Mated in the Stars (Starscale Mates #6)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Fred

Nelum and I stood hand-in-hand in front of the sealed bedroom that I once shared with Lotus. Once upon a time, the room on the other side of the door was my safe space. It was the one place in the world where I could say whatever was on my mind. I could cuddle my mate for all of eternity. Hell, I would’ve if things worked out differently.

“It has no scent,” Nelum whispered.

“It’s magically preserved to be just like it was when we left it last,” I told him.

“You enshrined our bedroom,” Nelum chuckled.

“I did. Lotus was my world. She and the kids, they were my everything. Back before I met her, I thought territory and the club and my definition of freedom was really everything, but I was wrong. I didn’t know what life was until I met her. I didn’t know how nice it could be to stay home with someone and do nothing for a whole weekend.”

“I could’ve told you everyone should do that occasionally,” Nelum said, squeezing my hand. “Doing nothing is the best part of being alive sometimes.”

I kissed his temple and tried not to think too hard about the last time I stood in front of this door.

“If there are cigarettes we don’t tell Elio,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood. “He doesn’t like it but I chained smoked once she went. I could’ve choked Frost himself with the cigarettes I smoked in those few months after she died. I’m surprised Clarence didn’t fine me for environmental damage.”

“He was probably afraid you’d set him on fire,” Nelum laughed. “Do we have to call someone to undo the spell?”

“No,” I shook my head. “I have the key.”

“Are you going to use it?” he asked.

“Eventually.”

“Alright,” he nodded.

I lost track of time as we stood in front of the door. The little pouch with the lock of Lotus’s hair was tucked into my breast pocket. Yes. We wore shirts to Earthside.

“All my old stuff is in there too. I only took out the bare minimum,” I told Nelum.

“Were we supposed to live here again? Just pick up where we left off?” he asked me.

“I think we thought so. I think we thought we could. We couldn’t imagine a life in which we weren’t together and living the life we built,” I admitted. “I know it sounds insane now.”

“It doesn’t. It sounds like two people trying to find hope when everything else has failed them,” Nelum flashed the door a sad smile.

“I half think she’s gonna be sitting on the bed asking me what took so long,” I laughed.

“Now, that would be scary and really bring up some questions about reincarnation.”

“Even now we probably have more questions than answers,” I shrugged. “You ready?

“Are you?” he asked.

“I’ll never be ready. There isn’t much left to do to wrap up her life.”

“I’m alive,” Nelum whispered. “I’m not mad or jealous that you miss her but remember I’m alive. Maybe we’re tying up my old loose ends but she’s not out there wandering around alone or lost or afraid. We might not be living in a Moonscale mini mansion this time but we’re together.”

I squeezed his hand and slid the key into the lock. The key turned easily, unlocking the door and the spell in a simple twist of my wrist. Then her scent was everywhere. It had lived in this room for decades. Letting go of Nelum, I crossed the room and opened the blinds from the windows and the sliding glass doors that led out to the balcony. This was home. Maybe home wasn’t one person or one place. Maybe home was a map of all the places that left their marks on us. I could almost hear the Grim Howlers’ music playing but the room was silent as Lotus was now.

I turned to find Nelum smoothing out the comforter the way Lotus always had. He straightened the bed and had kicked his shoes off before coming inside the room. He stood akimbo, glancing around and taking it all in. Part of him was remembering. Part of him was seeing it for the first time.

He walked to the closet, stuffed full of her clothes. I wasn’t sure if I should give them to Daliah or Zoey, her closest friend who wore dresses and might fit them. Then again, I hadn’t laid eyes on Zoey Hemlock in decades. For all I knew, she was bigger than me now.

Nelum ran his fingers over the fabric of the dresses and skirts. He dug into pockets finding coins, hair ties, and long-lost snacks still in their wrappers. He found little love notes written on sticky notes. We used to try and sneak them into each other’s pockets all the time. Maybe it wasn’t up to me what became of the clothes that Lotus hadn’t left to others in her will. Those had all been sorted out before the room was sealed shut. Still, maybe it was Nelum’s choice now. Hell, maybe he’d want to keep them for the nostalgia.

“You really enshrined it all,” Nelum whispered.

“And I will again, if that’s what you want.”

“Elio would say it was wasteful,” Nelum laughed. “Something about all the other people who could use it.”

“Actually, someone else could use it, but not in the Starscale way,” I said, my dragon lifting his head as the idea crossed his mind too.

“Huh?” Nelum blinked.

“Just thinking about the kids. Sorry. I should be in the moment with you.”

“Umm…” Nelum said and bit his lip. “Don’t take this the wrong way. Definitely wait until I look at everything before you make concrete plans for items, but I think…” his words trailed off.

“That you agree with Elio?” I arched a brow.

“Not exactly. I think sometimes sentimental items are utilitarian. If they keep us sane, they keep everything else working too. I want to watch and read whatever she left alone. I know that’s a big ask. I know that you probably want to see it to, if you haven’t already.”

“I didn’t plunder it,” I shook my head. “I wouldn’t violate her—Your privacy like that.”

“Thank you,” he grinned. “Now, go save your children from destroying each other. Just point me in the direction of the stuff.”

“The yellow hatbox with sunflowers on it,” I said, pointing to the top shelf. “Call me if you need anything or call Elio if you prefer. If you want, I could get him or—”

“I’m okay,” Nelum grinned. “I am. Really, Alpha, I am. She’s me, right? She’d never hurt me.”

I stole a kiss before slipping out of the room and shutting the door behind me. Part of me needed to stay. Needed one more thing from Lotus but everything left was for him, not me. Part of me also thought, I should take the back door in and go upstairs to talk to Daliah. Someone should check on her but since she was locked in her bedroom with Rosemary, I wasn’t sure what I’d interrupt. So, I came in through the front door like everyone else.

Elio and our little egg brats were passed out on the sofa. Teal and Sequin were on the opposite side of the room playing a video game on mute. I joined them on the floor, remembering all too well when they and the rest of the kids were young. We’d sit like this back then too.

“Dal is upstairs pouting or whatever,” Sequin said.

“Eh, I wanted to talk to you.”

“I said what I said. Rude or not she had it coming. Not gonna repeat because Minter is in the room, but I meant what I said.”

“It is really pink in here.”

“And we’ve taken a lot of the stuff down. She tried to paint the walls too, but I told her I’d toss her off the balcony and see how fast she could get her wings out,” Sequin said, not taking his eyes off the screen. He was winning the new racing game the pair played.

“Well, that’s sort of what I wanted to talk to you about. What if we let her have some of your mom’s stuff to decorate the other house with. Not stuff from in here. Stuff from the house. Maybe you could take some of Mom’s old clothes and make curtains or throw pillows or something for her. I know it’s a huge ask after everything she did but she’s hurting too. You don’t have to be the bigger person. You don’t have to do anything. If you don’t want to do it, I’ll find someone to do the sewing. I thought I’d ask you first because you’d take care of the stuff.”

Teal paused the game and Sequin set the remote down. He stared off into space for a long time.

“You can have some of it too. And Teddy and Duke too. It’s not just about Dal” I said, rubbing circles on his back.

“I know,” he nodded. “I’m just thinking. Maybe I can make us all quilts.It would take forever but…”

“Everyone could pitch in on the not sewing parts,” Teal offered. “I can’t make them all help but I will and in a real pinch I’ll make Indigo and Cobalt come help too.”

“I’ll help,” I offered.

“If she stops being so--- whatever she’s being.”

“In love and grieving her mother still,” I sighed. “I hope the first one never goes away on her.”