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WHAT DO YOU say to a brother who was the cause of so much pain, but also so much happiness? What do you say to a life that gave so much, yet extracted so much in return? What do you say to a dead sibling, a deceased father, a slaughtered mother, a deranged grandmother?
What do you say to life?
Sitting in my favourite spot in the Hall, I smiled as Vaughn slapped Jethro on the back, coming in from checking on matters around the estate. They’d become closer as time went on, each learning different worlds and responsibilities, sharing Weaver and Hawk secrets.
I didn’t have the answers to life’s questions, and I didn’t have the wisdom to use what we’d endured for greater good. All I knew was we’d survived. We’d been given a fresh start, a happy future, an unsullied second chance. And I was sick to fucking death of not grasping it completely.
Nila had taught me something. She’d brought Jethro to life and Vaughn had stolen my heart in return.
For a while, I fought it. I ignored his advances and betrayed my desire for him. I didn’t believe he truly wanted something so broken. However, day by day, week by week, he’d shown me what a fool I was.
Yes, my legs had been stolen from me. Yes, I hated my loss and some days couldn’t shed my self-pity.
But now...now, I was stronger, smarter, and more adult than child. Yes, I couldn’t run. Yes, I couldn’t stand or dance or skip. But who cared when I could kiss and love and hug and exist? Exist in a far superior world than most, enjoy far more enjoyable experiences than most, and adore far more deeply than most because I knew what it was like to lose.
I was lucky.
So terribly, terribly lucky.
We all were.
Life was far too short. History had taught me that. And Vaughn had given me the strength to be brave and embrace it—hardships and all.
I loved my family—both alive and dead, both evil and kind. I loved my lineage—both revengeful debts and righteous ending. I wasn’t ashamed of my bloodline, but I had full intentions to make my future mean something. I wanted to dabble in charities. I wanted to give back what we’d taken. I wanted to make a difference with my life.
It was time to embrace every heartbeat because each was numbered, each was accounted for, and each was wasted by being fearful.
I’m no longer fearful.
I was sister to a lord. A powerful mistress in her own right. And matriarch to a six-hundred-year-old estate.
I had the means to make a difference.
I would never take life for granted.
And Hawksridge Hall would guard over all of us...just like it had for centuries.
