Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 81261 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81261 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
“What does it fucking matter?” I turn away. “My care for Nyssa almost got her tossed in the river.”
“But you saved her,” she points out.
“I can’t watch over her all the time. It’s not safe here.”
“You have the power and the ability to make it safe, so don’t use that as an excuse.”
I sigh, scrubbing a hand over my scalp. “She deserves more than a life in Hell. She deserves sunlight and flowers and friends. She deserves a chance at goodness, Zora. Her life was so shitty, she shouldn’t have to prove herself in a reincarnation. She did it down here when she asked for mercy for the assholes who would have killed her. She’s pure, and you know it.”
“That’s a lot to ask,” she says dubiously.
“You owe me.”
Zora laughs in surprise. “I owe you? How do you figure?”
“For caring for you,” I say, for once taking some credit for the good I did for her rather than miring myself in the guilt over the bad. “I kept you safe. I showed you some happiness. I let Finley take you out of here, and I helped give you the means to defeat Kymaris. I betrayed my queen for you, so yeah… you owe me. I’ve never asked you for a single thing, but I’m asking for this now.”
Zora’s arms relax and she moves toward me. Tipping her head, she studies my face. “I’m curious… if I offered to lift your banishment instead, alleviated your rule from a job you detest, and let you go live with Thalia, would you take that, or would you rather me help Nyssa? What would you choose?”
That’s not a tough decision. “Nyssa. I’d choose Nyssa every time.”
Zora smiles. “It’s worse than I feared.”
“How’s that?” I ask, irritated.
“You don’t just care for her.” Her expression is grim. “You love her.”
“Try not to sound so delighted,” I snarl.
“You’re making a mistake, Amell. You should keep Nyssa here.”
“No. She deserves more than what I can offer, if you promise to give her a good life.”
“I’ll give her the best life,” she says softly. “But I still think you’re making a mistake.”
I hesitate, because Zora is right. I love Nyssa. Love her so much I know I’ll never get over the pain of losing her. She’d have a good life here. There would be risk, but I could probably keep her safe with some effort.
But Zora will give her the best life. One with her brother, free of pain. So much more than I can offer.
“Do it,” I say, dropping into the lone chair I didn’t destroy.
“Once I do this, there’s no going back. She’ll be alive again in the First Dimension and lost to you.”
“So be it.” I close my eyes and rub at the bridge of my nose. I wonder how the fuck I’m supposed to continue on without Nyssa.
When I open my eyes, Zora is gone.
CHAPTER 24
Nyssa
Three months later
Unloading the last bucket of fresh freesia from the delivery truck, I waddle-walk it into the large cooler at the back of the store and set it down next to the other bundles of flowers. Water sloshes over the edge and soaks into the fabric of my new tennis shoes, and I grimace—I just bought these. The first pair of good shoes I’ve ever bought for myself, given that all my clothing was either stolen or hand-me-downs.
It’s just water, nothing but a discomfort, I tell myself. Besides, I’ve been through a lot worse in my twenty-six years.
I close the cooler and the back door, waving to our delivery driver as he pulls out. Moving through the rear of the flower shop, I watch with envy as Tonya works on a casket spray for a funeral tomorrow, her blond head bent over her work, tongue peeking out the side of her mouth in concentration.
I stop at the edge of the large wooden table where she works, admiring the white roses and gladiolas she’s placing with perfect symmetry.
“It’s gorgeous.” I lean my forearms on the table to watch. “I unloaded all the deliveries and everything’s cleaned up. Want me to do anything else?”
Tonya looks up and smiles as she tucks in some limonium, a nice alternative to baby’s breath. “You’re off the clock, Nyssa. Go home and relax.”
“You sure?” I never mind staying. I love my job here at the Spring Lily, the only flower shop in the tiny town of Edenton, Iowa.
She gives me one of her mom looks, the one that says I work too hard. “Go home. Tomorrow I’m going to teach you how to make some standard bouquets for the stock cooler.”
That brings a smile to my face because I’m all about learning something new.
Tonya’s hand halts me as she tilts her head. “Your smile is beautiful, Nyssa. You should do it more.”
The bell hanging above the shop’s entrance door rings, and Tonya glances at the small computer screen hanging on the wall that shows the security feed for the front of the store so she can see when customers come in. We spend most of our time back here working, unless there are shoppers who need help.