Page 145 of Memories Like Fangs
“Quinn?” I breathed. It felt like the first time I had taken a breath since we had left the elevator.
“Byrd,” she rasped. Her deep, husky voice cracked, hoarse and exhausted, but I could’ve listened to the sound of it forever.
“I’m so happy you are safe. You have no idea how scared I was. I thought I lost you, too!” I cradled her face close to my own, fighting tears as I was so overcome by so many emotions. Relief. Happiness. Love. And, those were just my own. I couldn’t even begin to untangle the swarm of feelings coming from Quinn’s side of the bond, but, honestly, I was happy to have that problem. It meant I could feel her.
It meant that we were okay.
“I thought I would lose me, too, Sweetness, or lose you. I was so scared. I… I have never been that scared before in my life,” Quinn said, placing her forehead against mine. Her skin was warm again where it touched my own. She still felt feverish and trembled in spots, but she was warm and alive andmine. “I’m so sorry that I put you through that, Byrd. I never want to?—”
“Shh, don’t do that,” I whispered, catching the tears forming from the corners of her eyes with my thumbs. “I’m here. I’malive. You’re okay. You’re safe. I’ve got you. That’s it. That’s all that matters.”
Quinn choked on a sob. “I don’t deserve you.”
“If that were true, I wouldn’t be here. I’m yours, you’re mine, and we’re meant to be. That’s the beginning, middle, and end of it all.”
With Quinn back to me as herself, it was easy for me to dispatch Nat’s poison to Maisie, Cole, and Cody. I sent each shard one at a time to them, not sending the next until Isidora was done with her work and Lilah’s blood magic was out of their system. Just like Quinn, they writhed and spasmed as Izzy gave them the fever needed to rid them of the blood possessing them. Their wounds healed entirely, leaving only their blood trails. They were weak, unable to even lift their heads, and in desperate need of rest that neither fated mate blood, Simone’s healing waters, nor Journee’s wishing-fulfilling magic could provide.
But, they were back.
All of them were back to us.
Alive.
Safe.
At least, I saved most of my family today.
The bittersweet nature of our victory, given the cost of what brought us all here, hit me as we were looking around the condo. It was in war-struck disarray. Scorch marks and blood splatter were all over the walls, floors, and furniture. The hardwood floor was splattered with holes that seemed to go straight through to the lobby below, and planks were missing that were used as weapons. Cold air rushed in from the open windows, and we no longer had a kitchen counter as the marble lay in a dusty rubble all around. I flicked my wrist, returning the shattered glass to the windows and fixing the marble countertops to be better than before. The crystals from my room were sent back, too. Simone was able to use her powers over water to wash the blood away,and Journee must have heard someone’s wish to fix the floor and broken furniture. Journee said to Quinn that Clarkson and Dinah were still at the Archive, and they could send them back here whenever we wished. In no time at all, my home was returned to how it was before with no signs that anything had transpired.
But I knew the trauma, clawing and biting inside.
I remembered the two body bags in the foyer hallway.
I remembered my mother’s remains with a scale missing in the guest bedroom.
I remembered how the house looked before we had magicked the damage away, making this pristine state feel more like an illusion than before.
I remembered everything that had happened today.
I buckled under the weight of it all, and Uncle Everett was the one to catch me before I could drop to my knees, since Quinn was resting on the couch with the others who had been possessed. The softest, most broken sound I had ever heard fell from my lips as my tears began to fall. I leaned into his embrace. It reminded me of my father when he had found me in the cavern surrounded by loss and death.
I buried myself in my sorrow before we could talk about burying not just the fallen today, but the first who had started all of this.
PART FIVE
Smoky Quartz
THE SHAPESHIFTER
A variety of quartz with a transparency that ranges from completely clear to opaque with brownish-grey shades.
The same color as a full moon beneath a cloud, Smoky Quartz is made up of all of the Earth’s richest gifts—mud, clay, soil, and ash. There are several shades and styles of Smoky Quartz, but they are all a derivative born from the purity and power of Clear Quartz crystals. The stone has many names and is celebrated by many. It is the national stone of Scotland, has been adopted by Maori tribes in New Zealand, and has been nicknamed thePiedra de Hijadaor the “Stone of Loin” in Spain. The stone’s true strength lies in being an anchor against the storm. The grounding stone keeps you connected to the present without falling down the slippery slope of overwhelm. As one of theworld’s greatest absorbers, the crystal soaks up what it needs and works in harmony to flush out whatever isn’t serving you. It nurtures, neutralizes, and makes you feel safe and sure, no matter what. Like a magic multivitamin for the soul, this crystal can serve as an amplifier of positive energy and a detoxifier of negativity. It turns those desperate downpours into cleansing rains, infusing your being with intuitive knowledge that you are safe and sound. Wanting you to thrive, the stone helps you overcome fear, keeping you grounded and encouraging you to ditch situations that aren’t serving your higher purpose. Smoky Quartz is a long, deep tonic for your nerves, inviting you to sit in calm contemplation without fear. It is such a good stone for those who are tired of being weighed down by negative energy and emotions.
Compass
BYRD
The ghost of my ancestral song on Mom’s violin spilled from the shadows.
