—”