Page 68 of Jacinth

We left the cemetery without another word and walked a short distance to a sweet-looking little house with a tree out front. Orion opened the front door and immediately threw out an arm to protect me from a golden ball of fur that tried to tackle both of us.

“Dagny! No kisses. Get in the house, you stupid dog.”

The sharp words were completely negated by the affectionate tone and Orion’s hands buried in the dog’s fur behind its ears.

“Orion?” The voice was rough and sounded like cigarettes and whiskey. The man who owned it was beautiful, with dark hair, one blue eye and one brown. The fact he paled out and looked like he had seen a ghost was only a minor drawback.

He stumbled forward and collapsed to his knees at my feet, an incredulous laugh bursting from him as he wrapped his arms around my hips and buried his face in my stomach. Remembering I was wearing nothing underneath the shirt I had, ahem, appropriated made me squirm a little.

Then Birdie was there. She didn’t approach, which seemed really weird.

“Are you okay?”

We both spoke at once. Same intonation and inflection. There was grinning on both sides, and then she was pushing the kneeling hugger aside and pulling me into her own embrace.

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Have I been gone?”

I was led into the kitchen, and from there, the others took turns explaining exactly what had occurred from the first time I had seen Skyler at my grave, right up to my waking up and apparently being alive... again.

“Wait, there’s one thing I feel should be a huge concern here. What happens if we’ve pissed off the Fates with all of this? Isn’t that something we should be worried about?”

Orion shrugged. “You are worth anything they can do to me. We’ll deal with it when it’s an issue. Come on, we should find Skyler.”

I didn’t like the shadow of doubt in his eyes, but then again, he’d know best, wouldn’t he?

CHAPTER 46

Skyler

An almighty shockwave rocked through the cemetery, knocking me from a near catatonic state of self-loathing. For a moment, I considered ignoring it.

After all, if this was the end I’d seen, nothing I did now could change it. Except as my focus returned, I felt a burning pull in my chest. The only time I had ever felt that before was...

“Jacinth.”

I stumbled to my feet and tripped my way to her clearing, where I found a body.

Not unusual, given the location. It was notable only for the fact it was above ground.

I wasn’t worried. It was male, but not one of my brothers, so I had more important things to focus on. Like why I could feel my mate when last I saw she was sucked out of existence.

The only other place I could think to go was home, and it occurred to me just how much time we had spent in that clearing that it had been my first stop.

I retraced my steps and short-cut my way through the hole in the fence, practically running by the time I hit the street.

And then there she was.

In the flesh.

She half turned, as though hearing the beat of my feet as I vaulted the steps, swept her into my arms, and kissed the ever-loving hell out of her.

“Deja freaking vu,” a female voice muttered behind me.

Had to be Birdie, and while part of me was glad for the confirmation she was safe, the greater part was caught up in the essential vitality ofher.

Jacinth.

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