Page 79 of Fire Bird

Ava and I float back to our feet. Luther rushes to me and pulls me into an embrace so fierce I can barely breathe. Then the others are there—Kole, and Mack, and Tanner, and Sam.

I kiss them all.

When I open my eyes, Ava is standing in the middle of a circle of men who look just like mine. They stroke her face and kiss her forehead and hold her close.

The other witches, shimmering blue visions of the women who died here over so many years, gather in front of us. Behind them, Phoenix Falls’ supers watch in awe.

Ava turns to me and smiles. “Our work is done,” she says.

“Yes,” I tell her. “It is. Thank you, Ava.”

Turning away from us, Ava walks to the spot where the fountain once stood and raises her arms to the sky. Moonlight catches on her hair. She looks up and whispers, “We can go home now, ladies.”

Instead of turning back into dust and ash, and filtering into the ground, Ava and the witches of Phoenix Falls soar like shooting stars up into the sky.

Her fated mates watch her go, then join hands and follow her.

We watch until they are nothing more than twinkling dots on a velvet black canvas. A cheer breaks out in the crowd. Rev stumbles forward. Nico is holding her up, and her side is bleeding, but she is smiling. “You did it, Nova. You did it.”

I run forward to hug her, then I look up and raise my voice. “No, we did it. Together.”

As a stunned hum ripples through everyone, people begin to assess their wounds and hug one another. Sam takes my arm. “Nova,” he says, gesturing to the trees. “This is my mother.”

A woman with thick, black hair and rose-red lips emerges from the shadows. Sarah is on one side of her, an injured and limping Snow on the other.

Sam runs to them and stands, arms shaking, in front of his mother. She tilts her head, then reaches out to stroke his face. “Sam? Is it really you? How did you get so big?”

Sam pulls her into his arms. He hugs her, but my breath catches in my chest as I watch them because Elena has started to glow. Sam stumbles back and stares at her. She looks at her arms. They are translucent. Her fingers turn to small particles of light that shimmer and drift away on the breeze. Sam tries to catch hold of her, but it’s too late. She smiles at him, and then she is gone.

He stands for a while, staring at the spot where he lost her. Then he allows Sarah to hug him. She pats his back but, as I approach them, she guides him into my arms instead.

I hold him tight, feeling him sob against my chest. When he finally stands up, I wipe his cheeks and kiss them. “I’m sorry,” I whisper.

“Don’t be. I got to hug her goodbye.” He shakes his head. “It wasn’t right for her to stay.”

I nod at him, pride swelling in my chest. Fighting back tears, I turn around and pull the others into a tight group hug. The six of us stand, holding each other for a very long time before Snow nuzzles into our midst and forces me to hug him too.

Stroking his poor, singed fur, I kiss his nose. “I’ll get you fixed up,” I promise him. “Just as soon as we get home.”

Tanner taps my shoulder. A smile dimples his cheek. “I want nothing more than to go home with you, Little Star,” he says as Kole steps up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. Nodding at the crumbled heap that is the remains of The Hollow, Tanner adds, “But where the heck is home?”

I laugh and take hold of his hand. “Home? Home is wherever the five of you are.”

50

NOVA

TWO MONTHS LATER

“It was nice of them to let us clear up the town before they sent in the reinforcements,” Luther mumbles. “I’m going to have serious words with those S.D.B. assholes when I get in front of them. They owe you an apology too…”

“Oh, hush.” I nudge him in the ribs and motion for him to fill up the flutes with champagne. “You and Mack have enjoyed every second of being cops again.”

“Not every second we’ve spent away from you,” he says smoothly.

“You’re going to have to stop being so sweet,” I tell him, tucking my thumbs into his waistband. “I only fell for you because you were aloof and grumpy.”

“Kole’s aloof and grumpy. I’m damaged and mean.”