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Page 14 of Shattered Galaxies (Tears of the Siren #6)

“Interesting. So in that case, you need to find something to ground yourself in both so that you have a place to go from and return to.” Valentina spoke as if it was the simplest thing in the world—I was so damn envious of that.

“Hard to do when my power moves more like waves or stars,” I said, frowning.

“Maybe focus more on the rhythm, then,” Valentina suggested after a thoughtful pause.

I liked that. I liked that a lot.

Unfortunately, her mentorship was cut short when we arrived at the center of the garden, marked by a beautiful tree that hadn’t been visible from the entrance. Instead of hanging with fruit, it hung with gemstones and skulls—a beautiful yet odd mix. Valentina motioned to the space around her.

“This is not the center of magic within the realm—that would be me—but if it’s calling to you, it may be because it’s the next best thing.”

The wind shifted around me as I closed my eyes and sank into the magic of the space, Zander placing a hand on my waist. I heard Valentina take small steps to the side before sitting on a stone bench.

That had been a smart idea, because within moments I could feel the gravel shaking beneath my feet, responding to my call.

Zander’s grip tightened on me as I looked up at him in concern.

His gaze wasn’t on me, though—it was on the tree.

I followed the line of his eyes and immediately froze, finding a very familiar face staring right back at me. She was in ghostly form, her clothes modern and her face as young as it’d been in the memory.

“Elizabeth?” I asked, forcing the word from my throat, wondering if maybe I was just seeing things. What else could explain my mother’s presence here?

Her large eyes, so much like my own, widened as she stepped forward, raising a hand. “Lorcan? Are you…are you really there?”

I swallowed nervously. “I feel like I should be asking you that.”

Elizabeth—I wasn’t comfortable calling her ‘Mom’—broke into a huge smile, her eyes filling with ghostly tears.

“You’ve come, then. She said you would—she said she’d started you down a path that would lead you here.

That despite our deaths, we would be able to see you again. That you would come and?—

“Your brother. Where is he?”

Staring at her with wide eyes, I felt my knees give out, my chest tightening like I couldn’t draw breath. There were important things I needed to ask her, but the hazy light in her eyes made me question how lucid she was.

Before I could decide how to respond, she answered her own question. “Busy, I’m sure. There is much to do. But I know why you’re here.”

“How?” I asked, my throat thick.

“Your grandmother,” she said in a serene voice, approaching me where I’d collapsed to the ground. Zander’s hands were still on me, but it was like my mother and I were inside a shell of reality made just for us.

“Beryl?”

“The very one. She still roams the Earth realm. She’s waiting for you.”

“Why did she think I’d come here?” I asked. I had a feeling where this was headed, but I needed to be sure.

“You’re looking for the song that can be sung to save all,” Elizabeth said, closing her eyes and releasing a soft, haunting hum that turned into a vocalization.

It made my skin prickle and pulled the air from my lungs as I realized the raw strength of her power.

I thought it was her way of communicating—bonding—as her hands intertwined with mine.

Her power drew out a gorgeous crystal in a bright yellow shade that pulsed with pure joy and excitement.

I could feel it thrumming in the air around me, and I didn’t hesitate to reach out and grab it, my hands wrapping around the warm stone.

Elizabeth and I huddled around it, and unlike the violence of last time, this time the composition slipped over my skin like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Gorgeous, unearthly music played in the air, vibrating in my very bones as a warming sensation rolled across my skin.

Tears dripped down my face, and when Elizabeth placed her hands on either side of my cheeks, I broke into sobs.

I could feel so much joy in her presence, and grief as well.

How could I have lost her at such a young age?

How different would my life have been if she’d been there to guide me through all of this?

When the music quieted—the second fragment burned into my marrow and frame—I leaned into my mom’s embrace. I didn’t feel a tug upward or hear the Cosmos god. Instead, I just lived within the moment, allowing myself to truly feel this.

“When you seek the realm of fire and truth, look for the phoenix queen,” my mother said after I’d calmed. “She will show you the way.” I nodded in understanding, not wanting the moment to end.

“I am so proud of you and your brother. I may have been taken from your life too soon, but know that I have never gone a moment of this restless eternity without thinking of you. Do what you need to do—but when you’re done, come visit me.

Bring your brother. I want to see the heroes of the universe. ”

My cheeks warmed at her kind words, and I tried to speak but couldn’t. Pressing another kiss to my forehead, she continued, “I must go for now, but I love you, Lorcan.”

Then she was gone, the mist dissipating as I let out a small hiccuping sob. “I love you too.”

Then the world snapped back into motion, and I felt Zander trying to shake me as Valentina spoke urgently nearby.

“I got it,” I whispered. “I got the second part.”

“What? How?” Zander asked.

“My mom.” The words brought shock to both of their faces.

“We need to talk,” Valentina said gently but with urgency. “Come on, let’s get you some air.”

But air wouldn’t remove the high I felt from finally meeting the woman who hadn’t left us or abandoned us, but had rather been taken from us. When all of this was done, I would return. Maybe she didn’t have to just be a memory in our future—maybe she could truly be part of it.