Page 36 of Shattered Galaxies (Tears of the Siren #6)
LORCAN
The first noise I heard was the crash of ocean waves, subtle but undeniable. The sway of it was like a soft greeting as water brushed over my toes. My eyes felt heavy, and the sunlight that tried to blast through them was white and hot.
My brow dipped as I let out a heavy breath, feeling untethered, as if my body wasn’t entirely mine anymore. There was a hollow silence inside me, and it took only seconds for me to recognize what that meant—my siren was gone.
Her presence was a soft whisper on the wind, an echo of a memory. If I listened close enough, I could still hear her, feel her, but she wasn’t with me. Her essence had become a part of the cosmic threads, but my essence would always exist through her.
Tears welled behind my eyes, not because I was sad, but because of the immense gratitude I felt toward her and what she’d sacrificed. I truly hoped it hadn’t been in vain.
Turning my head, I opened my eyes and felt a smile lift my lips. My friend was laid out next to me on a white sand beach, the reflection of paradise creating a cocoon. We were safe here.
“Nova?” I turned onto my side, shielding my eyes from the sun.
My voice was rough, but Nova shifted in my direction as she tried to open her eyes. After a long moment, she turned her head slowly and looked at me in surprise.
That was completely the correct reaction, for the record. I wasn’t sure why I wasn’t more surprised. I should have been questioning everything.
Namely, I should’ve asked the exact question Nova did. “Did…did we die?” Nova whispered, her eyes wide. “Or did our fall just happen to land us on a beach?”
The imagery had me smirking because that was fucking funny, but then my smirk turned into a frown as I admitted what I’d been avoiding. “I think we died.”
“Shit,” Nova mumbled. “Well, I suppose we got that vacation we wanted.”
Laughing, a slight bite of cynicism slipping in, I rolled back over onto my back and looked skyward. Then I admitted a truth that made my chest hurt, not because I didn’t like admitting it—but because it made me miss them.
“I wanted to die for so long, before my men came along. I just didn’t expect it to be like this.” I’d wanted to live—to survive past the destruction of the dark ones.
To be with my men.
To celebrate my family.
To see a future I never expected.
Nova nodded in understanding as she slowly sat up, looking into the distance of the empty paradise. “Do you think…” She hesitated, then straightened herself. “Do you think we saved everyone?”
“I hope so,” I whispered, sitting up as well and looking out over the vast ocean. “But we may never know.”