Page 59 of Finding Embers and Stars (Twin Flames Duet #1)
Chapter fifty-nine
T oday it’s just the three of us. Piper, Olive and I are taking a rare chance for some girl time. Something we haven’t had much of in the last few months.
Maggie helped out by insisting on a brother sleep over and she included all my mates, not just Maverick. Piper even went over for a bit so Atlas could be included.
Olive settles deeper into my reading chair, clutching her cup of coffee. She’s nearly as dependent on it as Ashley is.
Piper passes the bowl of trail mix across to me. “I’ve missed our girls’ nights with you, Olive. So damn much has happened since our last one before we went to Florida.”
Letting out a loud snort of amusement, I grab my Dr. Pepper from the side table. “That’s the understatement of the century. Now Olive, we need the details. What is going on with you and Hunter? I know you haven’t bonded yet, but is there a reason you’re waiting?”
Olive growls in frustration. “My visions are wreaking havoc on me lately. I’m having so many, and I have no way to tell what is past, present, or future. Not to mention they are confusing as fuck. I keep dreaming about Torin, and I know he will be here once you guys go to the Fae realm, but right now, he’s all blurry.”
She stands up to pace, her voice taking on a sad note. “I keep dreaming about Grandfather Time. I hear a crow caw beneath a blood moon, and I can just make out the hint of a statue. None of it makes fucking sense!” Her sadness gives way to anger, and she waves her hands animatedly as she keeps pacing. “There is an uprising in Heaven and in Hell, but I can’t tell if it’s yet to happen or something from long ago.”
She rubs her eyes, collapsing back into the chair. “I just can’t make heads or tails of it. There are only two things I know for certain. I can’t mate with Hunter until I’ve found all my mates, and it’s not time for you to go to the Fae realm yet. Soon, but not yet.”
“Damn girl, you have a lot going on. I’m glad we had this little get together so you could vent. You know you’re welcome to sparkle down to Florida when we’re there. Don’t wait for us to come here.” Piper crawls behind her in the chair to rub her shoulders.
Olive sighs again. “I know that. I just hate to interrupt you guys. You have book stuff and managing your mates now. You don’t need to deal with my drama.”
“Say what now?” I plant my hands on my hips and do my best to glare her into the next realm. “You’re like our little sister. You are family. There is never a time when you can’t come talk to us. Ever. Period. Got it?!”
Olive wipes a tear from the corner of her eye and Piper and I sit on either side of her, wrapping her in the biggest, most smothering bear hug we can manage.
“Thanks guys.” Letting out a deep sigh, Olive starts cackling. “I did have an interesting break from the normal doom and gloom dreams I’ve been having. Last night I dreamed that all of your mates had bright rainbow-colored feathery wings. The range of expressions on the guy’s faces was just as hilarious as the wings. Everything from amused to horrified.”
Piper and I exchange shocked looks and promptly burst out laughing. “Oh, I bet we can guess who had which expression.”
Olive chuckles. “I’m sure you can. Speaking of your mates. Your relationship is unique, even by supernatural standards. How are the two of you doing with it? Any jealousy, hard feelings, concerns? Any struggles when one of you is alone with the guys?”
I glance over at Piper and grin. “I can’t speak for Pip, but the only issues I’ve had are my own insecurities. Every day, I have to focus on moving past them. There is a big part of my mind still convinced that because these men were meant for Piper and her alone that I’m encroaching on her territory. Honestly, I don’t know how she doesn’t hate me for it.”
“Sage, no!” Piper jumps up and yanks me out of the chair. Laying her hands on my shoulders, she forces me to look at her. “I’ve never once been angry or jealous. What you have with the guys is just as special and amazing as the bond I have with them. I want you to spend time with them, the same way you encourage me to. Or did you think I missed Walker checking with you before he pulled me out of the hot springs party?”
I can’t help but chuckle, she’s not wrong on that count.
Piper bites her lip. “Honestly, I feel bad that you don’t get as much time with Atlas. There is only one of me physically, but two of us, and I always feel like I don’t give him enough time with you.”
“Oh, for the love of bacon, will the two of you just shut it? If I need more time, I will ask. Sage, those men love you just as much as Piper. Yes, this arrangement is weird as fuck. It’s been weird since you and I mated, but would you really want it any other way?”
The way Olive dissolves into loud whoops of laughter tells me she heard Atlas’s rant as well. “For the love of bacon. I am absolutely stealing that, Atlas.”
When Olive finally gets her giggles calmed down, she looks much more at peace than when she first got to our house today. I’m happy that we can be a support and sounding board for her.
“Okay, all the serious shit aside. I need all the juicy details on your harem of hunks.” Olive wiggles her eyebrows at us to emphasize her point.
“And that’s my cue to go take a nap. There are details about my brothers and my sister that I do not want to have in my head.” Atlas sends a burst of love to me before he slips from my mind.
We spend hours gossiping. Talking about our guys, all their differences and yes, we totally compare them. Who would have thought I could be sitting here with my soul mate, talking about both of us banging the same guys and comparing notes?
Our girl talk moves to much safer topics once we are joined by Ash, Lacy, Audrey, and Clarissa. We keep an eye on Willow and Aspen as they run around the room while we all catch up on our individual lives.
“Clarissa, are you excited for Florida?” I hand her a hard cider then sit down next to her.
Her entire face lights up. “Oh yes! I can’t wait. I was a little hesitant because I just got back in touch with Lacy, but then I remembered that I’m half angel and can teleport wherever I want.”
“We need to start a club for us special hybrids. I’m pretty sure you are the first wolf angel hybrid, just like I’m the only angel demon hybrid.” Ashley holds her hand up for Clarissa to give her a high five. “I’m also not sorry about smiting your piece of shit sperm donor into a pile of ash.” We all start laughing at Ashley’s sorry not sorry casual apology.
Getting to know Clarissa over the last few weeks has been wonderful. She is so good to Piper. You can see the love she has for her in their every interaction.
After Lacy explained how much Cobalt was able to help heal her trauma, Clarissa asked for help. She still has a long road ahead of her, but I’m confident that her and Jasper will get their happily ever after.
Clarissa shrugs. “I’m just sorry that I didn’t get to smite Michael. It still boggles my mind what he did to Lacy and Archer. I’m so glad Willow is here, but damn, I hope he is living in eternal torment.”
I look over at Aspen and Willow to make sure they aren’t listening in case the answer to my question is no. “So, mama bears. Am I allowed to finally play with the girl’s hair? I promise it’s not permanent. Shasta taught me her color changing spell and it’s so much fun.”
Ash, Lacy and Audrey exchange a look, then glance back at me. “Come on, they are almost ten. Double digit birthdays mean fancy new hair from Auntie Sage.”
The girls hear the tail end of my plea, and they rush over, standing on either side of me. We all give the moms our best pleading Puss in Boots eyes.
Piper and Clarissa are damn near falling over; they are laughing so hard. You would think they could act like adults once in a while but apparently not.
When we get the nods of approval, the girls high five each other and then me.
As soon as the spells are cast, the girls plead with us to call their dads here. Once Rory and Rowan arrive, Aspen shows off her long locks, covered in flames that match Rowan’s wings. Willow chose Rory’s mix of blues, greens, and purples to match his northern lights.
This is some of my best work.
Seeing two of the kings of Hell brought to tears by their daughter’s need to look like them was heartwarming and hilarious.
Once the girls were sufficiently smothered in hugs and kisses from their dads, we kicked the guys out so we could continue our girls night.
Sitting here surrounded by my family makes me so thankful for everything we’ve been through. There were battles and there were speed bumps, but every trial brought us one step closer to where we needed to be.
Yesterday we stayed up way past our bedtime and ended up sleeping until noon.
This afternoon, Piper and I outlined and planned out our next book series. We really are the perfect writing partnership. Once we have the outline ready and know where the story is going to go, I can get the words down. Since I have the grammar of a two-year-old and tend to forget to add actions or descriptors in between the blocks of text, Piper comes along behind me makes everything sparkle and shine.
The guys came home an hour ago and we just finished a family dinner with my parents, along with Jasper and Clarissa. I love how close we’ve all become, and I think it’s great for both Jasper and Clarissa to have more friends after both of them were alone for so long.
Now we’re all piled into the movie room. “So Olive was telling us her visions are going wild, but the one thing she is certain of is that it’s not yet time for us to go to the Fae realm.”
I cuddle closer to Milo, knowing this isn’t what he wants to hear. “I know you want to rescue your parents, but I think it would be foolish to ignore multiple goddesses who are telling us we need to wait.”
He nods but still looks understandably upset. Liam reaches over and squeezes his shoulder, and Atlas gets up from where he was snuggling with me to plop down into Milo’s lap.
Milo lets out a grunt at the two-hundred-pound wolf that just flopped on him, but moves to stroke the fur between his ears.
“We have a group of the most powerful supernaturals in all the realms behind us. We will save your people and your parents, Milo.” Atlas pushes the thought through our bond before nuzzling me and then shifting back to Piper.
Piper curls up against Milo’s chest. “We need to embrace our happy for now. We will find more danger soon enough.”
“We need to appreciate the peace we have while it lasts. In the meantime, we need to continue building our bonds and working with our Fae powers.” I snuggle further into my mates, Liam and Walker surrounding me on both sides.
“Listen to your mates and brothers, my son.” A soft feminine voice floats through our bond.
Piper and I exchange wide eyed looks before focusing on Milo. Is this his mom?
He nods in shock, obviously not expecting her to be able to talk to us.
A deep masculine voice that reminds me of Milo rolls through our minds next. “Have patience, Milo. Saving the Fae realm won’t be quick or easy. The journey will start when it’s meant to. We will see you soon.”
The End ??