Forging Ties (Ties, Book 3) | ✓

Chapter 30

No. This person couldn't be Nim because Nim was dead. This guy was older than Nim, or—no, too young, because time had passed. Too alive. His hair was shorter than Nim's had been and Nim hadn't ever had facial hair. Sure, those things could change, but no they couldn't because Nim was dead. This was just someone else, like Yore, who looked like Nim. Who looked exactly like Nim.

But this man who couldn't be Nim was looking back at Skye and he looked just as stunned as Skye felt. Why would a stranger look at him like that?

The word escaped Skye's lips as barely more than a whisper. "Nim?"

Long legs crossed the distance between them in an instant and then arms embraced Skye and he knew it was Nim. He didn't know how, but it was him and he felt real and warm and alive. Skye wrapped his arms around him and clung. He didn't know how this was happening, but nobody was ever going to take Nim away from him again.

Eventually, Nim pulled back just far enough that he could look Skye in the eyes. "How did you find me?"

"Ah," Slone said as he rounded the side of the cabin, Yore at his side. They were both dressed in shorts and nothing else. "Long story, that. Short of it is that I found him on the other side of the mountains."

"Fuck," Nim whispered. "I never thought..."

"Took me way longer than it should have to put the pieces together," Slone said. "You'd think the name and what he looks like would be enough, but nah. I ain't heard the story since I was a kid, and sometimes my brain just don't seem to put together what's right in front of me. Got there in the end, though. Guess that's what matters."

"What happened, Skye?" Nim asked. "Where have you been?"

Skye shrugged. "I forgot most of it."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"I thought you died. I saw..." Skye shook his head. His eyes felt damp and his throat was tight. "You were dead."

"I was," Nim said. "The fae found me and brought me back."

"Oh," Skye said. "I should have just waited. Everything would have been okay if I'd just waited."

"No, it wouldn't have. It took days. You would have frozen to death if you'd stayed."

"Well, okay, but I could have..." Skye pressed his lips together and shook his head in frustration, because he knew he couldn't have done anything but what he did. He couldn't have seen what he saw and then held himself together long enough to find the others.

"You couldn't have done anything to change what happened, Skye," Nim said, his hands squeezing Skye's arms. "It's not your fault."

Skye nodded, but he didn't feel any better. They could have been together this whole time and everything would have been fine.

"How long have you been yourself? Aware, I mean?"

Skye shrugged. "A year or two or something. I'm not good at time."

"I thought so," Nim said. "I've looked seventeen for over a hundred years, but over the last couple of years, I've started to look a little older. We have a connection."

"So if I just forget, you get to live forever? You only get older if I do?"

"I don't want to live forever, Skye. I want to live the life I've been waiting for all of these years with you."

"You had to wait all this time just because I went the wrong way and forgot. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. You see that young man?" Nim pointed to Yore, and Skye nodded. "That's my grandson. He's my daughter's son. I've missed you every single day, but I wouldn't wish away the people I've brought into this world in the time we were apart. If things had gone differently back then, many things would be different now."