Page 102 of Premonition of Peace

She hesitated for a moment before continuing, “I see the dead now. At first, I thought I was hallucinating, but I went to Señora, and she confirmed it. They’re real spirits.”

I felt a jolt of surprise. “Wow, that is . . . wow.”

Sasha snorted softly, her expression a mix of frustration and resignation. “Yeah, it’s been a lot. Especially being in a city where millions of people died at once. It’s like I’m constantly surrounded by them.”

The thought of Katherine crossed my mind briefly, but I dismissed it. I couldn’t afford to let myself obsess over my sister wandering the veil. For my own sanity, I had to focus on the here and now.

Sasha continued, “I’ve also been having these awful nightmares and dealing with a lot of anxiety. Señora gave me some herb blends to help, but she said the seeing ghosts part isn’t really fixable. The herbs help keep me calmer, which helps some since it seems like the spirits mostly show up when my emotions are all over the place.”

I nodded, feeling a pang of sympathy for her struggles. “I’m really sorry you’re going through all of this,” I said genuinely.

Sasha gave a small, shrugging smile. “It’s better than the alternative.”

The silence returned, still laden with the weight of our unspoken thoughts. I sipped my tea, the warmth comforting against the cool of my anxiety. I couldn’t think of anything else to say that didn’t address the elephant stomping around the room.

After several long minutes of us both sipping our drinks and looking everywhere but at each other, the waitress finally arrived, breaking some of the tension that had settled over our table. With a warm, practiced smile, she took our orders. But that reprieve only lasted so long. As soon as the waitress left, the quiet returned, wrapping around me like a noose.

Sasha broke it after a moment. “I wanted to say it was really nice of you to give Mist a chance to work with Sienna at thewomen’s shelters. It’s been great seeing her start to take on more responsibility.”

I couldn’t help but smile genuinely at her words. “Mist has grown so much,” I said. “She just keeps proving herself every day. It’s been amazing watching her come into her own. I gave her my old apartment because I figured it would be the best scenario that lets her have a little more independence while still being close to Hallie and the Señora.”

Hallie had been happy to have her ‘angel’ so close to her these last few weeks and Sienna appreciated the big-sister-like role Mist took with Hallie. It made a world of difference for the single mom, but also for Hallie and Mist’s relationship. All of the kids were growing rapidly still, each looking around eight or nine now.

Sasha’s face lit up with a soft grin. She was missing the edge that made her, well, her. “It was a good solution.”

The conversation lulled again, leaving us both in our thoughts. Then Sasha took a deep breath, and I saw her expression shift, growing more serious. “I invited you to lunch because I wanted to let you know that I won’t get between you and August. I know you completed your aurae bond and—I’m happy for you.”

“I’m so sorry.” I searched for more words and just as I opened my mouth again to explain how things had ended up, Sasha cut me off.

“There’s no reason to be sorry,” she said firmly. “I know you, Nat, and you don’t have a selfish bone in your body. If there had been any chance that relationship was meant for me, you’d have never pursued it. Death changes a person.” My heart lurched when I heard her echo the same sentiment Kat had shared before she’d died. Sasha thankfully didn’t notice, and she carried on in her explanation. “Drifting through the veil gave me a lot of perspective about my life and what I want for it. I realizedthat pining and chasing after someone who doesn’t want me isn’t how I wanted to live. And I don’t want to ruin the relationships I value over someone who was never truly mine.”

Her words hit me with a weight I hadn’t expected. I struggled to find the right response, my emotions a tangled mess. “I value our friendship so much,” I finally managed to say, my voice thick with emotion. “I’ve missed being in your life.”

Sasha’s expression softened. “I missed you too,” she said quietly, her voice trembling just slightly.

At that moment, the waitress returned with our food. She placed it in front of us with a friendly smile and then disappeared again. The silence that followed was more comfortable, filled with the soft clinking of cutlery. The tension between Sasha and me had eased some in the wake of her admission.

After a few moments, Sasha put her knife and fork down and fixed her eyes on me. “I do have one ask, though, if you’ll indulge me,” she began softly. I lifted an eyebrow and motioned for her to continue. “Will you cut the thread between me and August?”

I almost choked.

“I may have the Eye but I don’t like using it unless I have to,” I said carefully, my voice trembling slightly. “It feels like playing god . . . but I can’t fault you for wanting the separation. Are you sure about this?”

Sasha nodded firmly, her expression unwavering. “I know it’s a lot to ask,” she said, swallowing hard. “But I’m sure. I can’t live with this empty ache and still find a way to move on. I accepted the bond on my end and that can’t be undone. I am truly happy you have each other. I do mean that. But still having the rejected bond makes it impossible to get over August, even though that’s all I actually want at this point. I just—I want the freedom to find my person.” She reached across the table and clasped my hand in hers. “Please.”

I could see the resolve in her eyes, and my own heart ached for her. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Would you be comfortable doing it now?” she asked eagerly, her green eyes lighting up. “I don’t want to wait any longer.”

“If you’re ready,” I said slowly. “Do you want to come to the bathroom with me? Do it in private so no one watches?”

Sasha nodded, and we stood together, making our way to the ladies room. Once inside, I locked the door behind us. I had gotten more and more used to the Eye, to the point that I had started to see the world again without focusing on the threads connected to everyone. It had made going out far less stressful.

“Okay, so full disclosure, I have no idea if this is going to hurt. I’ve never cut bonds between anyone except, well, you know,” I told her as I materialized the shears.

She simply nodded standing still with bated breath. I analyzed her, focusing on the crossing threads tying her to the world around us. My eyes tracked the delicate, intertwining strands until I spotted a thin, fraying thread that I instinctively knew was Sasha’s connection to August. I reached out, knowing I probably looked crazy right now as I pinched the thread between my fingers. Bringing the scissors up, I lined them against the thread. I didn’t ask her again as I carefully snipped it.

The thread disintegrated and Sasha gasped, her breath catching in her throat. She clutched her chest and bent at the waist. I grabbed her shoulders, panicking instantly.