Premonition of Peace (Her Immortal Monsters #3)

Epilogue I

epilogue i

SASHA

Five months later…

The May breeze fluttered through the trees, carrying with it the promise of summer and a hint of the flowers that bloomed along the sidewalk. I strolled down the street, letting the gentle wind tousle my hair. Today was one of those rare, perfect days when the world felt just right; when I’d woken up knowing I’d had no nightmares and there weren’t any specters hanging out in the corners of my vision.

Since being stuck in the veil and essentially dead, having my body snatched, my body actually dying, and then being resurrected all over again, life had been one hard thing after the other. But today was going to be a good day. I just knew it.

I was headed to grab a cup of coffee before meeting Piper for the conference with the faction leaders. The fallout from the death of the last black witch had left a gaping hole in the supernatural community that everyone seemed desperate to fill. It was a constant juggling act trying to keep everyone’s peace. But for now, a little caffeine was my only priority.

Lost in thought, I wandered into the coffee shop, my eyes fixed on my phone. My feet were moving forward without really paying attention to my surroundings and I didn’t see the guy walking in time to avoid the collision. My body crashed into a hard wall and strong hands grasped my arms, tingles exploding where the pads of his fingers touched my skin.

I looked up and into the most mesmerizing pair of hazel eyes I’d ever seen. They were warm and inviting, with flecks of brown and black that seemed to dance in the sunlight filtering through the shop’s window. The man’s face was chiseled, with a strong jawline and a hint of stubble that made him look ruggedly handsome. His dark brown hair was a tousled mess of tight curls.

He was fucking gorgeous.

Shit , I internally cursed after a suspended moment. I was definitely staring.

“Sorry about that,” I mumbled, trying to regain my composure.

He took a moment to rake his gaze over me, and I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks. There was something undeniably magnetic about him, something that made my heart race and my thoughts scatter. I had dropped my phone in my surprise, and he bent down to pick it up, his movements smooth and graceful. When he handed it back to me, our fingers brushed, and a jolt of electricity shot up my arm.

“No problem at all,” he said, his voice deep and rich. “I’m Finn.”

“Sasha,” I replied, still feeling a bit flustered. “Nice to meet you.”

He flashed a charming smile that made my knees weak. “Can I buy you a coffee, Sasha?”

I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Sure.”

We walked to the counter together, and as we waited in line, I couldn’t help but notice the subtle aura of otherworldliness about him. His presence was magnetic, and I could tell he was some kind of supernatural, though I couldn’t quite place it.

“So, Sasha, what is it that you do?” he asked while they made our drinks.

“I work with Piper Fallon and Nathalie Le Fay,” I answered, momentarily wondering if that was going to be the end of our interactions. If hearing the names of the two most powerful people in the city would turn him off . . .

“I’ve met Nathalie a few times,” he said, nodding in appreciation. “Good lady. I really appreciate what she does for the city. What they both do, really.”

I smiled, and there was no way I could hide how happy it made me that he’d said that.

“What about you, Finn?” I asked. “What is it that you do?

“Construction,” he said, tilting his head side to side. “Well, acquisitions and construction, if I’m being entirely honest.”

“Oh? What does that mean?”

“I acquire abandoned buildings around New Chicago and work to restore them. Some are for affordable housing, others are retail. Some of them had horrible back stories, and those just get leveled to the ground and rebuilt into something that just makes the city . . . I don’t know . . . better. No one needs a reminder of what happened in some of these places.” He paused when the barista was ready for us to order.

There was a quiet confidence about him and the more we talked, the more intrigued I became. By the time we reached the counter and he paid for my coffee, I had to admit that I was embarrassingly captivated by this stranger.

“Is that how you met Nathalie?” I asked as we waited for our drink to be made. “Buying buildings?”

He nodded. “It is. She’s helped me find a few. I just finished a new one on the east side of town. Old vampire den. Nasty place. Burned to the ground.”

I had an idea of where he was talking about, but I didn’t plan on sharing that just yet. “What is it now?”

“Group home for foster kids and orphans,” he said, smiling proudly. “I grew up in one, so this was a little close to the heart. I’m on the board, so this one is going to be significantly better than what I had.”

“I’m an orphan too,” I said softly. “I’m . . . happy to hear you did that. Built a place for them where they can be safe. The city needs more of that.”

He grinned, nudging me gently with his elbow like we were old friends. “If you’re working with Nathalie Le Fay and Piper Fallon, you’re doing it too. I know the changes they’ve made. It’s why I want to stay in New Chicago. I wanted to be part of it.”

“Thanks.” I blushed at the compliment and soft touch. Gods , I must have looked like a love-struck teenager. I couldn’t stop grinning like a fool. I had to look like a complete weirdo. We grabbed our drinks and headed outside, the warmth of the coffee cups contrasting with the cool breeze.

“So, I do have a site I need to oversee today,” Finn said, as we walked towards the corner of the street, “but would it be overstepping to say that I really want to see you again?”

“No. I feel the same way.” I flashed him a genuine smile. I was used to being seductive and getting my way with any man, but this one felt different somehow. Less like a game of attraction and more real . He made me nervous and fidgety in the best way possible.

“Good, what about this evening? Dinner, my place. I’ll cook.” I grimaced at that.

“Sadly, I have a very…involved job, working with Piper. I’m pretty booked up until next week.” I thought about it for a second before adding, “But I do have a family dinner on Sunday, if you want to go with me?”

“Family dinner, huh?” Finn said, his eyebrows raising. “You’re inviting me to meet your family already?” I would have felt embarrassed if not for the amused light in his eyes.

I laughed. “If you’re brave enough. My twin sister is likely to be a bit much . . .” That was putting it mildly. Sienna would be fucking ecstatic and planning a bonding ceremony before the end of the night.

“I’m not scared of meeting your family,” he quipped with a smirk. “What’s the worst that could happen?” Knowing my chosen people? Just about anything could happen, but I didn’t want to actually scare him off.

Besides, we were on a good six-month streak of nothing bad happening so far.

“I’ve gotta warn you my family is pretty eclectic. I hope you can handle them. But if you can’t . . . well, it’s better to know now.”

“Your doubt wounds me, Sasha,” he retorted, clutching his chest dramatically before chuckling. “I’m positive that I will love them and more importantly, they’ll love me.”

I laughed and it didn’t sound like the bitter wake that it had for years. Even to my own ears it was softer. More hopeful. “You sound sure about that.”

“I am.” He gave me an appraising look before his eyes met mine again. “What’s your number? If this work schedule of yours eases up at all, I’d love to have you over—or meet you somewhere—one day before then. If not, Sunday’s a date.” He winked.

Butterflies took flight in my stomach. Oh. That was new. “Absolutely.”

We exchanged numbers quickly before we both admitted that we’d both walked slightly in the wrong direction. “A few extra steps never hurt anyone,” Finn declared with an easy shrug. “Besides, if I hadn’t walked with you, I’d have never won you over enough for that date.”

“You won me over in the coffee shop,” I admitted, surprised I’d just said it out loud. “So, I’ll see you next Sunday, then?”

“Sunday,” he confirmed. We hesitated for a second longer neither of us wanting to walk away before he tucked a stray lock of her behind my ear and said, “I’ll see you soon, Sasha.”

With that, he turned and walked away. I watched him go for several moments, feeling a smile spread across my face.

As I turned to head toward where I was meeting Piper, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted. I had been right about this being a good day. It was more than that. Like . . . fate. Somewhere deep down in my lonely heart, I had this iron-clad assurance, even though it made no sense. I shouldn’t be able to know after one chance meeting.

But I did.

It was finally my turn.