His shoulders sag in relief, and despite the absolute havoc pounding away in my heart, I know this is the best thing for her.
“You head back home and have a conversation with Annalise. I’m going to take a sec, then go to the healing villas. I’ll be at your house when I’m done.”
The tender, grateful smile he gives me is so heartfelt, it hurts.
“Thank you, Thay.”
I bite my bottom lip and nod. “Of course.”
He backpedals a few steps, then disappears through a starshoot. I inhale and exhale, over and over.
My feet stumble back a few steps before my knees give out on me and I sink to the ground. Heaving.
“Gods.”
I breathe.
My eyes clench shut tight as I dig my fingers into the grass, rocking back and forth on all fours.
A comforting hoot pulls a harsh sigh out of me.
“I know how hard this was, Thayla, but I’m so proud of you. You both made the right decision.”
“If it was right, why does it feel so wrong?”
“Wrong and painful are not the same thing. Sometimes, the best decisions we make are the ones that hurt us the most.”
I let his words sear into my bones as my rocking slows to a stop. My head bows toward the grass, and my lungs fill with the scent as I take countless deep breaths.
“Would you like me to tell the boys where you’re headed?”
“No,” I say. “I’d rather them not have to face something like this.”
“Okay, my Vedae. I will be here with you every step of the way.”
I exhale once more as I sit back on my heels and nod. His power wraps around the two of us, and before I know it—before I’m ready—we’re standing directly in the departed section of the healing villas.
My feet refuse to move as my gaze traces over Mr. and Mrs. Armend lying there on the stone slabs.
It’s such a confusing, heartbreaking experience mourning people whom you know didn’t really care for you. I care so fiercely about their children, though. I always have. My love forthe two of them has always been stronger than their parents’ dislike for me.
It’s strong enough, I never felt like I needed their approval.
“Go on,”V says quietly.“I want to teach you something.”
A shaky breath spills through my lips, and I take a wobbly step forward. V soars from my shoulder over to one of the empty tables, and I tilt my head to the side as light appears around his claws.
By the time I reach him, he has multiple little trinkets laid out.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“This chain and broken pendant are an old necklace Mr. Armend gifted Mrs. Armend. It’s been tucked away in her jewelry box for many years. This well-used pen was Mr. Armend’s favorite. He used it daily. And this piece of ceramic came from the house the two of them lived in when they lived in Darlander before they had Lambrit. Mrs. Armend brought it with her and placed it in her garden.”
My wide eyes bounce from the items to V multiple times.
“How do you…did you take all of this earlier when you all were there?”
“I did. And how I know this is because when a soul is getting ready to pass on, there is a split second in time where your life, in fact, does flash before your eyes. That old saying has a lot of truth to it. For a brief moment, when Creed guided Mrs. Armend’s soul to Mr. Armend’s, they had that moment together. It’s like the soul’s way of thanking the body it’s leaving behind for everything they did together. I watched that moment.”
