Steel Sapphires and Shattered Emeralds
Epilogue
Sage stood on the balcony of her room at the house in Valle Soleada watching the sunset. It had been less than a month since the incident with Bogan and she had spent a lot of time wishing that she’d some how done things differently, somehow been able to figure out that it had been Bogan, somehow managed to save Kayleigh. Somehow…
Her dark thoughts were interrupted by a soft hand gently touching her shoulder, before falling away. “You shouldn’t be brooding you know,” a soft voice said behind her. “It’ll give you wrinkles, and they wouldn’t suit you right now. Shite!”
“And you shouldn’t be moving around yet,” Sage turned around in time to catch Kayleigh, who sagged as the small amount of strength that she’d managed to muster deserted her. “You know Lucas told you that it would be at least another month before you should even be getting out of the wheelchair.” She eased a quietly protesting Kayleigh back into the chair.
“I know, but with my healing ability…”
“With your limited healing ability you’ll be moving around a month sooner than you should,” Sage knew she sounded harsh, but Kayleigh had to understand this or she’d do herself more damage. “It’s still going to be a six month process in total.”
“I know, I know,” Kayleigh sounded defeated, something that Sage hadn’t wanted. She knew that Kayleigh felt helpless and trapped being confined to the chair, just as Storm had when she’d been sat in it. Her attention snapped back when Kayleigh continued, “You were just looking so damn lonely, I wanted to be comforting you.”
Sage bent down and kissed her, feeling slightly guilty. After all she was the one who was supposed to be looking after Kayleigh, not the other way round. “Thank you,” she said simply. “It means a lot to me, you being here means a lot to me.”
“Aye,” Kayleigh sounded slightly downbeat. “And I’m all moved in with you now, so you can’t be getting rid of me.” Her voice was slightly louder than before, and harsh with forced brightness. Sage knew without needing her telepathy that Kayleigh was holding onto some real fears that she would be abandoned, especially now that she saw herself as broken.
“I don’t want to get rid of you Kayleigh,” Sage moved quickly to dispel Kayleigh’s fears. “I love you,” it wasn’t the first time she had said it, but she knew that Kayleigh held every word in her heart. “In fact, Storm wants you to become a member of our team.”
“But I’ve got no powers worth speaking of.”
“No,” Sage winced slightly at Kayleigh’s flinch, but continued anyway. “Your powers may be minor but you are an excellent organiser and you skill with autopsies is invaluable. Plus it means that you can go where I go,” ‘and I can keep an eye on you’ she added silently.
“And you’ll keep me safe?” Kayleigh asked, almost reading Sage’s mind. She was sad that Kayleigh had to ask that, but knew where the insecurities had come from.
“Always,” she answered truthfully.
“I’m in.” Kayleigh sounded much firmer in this statement than she had in anything for the past two months. Sage smiled at her.
“Welcome to the team anamchara. Soulmate.”