Page 130 of Scrooged for the Holidays
The three of them shift so they’re in front of me, their eyes serious yet awe-filled.
“We’ve never seen this before,” Remi says, “but I think we’ve each given you parts of our grace.”
“What? What does that mean? Am I part angel now?”
“Not by DNA but with the grace you’ve been given,” Remi explains. “I believe that means you can stay in Elysian Pines, that you can be with us, if that’s what you choose.”
I think over what he just said, still not understanding. “Stay? Like forever?Immortalforever?”
Sam takes my hands, his aura a dull halo around him. “There’s something we didn’t tell you before, Greer. Something that may help you understand.”
I sit up straighter and grip his hand. “What is it?”
“Normally, when humans leave Elysian Pines, they do not come back. They forget about their time here and move on with their lives, and we don’t see them again.”
My pulse pounds in my ears, and I think of how I felt like they weren’t telling me something when I left. “What? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“It’s not because we didn’t want you here,” Kai interjects quickly.
“You needed to make your own choices for your future,” Sam clarifies. “That included you leaving yesterday.”
“We hoped you’d remember, that you’d come back and that the town would let you find us again,” Remi adds, and then he smiles. “And you did.”
“That’s why you looked surprised when I walked in, why you found it weird the town was on my GPS.”
They nod, and I look down at Sam’s hand in mine, the veins prominent as he grips me like he’s afraid I’ll pull away. But I can’t.
Old Greer might have been upset that they kept that from me, but I understand why they did. Ididwant to leave, needed to see my family, Avery, and Holly. I had to try to make things right.
“We should have told you, but—”
“Stop,” I cut Sam off. “It’s okay, really. I understand. But you didn’t answer my question.”
The three of them stare at me like I have multiple heads, and the corner of my mouth lifts in a smile.
Sam’s hand pulses against mine. “This is new to us.” His eyes float to where the wings on my back are as if he can see them. “But I see your future clearer now than I could before. The grace you’ve been given has linked you to us in more ways than I could imagine. I can’t see the futures of Nephilim, still can’t, but if you do choose to stay in Elysian Pines in any capacity, I do not see you aging like I did before. I don’t know everything yet, but Idoknow that if you want to be with us, Greer, you can be.”
My brain tries to wrap around the information. It’s not exactly something that happens every day, so I’m not sure how to react. But one question does come to mind.
“Why me?”
“What do you mean?” Kai asks.
“Why did you all give me your grace? What if I don’t deserve it?”
Sam lunges at me, his hands cupping my face. “Don’t ever say that. You’ve proven that you do—Elysian Pines wouldn’t have brought you back to us if you didn’t. Our grace wouldn’t have imbued itself on you, either. Your soul is beautiful, Greer. The three of us have known that all along.”
Sam drops his hands, and Remi caresses my cheek, adding, “You also can’t deny that from the moment we all met, there’s been a need between us, one that is only sated when we’re all together. You were meant to find us, love, just like we were meant to find you.”
I stare at the three beings with wide eyes and a racing heart. “You realize all of this sounds impossible, right?”
“Anything is possible in Elysian Pines, Princess.” Kai grins.
“I don’t get how it will all work. My job, my family…if I don’t age…”
“We’ll figure it all out, love,” Remi says. “Like Sam said, this is new for us, too. But if you want to stay here permanently or only part of the time, you have the choice now. Regardless, you’ll have three Nephilim who want to be around you more than you’d like.”
I want to say “Never,” that I’ll never get sick of them, but I’m an independent woman, someone who likes her alone time—though I have a feeling a lot of that will change the more time I spend with them, especially after tonight.
