Page 76 of Jace

“That’s odd,” Charlotte said, frowning down at her necklace, cupped in her palm. “I didn’t know this had anything in it that could beep.”

But the beeping became irregular, almost as if it had an echo.

Then Zara came bursting to the front of the line. Her heart necklace in her hand.

It was also beeping.

“What is this?” she asked. “What’s happening?”

But when she looked up at Charlotte, everything seemed to come together.

“You… you look like me,” Zara murmured.

It was true. The fiery-red hair was the most striking part, but the resemblance didn’t end there. The women had the same spray of freckles across the nose and cheeks, and the same mischievous twinkle in their eyes. How had she not noticed before?

Susannah supposed the fact that she’d met Zara under rather stressful circumstances had a lot to do with it.

“Are you holding half a locket?” Charlotte asked, sounding breathless with wonder.

Everyone watched in silence as the two women removed their necklaces and fit the two hearts together, forming a complete heart.

“Your community,” Charlotte said. “You’re descendants of the survivors of the Night Parade. I’ve searched for you my entire life. I can’t believe you’re here.”

“We have been here, always,” Zara said. “We are a quiet people. We treasure the land and our solitude.”

“My ancestor was on that ship,” Charlotte said, her voice trembling with emotion.

“Then we are truly family,” Zara said.

The two women burst into spontaneous tears and clung to each other, hugging and pulling back to look at each other and hugging again.

“Come meet the rest of your family,” Zara sobbed happily, taking Charlotte by the hand and leading her over to the elder and the others.

Susannah gazed up at Jace, tears in her eyes again.

“That was the necklace she gave me to protect us from the curse,” she remarked, realizing that the necklace obviously had no special power, and her new friend had simply given it to her to help her get over her fear. “I can’t believe it.”

She certainly couldn’t argue with the results.

“So many unexpectedly good things keep happening,” Jace said thoughtfully. “I’d say you have the opposite of a curse.”

Zeke squeaked and waved his little arms at his mother.

Jace held him out and she took him, cradling him close to her chest and inhaling his sweet scent as he snuggled into her.

“I have been blessed beyond all imagining,” she said simply, as Jace pulled them both into his arms.

Susannah closed her eyes, soaking in the warmth, acceptance, and happiness of the love that had opened her heart and mind to such a wonderful future.

* * *