Chapter 158

“Well? How do you feel?” Guy asked me while pressing a hand on my shoulder.

That hand was the only thing grounding me to reality right now.

I gulped, breathing in and out as slowly as I could. The last thing I needed to have happen right now is me passing out from hyperventilating.

“About as well as expected, you know, since it's such a normal occurrence to ask your loved ones if they want to be resurrected." I groaned softly and sank to the rooftop floor. One single pebble kept my focus.

“You don’t have to do this Sapph. You could just lay them to rest.” Erek sat down beside me, oozing with wisdom like a retired master martial artist in a kung-fu movie.

“Of course you would say that.” I mumbled, wrapping my arms around my knees as I tucked them in tight against my belly. “Anything to fight destiny.”

“Hey!” Erek snapped, “this ain’t about fighting no destiny. It’s about you and how all this is eating at you. I mean damn it woman, just look at you! Just having this as an option is breaking your heart.”

I pursed my lips and scratched behind my ears.

“Respectfully, fuck you Erek.” He scoffed at me, “you’re supposed to be gone so I’m taking everything you say with a grain of salt anyway.”

“I’m here, ain’t I?” His words carried on the winds, just low enough for me to hear him.

Guy, in all his beautiful glory, gently picked me up and put me in his lap as if it was my personal throne. His grin grew the darker my blush got.

Erek rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“I thought I taught you better than that.”

“You taught me a lot of things, Grampa, but letting my mate go through bullshit alone wasn’t one of them.”

“Alright, alright, enough from you two. I’ve been stalling long enough, I guess.” I mumbled, pulling up my menu.

“System, I’m not really sure how this is supposed to work.” Guy’s arms around my waist steadied me…and I didn’t miss the way Erek’s eyes narrowed while watching us.

[Right now, your mother and sister are sitting in your void. If you want, you could start the procedure to refurbish them now.]

I frowned at the word once more.

“Can we not call what I’m about to do, refurbish?”

[Would you rather I call it revive? Renew?]

“I’d rather we call it a second chance. Anything else feels like I’m going against their wishes and nature itself."

After all, I failed to bring Barnaby back when he died. Granted, I didn’t even try because I thought he was better off. Part of me thinks he still would have been but that’s neither here nor there.

[If you’re worried about it upsetting them, you could just ask them.]

I jumped up like my ass was on fire. “Wait, what?!”

[Did you lose your hearing all of a sudden? I said you can just ask them.]

“How do I…” I didn’t wait for System to give me the answer because how could I talk to my mother again? What would I even say; hey mom, sorry you’re dead but can I bring you back to life because I’m a selfish bitch?

Yeah, that sounds like it’ll go about as well as I think it will.

“I know that look.” Guy rubbed his hands on my sides, sending soothing waves through his bond.”You’re overthinking, angel.”

“Of course she is, it’s her mother.” Erek snorted and after a moment he added softly; “I would too.”

“Everyone, please just shut the fuck up so I can think already.” Eyes stinging with unshed tears, I let out a shaky breath and smacked my cheeks hard enough to make an imprint.

“The fuck?”

“Angel?”

“Okay, I’m ready now.” They shared a look like they were deciding which psychiatric hospital to take me to…at least they would if we had any. Another building on the list.

“I needed to work up my nerves, shut-up. Anyway, System can you…?”

No sooner than I started the question did she open up the menu, only this time it wasn’t a menu, it was a video screen. And in it were my mother and sister, eyes closed, floating peacefully in the darkness of my void. They were whole and dressed in white gowns.

Reaching out a hand, I was beyond disappointed when it phased right through them.

“Just like with Wyatt. So close but so far—”

“Sapphie?” My mother asked, opening her eyes slowly. Anais opened hers next, grinning at me with her big almond eyes.

“Is that my baby sis? Whew chile, what have you done to your hair? Style it with hopes and prayers?”

My hair. Anais never really connected with me about my hero life but when it came to feminine things, clothes and hair and shopping? She taught me how to be a woman, how to feel soft.

But now she’s dead. And it’s fucking beautifully absurd that the first thing she asks about is my grooming. Absurd and pathetic because I can’t remember when I last did my hair.

So I laughed at her.

I laughed long and hard, so happy to have them back in my life that I probably sounded insane. It didn’t help that I couldn’t stop laughing until my laughter turned into sobs and screams.

“Sapphie, baby?” Mom’s eyes widened with concern.

“What’s wrong with her?” Anais inquired, sitting up.

How can I answer her? How can I begin to explain how fucked up everything has been since I married Wyatt? I fell for him, then Barbie and suddenly love stopped being love.

“Hehe, mama is dead. Anais is dead and it’s all my fault.” I sobbed out.

If I’d never married Wyatt, Barbie wouldn’t have turned out this way. Barnaby would never have had to live a life full of cruelty and hate.

Why can’t I do anything right?

My mother and sister turned to each other, sharing a look that I never understood as a child.

Guy held me together the best he could, never letting me go. Erek’s hands trembled as he watched me spiral in real time.

“Darlin’...” He muttered, voice catching in his throat. His hands covered my cheeks, wiping away maddened tears.

Serenity flowed from his fingertips. Between him and Guy, our bond calmed my nerves and eased my heart to a dull ache. But something was missing or rather someone.

Wyatt.

Damn what Phereda says, he is my mate. He always has been and now, at a time when I need him the most? He can’t stand to touch me.

Why did that just make me sob harder?

“Easy girl.” Erek murmured, pressing his forehead to mine.

“We got you.” Guy whispered in my ear, kissing my neck gently. My breathing and heart rate slowed down. The bond was finally holding me together like glue. And one day, when Wyatt has healed just enough, it’ll be cement.

“Baby girl, you look like you need family right now.” My mom said, pressing her face closer to the screen.

“Yeah, you could say that, haha.” A dry laugh was all I could muster.

“What can we do for you Sapph?” Anais asked.

“You can answer a question for me.” Slowly, I turned my head towards my family, head still reeling from crying and laughing like my life depended on it. “I think…I think I can bring you back to life. The question is…do you want to—”

“What kind of question is that?!”

I flinched as my sister snapped at me.

“Of course we want to come back.” Anais’ voice broke into a sob.

My mother frowned at me, fighting her own tears and she was not an emotional woman.

“Girl, if you don’t summon or voodoo whatever the fuck it is that you do, and bring us back to life already!”

“Don’t you even care that you’re dead and it’s my fault?!” I cried out in confusion.

My mother’s eyes hardened on me. “Of course I care. But what I care about more is my daughter needing me.”

Her lips softened into a warm smile.

“Now stop stalling and bring us home.”

I peered at her through half-lidded eyes, making sure it wasn’t a dream or a cruel joke.

But all I saw was my mother, waiting for me.

“Refurbish.”

No sooner than it left my lips did the world go black for me. All I can remember is everyone—even Wyatt—screaming my name.