Page 65 of Eternal Light (Fated in the Stars #5)

Epilogue Three: (Grayson, Luca, and Jay)

Grayson

The nest is empty by the time Grayson shakes off his dream.

The lingering scent of patchouli clings to his senses, mingling with the phantom warmth of flame in his palms. His body aches with the echo of battle: the sting of a harsh winter wind still burns his face, and a shiver courses down his spine despite the heat radiating from his skin.

The scene replays in his mind’s eye, sharp and vivid. Gideon and Jay fight back to back, their movements a deadly, synchronized dance of sword and claw. Gideon’s laugh—wild, joyous—rises above the chaos, carried to him on the wind, blending with the screams of the dying.

Nix, a ghost among the carnage, slips through the crowd like white smoke, his glowing fingers brushing decaying brows. Wherever he touches, the unnatural bodies collapse, crumbling into dust and returning what they had stolen to The Plain.

Nearby, Rowan-wolf and Leo tear through the horde with raw power, clearing a path for Finn and Luca. The two healers move with calm precision, bringing hope and life to their fallen.

Together, it is a complicated ballet, every strike divine.

Most of all, he recalls the triumph. The surge of magic filling every corner of his soul, the electrifying connection to The Plain, as he lays waste to hordes of demons corrupted by soul magic. It isn’t just power. It is purpose.

Remember that living a beautiful life is worth the risk, Grayson. Give yourself permission to be all that you are, because your warrior’s heart is true.

Grayson lets the Goddess’s words flow through him again.

It’s not the first time; he’s played them over and over in his mind off and on for more than twenty-four hours.

He’d like to convince himself he doesn’t know what she meant by taking risks and trusting himself.

But Grayson has always tried to be transparent with himself, even when he can’t always be with his mates.

A life of restraint isn’t easy to give up.

Embracing all that he is isn’t easy when he’s twenty-five and feels like he doesn’t know who he’s supposed to be.

Deciding to live a life of magic, drawing on the kind of power he’d felt when facing off against Withers, is fucking scary.

No way around it.

Grayson could have taken the whole wall down, or set fire to the lawn, letting it burn far past the fuel the grass and trees would have allowed—up to the castle and beyond.

He could have called down a hurricane. He hadn’t gone into the fight knowing those things were possible, but once he did, the possibilities stretched out before him, endless in their destruction.

It chills him all the way through his soul, so much so that Grayson wants to give in to the urge to lock The Plain down behind the wall again.

He doesn’t, but it’s a near thing.

Sighing, Grayson staggers to the shower, the weight of his looming self-doubt pressing down like the lingering chill from his dream.

He turns the water as hot as he can bear, the heat seeping into his muscles, loosening the tension as he braces his hands against the cool tiles, eyes closed.

He lets it wash the residual adrenaline and echoes from the battlefield down the drain.

Grayson feels Nix looking for him in his soul long before his small hands go around Grayson’s waist, and a tiny nose presses between his shoulder blades. Grayson fixes the water temp to several degrees below scalding, and he lets his soulmate comfort him.

“Gray,” Nix whispers, with a kiss to his spine and then one more.

He doesn’t ask if Grayson is alright, but instead reaches for the soap and begins washing his back and down his legs.

From his crouched position, he kisses the back of Grayson’s thigh, where Jay had left his mark in the early hours of the morning.

“This is so pretty. It’s a pity it won’t last long. ”

It wouldn’t be the first time Grayson had thought that himself, but he doesn’t say so. Instead, he turns and pulls Nix to his feet.

“You’re pretty,” he says with a smile, getting his first look at Nix’s face—and of course, it’s true.

The Florida sun has turned his skin golden, and there are a multitude of new and fascinating freckles over his nose, including one on the corner of his mouth.

He’ll have to paint something new when they get home, and Grayson’s fingers itch to hold his brush.

It’s been too long since he’s created anything, and he’s not surprised it’s starting to wear on him.

Nix laughs, cheeks pink. “We heard from Lauren this morning that they have Winnie and Ansel; they were in Carnell’s pool shed. They’ve probably been in there at least since the Wardens got involved.”

“Really? Fuck, that’s good news. Are they okay?”

“They are, although they’re at the hospital for observation.

She says they’ll go home today,” Nix says, rinsing the conditioner from his hair.

There’s not one note of sweet vanilla in the heavy steam, and Grayson figures his soulmate is hiding his strong emotions about something.

He can’t hide the swirling and swooping emotions in their soul, however, and Grayson doesn’t have long to wait to learn why.

“I’m going to see her tomorrow and introduce her to Mrs. Stavros. Maybe go to the storage unit,” Nix says, with a nonchalance Grayson knows he doesn’t feel.

Grayson wants to tell him that he doesn’t have to do this for virtual strangers, that letting them stay in the house is generous enough, and that he doesn’t have to rummage through his old life until he’s ready.

Or at the very least, to please let Jay or Gideon or Grayson do it for him instead.

But he should have known that isn’t how Nix goes through life.

He might be afraid, but he doesn’t let that fear make his choices anymore. This new Nix trusts himself.

And isn’t that something Grayson could learn from his soulmate? Isn’t that at the core of what The Goddess whispered in his soul? That he should give himself permission, and trust himself? The Plain bucks and writhes in agreement, a reminder that he should be learning to say the same.

There’s a tiny poke in his belly and a huff of air as Nix interrupts his mental gymnastics.

“I’m going with Luca and Lauren.” He leans around Grayson and turns the water off, handing him a towel and then retrieving one for himself. “I need your help holding Jamie back, and probably Gideon.” He hesitates before shrugging. “Probably Finn and Rowan, too, come to think of it.”

“But not me?” Grayson blurts out.

Why Nix thinks Grayson is least likely to insist he tag along is a real mystery. It’s true that he has a meeting with Ignatius and Nimue about the supervised travel back to Nashville, as he’s an unlicensed apprentice and has to travel with a magical guardian.

Ignatius had agreed to accompany them and use the time to liaise with Nashville’s version of The Guild, to make the introductions.

It made Grayson feel good that the older man had offered to continue his training here if Grayson didn’t jibe with the middle America teachings, and that The Guild would be honored to be entrusted with Grayson’s magical education.

Nix stops rubbing his hair with the towel, genuinely surprised. “You have your appointment with Leo at The Guild, right? That’s more important.”

“Angel, you are important. If you want me to go with you, I will. This pack is my priority.”

“Is there a reason you’re avoiding The Guild?” Nix asks tentatively.

Yes . The Guild reminds him of all the potential for destruction sitting squarely on his shoulders.

“What? No, of course not. I just want to be with you if you’re doing something hard.

” Grayson leaves his skeptical mate behind in the restroom, heading into the nest room to find something mostly clean.

“Why does that sound like you’re hiding something?” Nix asks.

Grayson finally digs up two black t-shirts and a pair of sweats; he tosses one to Nix and gets himself dressed.

“Gray?”

“Fine, fuck,” Grayson growls, his magic popping and fizzing in his chest and tingling in his fingertips, overflowing with his frustration and unfamiliar worry. He regrets it immediately, given that his issue isn’t about Nix at all.

But Nix isn’t put off or frightened by his outburst, thank the Goddess. Instead, he narrows his eyes and crosses his arms. He doesn’t say anything either, and Grayson is simultaneously chagrined that he’s in trouble and relieved he hasn’t scared his mate with his rude temper.

“Sorry, I’m such a shit today.”

Sighing, Nix flashes him an encouraging smile. “Look, I won’t press. I can feel that you are worked up about something, and if I can help, I want to. Is this about what happened with Withers? Did I freak you out?” he asks, looking unsure for the first time since he arrived in the shower.

Grayson hates that he’s the one who has made him doubt himself.

“No! You were magnificent.”

That is the only way to describe it. He’d been in awe to see him wield The Goddess’s power so effortlessly.

Grayson had almost vibrated out of his skin to feel the source of his own power so close and flowing through their soul, a conduit for the massive flow of magic.

It had called to him, pulling every atom of his being into the highest frequency.

It was an epiphany.

“If it’s not me, then why?”

He paces over to the window to locate the rest of his family back in the pool, except for Gideon and Finn, who are cuddled up on a lounger, reading from a book they must have found in the mansion’s extensive library.

Turning back, he finally throws himself on the edge of the raised platform that fills the whole width of the room. It’s the perfect nest room design, and Grayson spares a moment to imagine a similar family-style nest in their own home

“Sit with me?” he asks, holding out a hand.