“And what does that tell you?” Deryn watched her sister cross her arms on her chest.
“That you’re fearless. And constant. Mother and Victoria might’ve wished for you to use the magic less, but you never indulged their wishes. Which, for someone who has locked away her power for two decades, is quite amazing. I envy you. And I’m in awe of you.”
“Really?” Deryn asked again and wanted to smack herself on the forehead for how pathetic she sounded.
But Rhiannon did not smile this time at the use of the word. She just kept looking at Deryn.
“Really,” Rhiannon murmured so quietly that Deryn almost didn’t hear her.
The moment had weight, holding it in the space where generations of Crowharts ate and fought, talked and laughed, made plans and where their wakes were held.
“Rhy?” Deryn didn’t know why she was about to ask Rhiannon about this particular thing. But then, her sister was happy, and that happiness had poured into her enough to heal the wounds that had been open for years. That happiness allowed them to have the conversation they just had—Deryn was certain of it. And so, why not ask? “How did you know Pru was the one?”
Rhiannon’s laughter was pure joy. Deryn wanted to bottle it and take it out occasionally just to drink it in.
“Oh, baby sister, that is quite a story, but the short answer is, I had seen her. From lifetimes before. I’d begun having visions about a woman who looked so much like Prudence that it was uncanny. And even though I fought them and didn’t allow myself to let go of my past and of my pain, the visions never stopped. And they were never happy. You see, what I saw was myself as Elizabeth Crowhart—yes, the first one—and her as Ophelia Fowler, who was also a witch and who died to save Elizabeth.”
Rhiannon’s eyes were full of tears.
“It was so sad, so tragic. So beautiful. And it was impossible to escape. Seeing Ophelia die. Knowing that Elizabeth lived her entire life alone afterward…”
“This makes you soulmates,” Deryn ventured.
“Yes and no. Are you asking me if soulmates exist? I don’t know, baby sister. I don’t think life is a predetermined sequence of events. Otherwise, what’s the point if everything is already decided? But I do believe some people are meant to meet, to find each other in every lifetime. The love they share is too strong. Their connection, their souls, are too intertwined.” Rhiannon took a deep breath. “They’re each other’s. In every lifetime. Whether they do get together, whether they let go of whatever is holding them back, or stay away from each other? I fully believe that is up to them.”
“You could’ve stayed away from Prudence?” Deryn was incredulous at the possibility.
“I did stay away from her. Well, mostly I did. But in my head, I kept telling myself I was leaving. Nothing was going to stop me. And I could’ve left. But my heart was always here, on Dragons, at Book Nest, with my Prudence. I had to make a decision to stay, and I had to make it freely. Otherwise, neither of us would’ve been happy or whole. That’s how I believe soulmates work.”
Rhiannon’s shoulders seemed to relax a little as Deryn watched her speak.
“I take it you have found your soulmate.” It wasn’t a question, and Deryn lifted a shoulder in a jerky shrug.
“I have seen this woman my entire life, Rhy. She is always the same. And I always see her through the eyes of Lynnie.”
They were silent for too long, Deryn hating herself for needing to talk about this, Rhiannon either in shock or in disbelief. Yet when Deryn looked at her sister, neither emotionwas present. Only sadness and another feeling Deryn couldn’t decipher.
“Well, baby sister. That’s a brutal one. Lynnie. I looked her up recently. She came up in a…conversation.” Rhiannon stumbled over the word, and Deryn felt like something was being left out of their discussion. “I admire what Paloma is trying to do in Crow’s Nest—the center for survivors? Considering how much abuse our family has seen, including from fuckhead husbands like Lynnie’s, I really do admire the future mayor’s plans.”
Deryn didn’t respond; Rhiannon bringing up of Paloma was so unexpected and yet so sweet, so welcome. She wanted to talk about her. Wanted to tell her sister everything. Deryn opened her mouth to say just that. That Paloma was the one. The woman who held Lynnie as she drew her last breath, whose name was on Lynnie’s lips, whose heart was beating in Lynnie’s ear. The one Lynnie was leaving her asshole husband for. The one Lynnie loved above all.
Paloma walked through the door.
“Am I interrupting?” Her voice was tentative.
Rhiannon was the first to spring into action. “You are, but that’s not a bad thing. Come, sit, join us. Deryn was making apple pie, but I’m afraid there are no apples left.”
Deryn stood up, offering Paloma her chair as she glanced at the counter where she’d had at least a dozen apples cored and sliced. Maybe two thirds were still there.
“Rhiannon Crowhart, Victoria will have your hide for stuffing your face full of fruit instead of waiting for dinner!”
Rhiannon laughed and reached for the big basket of apples on the counter.
“I’d offer to help you, but you never liked working in tandem in the kitchen.”
“And you always used this excuse to get out of kitchen duty.” Deryn glanced at the clock. “Despite the wreckage this one caused to the apples, I’ll have the pie ready in thirty minutes. And Victoria has prepared everything for the main courses.”
“No need to worry.” Paloma played with a loose thread on the kitchen towel. “I mean, I’m not hungry. And I’m very grateful for the invitation. It’s not often these days that I attend a Christmas dinner in a family setting.”
