Chapter 62

Nova felt like she was having a dream, the last twenty-four hours had been so surreal, she had to have dreamt it, right? The problem with that was, it all felt so right, she wanted to cry. Bastian getting stabbed wasn’t right, but the rest was. Finding the door in the tunnel, her touch opening the door, the Solrelm sigil on her shoulder, Bastian being the other half of her soul. It was right, the soul spirits inside her knew it was right too. She turned and nodded to Liri, not one hundred percent sure if she’d said anymore. “I think it will look great.”

“Really?” Liri grinned at Bastian.

He held up his hand. “You know you’re only here temporarily, right?”

Liri shrugged. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean I can’t visit often and relax in a newly decorated space.” She smiled. “Alona says the new furniture will be here tomorrow.”

Bastian looked at Nova, she wasn’t sure if his expression said is this okay with you or kill me now before I have to move furniture.

Nova smiled. “I think it’s a wonderful idea.” She motioned to the hatch in the floor. “Maybe we can do the lower level later.”

Liri’s eyes lit up like Nova had just told her the best thing ever.

Sedric stood in the corner, he was in clothes that fit him, and now, his shoulder-length hair was brushed back away from his face. How old was he? His baby face said fifteen, sixteen at most, but the cold look deep in his eyes said he’d lived a lot more than his physical age. “Are you going to stick around and help with all of this?” She watched his shoulders drop with relief. Had he been worried he was going to be discarded?

“Yeah. I want to.”

“Okay.” Nova smiled at him. “As long as you want.” Bastian took her hand and gave it a gentle tug.

“I have to go soon and cover the city so the others can get some rest.”

***

Nova looked up the ladder they’d just come down. “Could we put stairs here?”

He smirked at her. “Tired of ladders?”

She grinned. “You try carrying groceries down that, or the trash up it.”

He cringed. “We’ll get stairs put in.” Taking her hand, he gently pulled on it so she would follow him. “Normally,” he said, raising their hands to his mouth and kissing hers, “there are gifts given when one of us receives our sigil.” He gave her a look, excitement in his eyes. “I didn’t know what to get a woman with so much wealth and property.”

Nova gave him a shocked look.

Bastian smirked. “I read the red book too.” He stopped outside the library and turned to look at her. “I had Alona do something for me down here.” He leaned down and kissed her mouth softly and then stepped out of the way.

Nova went in, not even able to guess what could have been done in this room. Her eyes widened when she looked behind the desk and saw a fish tank that had to be six feet long sitting behind it on a stand. She opened her mouth and then snapped it shut and turned to him. “How did you get that down here?”

He rubbed a hand over his hair. “It wasn’t easy, I’m told, and now I owe Leone, Quinton, Rafael, and Emil a huge favor.”

She laughed and turned back to look at it. There were so many fish in it. Bright colored ones, it was like a swimming rainbow was in the tank. She went over and looked closer.

“Do you like it? I’ve been trying to figure out what to get you. Flowers, chocolates, jewelry, you know, something romantic.”

“So you decided a tank of fish was romantic?” She couldn’t turn and look at him right this second. Nova didn’t know how to explain it to him, “I love the idea that you did this.” She glanced at him and did smile. “But I want to be honest with you.”

“Fish aren’t romantic. I know, but they’re unexpected and that’s better.”

She looked back at the tank. “They’re beautiful, really, but I only had the fish for company.” She looked to see his eyebrows go up.

He motioned to the tank, “the ones you had are in there, the blue one was very judgemental while I read the journals.”

She laughed, “Yes, they let their opinion be known.”

Bastian’s shoulders sagged, “Well, hell, what am I going to do with them?” He came over to stand beside her and looked in the tank. “I selected each one myself. Okay, I pointed to pictures of them from some fish world site.” He sighed and put his hands on his hips. “It’s not like we can drown them to get rid of them.”

Nova gave him a startled look and then realized he was only kidding.

Leaning her head on his shoulder, she sighed when the warmth from their souls spread through her. It was as much a comfort as it was exhilarating. Opening her eyes, she watched the fish swimming. It was almost therapeutic to look at. A larger one darted across the tank chasing after some smaller ones. “I’m pretty sure that one will eat the others.” She pointed at it.

He chuckled, “that will take care of what to do with them. We’ll end up with one fat fish in the end.” He grasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. “You’re going to have to wear your pendant when we’re alone.”

She could see the pain in his eyes from him even having to say it. She nodded; she’d seen it lying on the desk when she walked in.

“Just until we unravel more of this mess, and I know you can safely be among my—” He quirked an eyebrow. “—our people without being a target.”

“Do you think you can?”

Bastian shook his head. “No, but we can.” Grasping her chin lightly, he kissed her mouth lightly and then her cheek.

Someone cleared their throat from the doorway. Bastian wouldn’t release her chin so she could look.

“Stairs and a big lock and doorbell,” he said under his breath and then let go.

She turned her head to see Trendan standing there.

“Prince Artesiam is in Alterealm, and our presence is required.”

Bastian gave her a soft look and then stepped away and pointed to the necklace on the desk.

Nova picked it up and opened the clasp. “Prince Artesiam?” She put the necklace around her neck, pausing when she felt the bite from the stone touching her skin.

“From Veiltide,” Trendan supplied.

“Oh.” Putting her hand over the cold stone, she nodded. “Am I invited?”

Tendan smirked. “I’m not positive, but I think you outrank me now.”

Bastian scoffed, “Not yet, we don’t, but soon.” He motioned to the door. “Shall we?”

Nova took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. “Time to find the bad guys.” They would too, she felt it inside her and wasn’t going to let anyone tell her otherwise. Her soul had been around too long and survived too much to let it be any other way.

She caught the amused look Bastian gave her as she walked by him. “You’re not the only one that gets lost in their head.” She smirked. “At least I have others in there and I’m not talking to myself.”

He flashed his teeth at her. “At least a millennium with you, give me that.”

She laughed and followed Trendan out. She was going to allow herself a short period of feeling this happiness. She wasn’t alone anymore. Glancing at Bastian before she went up the ladder, she smiled. She’d never be alone again. If they had to put being together on hold to save so many, it was something she was willing to do—she was going to hate each second of it but was still doing it.

The End.