Everlasting (The Immortals #6)(82)

Then lifting her head, she glances at each of us, her gaze settling on me when she says, “You have released me. And while my gratitude knows no bounds, your trust in me has been at your own great, personal expense. For that I am sorry.”

She nods, bows ever so slightly, and I wait for her to say something more, to tel me not to worry, that it al gets better from here, but instead she brings the cup to her lips and ingests. Shuttering her eyes as her hands swiftly rise, her fingers uncurling, her palms flattening—the yard fal ing quiet as Lotus begins to glow the most beautiful golden color that can’t be ignored.

Her face radiant, beaming, her cane al but forgotten, abandoned by her side—a witness to something miraculous, something viewable only to her. And I can’t help but gasp when instead of the ash I’ve grown so used to seeing, two perfect lotus blossoms bloom forth from her palms.

She turns toward me, places one behind my ear and the other in my hand, gently closing my fingers around it as she says, “This one is for Damen. You must go to him now.”

I nod, eager to do just that, but also wanting to see this thing through.

Torn between leaving and staying when Jude leans toward me and says, “He’s here.”

leans toward me and says, “He’s here.”

I look at him, my heart leaping into my throat, thinking he’s referring to Damen, but soon realizing he meant someone else.

“Her husband. He’s come to escort her to the other side.” He motions toward the space beside Lotus, a space that appears empty to me.

I watch as Lotus steps forward, once, twice, before she simply disappears. Her body so old, so worn, its immortality so suddenly reversed, it could no longer withstand the gravity of the earth plane. And yet, she got exactly what she wanted, what she sought al this time. Leaving nothing more than a glittering pile of gold dust behind.

Everyone remains quiet, reluctant to mar it with words.

Everyone but Stacia, who says, “O- kay… now that that’s done, can someone please tel me where to find that super-hot guy who’s dressed as a gladiator?”

Miles and Holt burst out laughing and lead her into the house, while Ava and the twins hang back with Sabine and Munoz, going over the details about the upcoming wedding, as Romy and Rayne beg to be bridesmaids.

Then Honor looks back and forth between Jude

and me and says, “Okay, here’s the deal: I’m taking my Pocahontas-costumed self back inside so that you two can settle whatever it is you need to get settled. Seriously, have your little powwow, get it al out of your system, and then Jude, when you’re ready, when you’re ready to put your ful attention on me, and only me, wel , you know where to find me.”

I start to reach toward her, start to say that there’s nothing to settle, nothing to get out of our systems, that we’ve been through it al , that there’s no more to be said. But she turns, shoots me a look that shows she means business, so I let her go, turning my focus to Jude.

“So, Bastiaan de Kool.” I smile, hoping if I hold the look long enough, it wil start to feel real. Wondering how it’s possible to feel so bleak after having accomplished so much. But I know why, and I intend to deal with that soon enough. “Out of al of your lives, was Bastiaan your favorite?” My gaze settles on his filmy white cotton shirt and paintsplattered pants. Jude laughs, his aqua gaze on mine when he says, “Wel , he is the one who got al the girls. Wel , al except one.”

I look toward the window, catching Honor peering at us. Her face betraying just how anxious and worried she is at the thought of losing him to me. And while I have no way of knowing if they’re truly meant to be together for the long haul, they seem to real y enjoy each other, seem to be good for each other, good to each other, and that’s al that real y matters right now.

“Give her a chance,” I say, returning to Jude. And when he starts to cut in, I flash my palm, adding,

“Last time, when you asked me what I thought of her, it’s no accident I didn’t answer. At the time, I real y wasn’t sure. But now I am, and I think you should give her a real, genuine, ful -blown, honest-to-goodness chance. She’s come a long way since I first met her, and she’s crazy about you.” I meet his gaze. “And honesly, I think you deserve someone to be crazy about you. I think you deserve al the happiness you can possibly handle.

Besides,” I shrug, “you’re no longer Bastiaan, and, despite my red hair,” I point toward my head,

“I’m no longer Fleur. Nor am I Adelina, or Evaline, or Emala, or Chloe, or Abigail, or any of them. Those were just roles we played until it was time to move on to the next. And while we’l always carry a part of them with us, we have so many more roles stil to play. When you think about it, in the big scheme of things, our time together is like a dash of spice in a big cosmic soup—important for richness of flavor, but stil , not quite the main ingredient. The past is over. It can’t and shouldn’t be reclaimed. Al we ever have is now anyway.” I nod toward the window where Honor is waiting. “Don’t you think it’s time we embrace it?”

Jude stands before me, gives me a long lingering look, then nods in agreement. “And you?”

he asks, remaining there even after I turn to walk away. “Is that what you plan to do?”

I glance over my shoulder, first at him, then down at the lotus blossom in my hand, saying, “Yeah. Starting right now.”