The Symmetry of Time (Celestra Forever After #8)

Chapter 1

Skyla

One year later…

The salty air mingles with the smoky scent of burning driftwood as our first-day-of-fall bonfire crackles and pops against the twilight canvas.

Silent Cove isn’t exactly living up to its name tonight as laughter ricochets all the way down the sandy shores surrounding our little slice of paradise below Whitehorse.

The waves provide a steady heartbeat to our chaos as golden hour paints everyone in its magic.

It is pure, unadulterated bliss. This is what we’ve worked so hard to achieve, the peace worth all the chaos.

Overhead, Holden and Serena circle us like the twin ravens they are, one dark, one light, their occasional caws punctuating our conversations like feathered exclamation points.

I dig my toes into the cool sand and take it all in—my people, my family, alive and mostly whole after everything we’ve been through.

“So, Skyla,” Chloe’s voice slices through my moment of serenity, sharp as a celestial blade, her dark locks running down her back in perfect waves, “are you going to tell us how you manage to keep two husbands satisfied when most women can’t even handle one?

We all know that you’re more than satisfied.

Is there a rotation schedule taped to your bedroom door, or do you just ring a dinner bell when it’s someone’s turn?

” She bleeds a dark smile, but I know that despite the curve on her lips, she’s anything but happy for me.

Brielle and Lexy erupt into laughter while I swill the drink in my hand.

“Bold of you to assume I can be satisfied,” I counter with a wink. “Maybe that’s why I needed backup.”

More cackles ensue, sans our resident mean girl.

Chloe still can’t get over the fact that I have the heart of both Logan and Gage.

And even though everyone here knows I’m married to Logan now, they all seem to find Chloe’s idea of a rotation schedule hysterical.

In a roundabout way, I do, too. After all, Gage does live with us.

It makes things easier with the boys we share, Nathan and Barron, who are all of five now.

The boys love having their father nearby, and so do I.

And as for Logan, well, he hasn’t shot Gage in the chest yet, so I’d say he’s handling it pretty well, too.

“At least you’re satisfied,” Lexy Bakova shoots back. “Some of us are practically growing cobwebs down there.”

Emily snorts. “The rest of us should be taking notes. Skyla is out here living her best afterlife while collecting husbands like trading cards.”

I lift a brow at the afterlife comment, although she’s not wrong about the rest.

“Limited edition husbands,” Nat adds, slapping her thigh as she laughs. “Very rare, mint condition.”

Michelle grunts, her long dark hair falling over her shoulder, “I’m staying out of it.”

Michelle Miller avoiding drama? That’s a first.

Logan and Gage exchange glances from their posts by the fire pit, both suddenly very interested in stoking the flames.

“We’re not touching that one either,” Logan announces, poking at the fire like his life depends on it.

Gage gives a solemn nod. “It’s a strategic retreat on our part. Live to fight another day.”

“Smart men,” Bree calls over to them. “Smarter than most of your species.”

Chloe casts those dark, glowing eyes my way once again. “Must be nice having a spare when one disappoints you.”

“No one said anything about being disappointed,” I’m quick to say.

A smile lives and dies on her lips. “At least when I wanted Gage, I had the decency to try taking him completely.”

“I guess Gage wants me so much, he doesn’t mind sharing,” I say low enough for her ears only, but Gage shoots me a look anyway. And that look lets me know I’m right.

Laken laughs softly from her beach chair next to me, adjusting sweet baby Cooper as he happily nurses away.

The tiny miracle has his eyes fixed on his mother’s face with that stony focus only newborns possess.

Wesley hovers nearby, the protective father I never thought he’d become, but he’s proven time and time again that he’s the best of the best.

“The men in this group learned survival skills long ago,” Laken says. “It was either get with the program or die.” She winces a little, and I bet it’s because she’s thinking of Cooper, her husband, who did actually die, the one she and Wes named the baby after. “You know what I meant.”

I bite down a mournful smile and nod because we all most certainly do.

I scan the beach where my collective brood runs wild—Nathan and Barron chasing Eden in circles while she squeals with delight, her golden curls catching the fading sunlight.

And, of course, Jaxson is trying to teach them all a lesson.

The rest of the kids belong to my friends sitting here with me on the sand.

And I still find it hard to believe that Michelle, Lexy, Emily, Bree, and even Chloe—we’ve sailed into motherhood together.

The other children play a game that seems to have no rules except running and screaming, which they excel at magnificently.

I glance back at my sweet little angels.

Both Eden and Jaxson look like a combination of Logan and me, golden hair, my light eyes, Logan’s pirate smile, whereas Nathan and Barron—and Sage, even though she’s in the heavenlies—they’re all doppelgangers of Gage Oliver to a T—jet-black hair, signature Gage Oliver dimples, and cobalt blue eyes that could stun a stranger into submission.

Nothing but copy and paste in the most beautiful and handsome way.

It’s as if I had nothing to do with their genetics, save for incubating them for a time.

I swear, Demetri rigged their DNA just to mess with me.

He probably filed some celestial patent on the Oliver genes to make sure they’d override mine.

Ellis Harrison saunters over with a beer in hand, his sandy blond hair slightly disheveled, his eyes lined with crimson tracks, and his signature easy-going smile settling in as he watches the kids run wild.

“Sometimes I miss the good old days,” he sighs, taking a long pull from his bottle. “Remember when our biggest problem was who was hooking up with who at my parties? When the most dangerous thing in our lives was getting detention from Principal Rice?”

“Please. You can’t be serious.” A laugh bounces through me. “You mean when people were constantly dying, coming back to life, supernatural wars were breaking out, and the factions were at each other’s throats? Need I remind you what a Fem was capable of?” I raise a brow. “Those good old days?”

Brielle tosses a marshmallow at Ellis and manages to peg him in the forehead. “These are the good old days. You’re just too stoned to notice.”

“That’s right,” Laken says. “We survived. We won. Our biggest problem now is whose turn it is to host the next playdate.” She kicks my foot with her own. “My house next Tuesday.”

Chloe grunts a dark laugh. “I’ve always wanted to say C U Next Tuesday to Skyla.”

“Very funny.” I avert my eyes. “And I’m sure you say it plenty and often behind my back.” And at least once to my face. But Chloe and I are friends now. Mostly. Sort of. In a roundabout way. I think.

“Anyway,” Chloe continues, “let’s not forget why the current days are so good and golden for Skyla. She gets to decide which husband gets bedroom privileges for the night.” She stabs me with a smile as if to punctuate the dig. It never gets old with her.

“Wow. Someone has a one-track mind, and it’s not me,” I say, flicking sand her way with my foot.

Liam wraps an arm around Chloe’s waist from behind as if he owns her, and he so does.

“Be nice,” he tells her with a slight laugh.

Liam would be Logan’s long-lost brother, if you consider being dead getting lost. It doesn’t hurt that they look like twins, either.

Chloe got lucky. “Skyla could make you clean more than just toilets.”

“Don’t tempt me,” I threaten with a smile that’s all teeth.

It’s true, Marshall’s punishment for Chloe has been well maintained.

For all the misery and repeated betrayal, Chloe is still my ardent housekeeper.

And she’s pretty good at it, too. I’ll give her that.

No one can give a porcelain bowl a sparkle and shine quite like Chloe.

She quickly mimes locking her lips and throwing away the key, then immediately ruins it by adding, “But seriously, is there a schedule?”

More cackles break out. And even Laken can’t contain herself, yet she’s quiet enough not to disturb little Cooper.

Glad to know everyone is interested in what happens at Whitehorse after dark.

“I know one thing,” Ezrina chimes in, her voice carrying that mysterious lilt that still gives me chills after all this time.

The breeze picks up her auburn hair, and it rises over her head like a flame.

Yes, Ezrina is solidly one of us now, and we love every frazzled, far-too-intelligent-for-our-britches moment of it.

“None of us would trade these days for anything. Not even for the chance to do it all again with fewer scars.”

I do believe those are the most words I’ve heard her say all year—let alone strung together all at once.

Nev nods in agreement, his hand finding hers in the sand. I don’t see Pierce Kragger anymore when I look at Nev. That dark hair, those light eyes, they all belong to Nevermore now.

“The scars make for better stories,” Marshall adds, appearing seemingly from nowhere, as he’s prone to do. “And better lessons.”

I still jump when he does that, and my heart drums at the sight of him, too, but I’d rather swallow burning coals than admit it.

“Geez,” I gasp with a hand over my heart. “Must you always materialize like some villain from a horror movie?”