The Harper Generations: Country Roads

A message

Misty

Azrael glanced around before speaking. "Well, it seems we have a slight issue to rectify." He flicked his wrist.

My parents' families left the house while the rest of us remained.

"Much better." He smiled.

"What did you do to them?" Elias asked.

"I kept them from learning the truth."

"Who are you?" Val asked.

"Who I am isn't important. Who they are is." Azrael gestured between me, the cousins, and the girls before turning to us. "You passed the current tests with slight issues. But it will become more challenging from here on out. He's testing your resilience."

"Are you telling us that he sent this thing after us?" Preston asked.

Azrael looked at Preston. "He would never harm his children. You should understand that better than anyone, Nixon."

"That's a big help," Ryan grumbled.

"The almighty doesn't give you want but what you need. He's giving you tools to accomplish your goal."

"What goal?"

"You will discover the answer to your question in due time. But no more hiding from the world. He gave you a second chance. Embrace it. The final result will be worth it."

"How do we explain the change in our sudden appearance? People will question us," Tino said.

Azrael smiled. "He has already taken care of the matter. No one will remember your former appearance and accept your true identities."

"He erased their memories of what we looked like and replaced them with new memories," I said.

Azrael gave a slight nod in confirmation while he smiled. "People associate someone with a particular soul. That's not true. A soul is a life force captured in a human vessel. Any soul can inhabit a body. It's how the soul lives that determines its legacy. He allowed me to return your souls to another human vessel."

"Why?" River asked.

"Your story wasn't over yet. It ended before you could finish it." Azrael looked at Tino and me. "You two surprised me the most."

"Why?" I asked.

"I never expected to witness an epic love story like yours. You will have a wonderful and amazing reward if you accomplish your task. He rewards those who deserve it. And your reward is unbeatable." Azrael smiled before fading away.

We exchanged glances, not understanding the message we had just received.

I noticed the poison oak had disappeared, which relieved me. I didn't want to itch myself to death because Ryan couldn't pay attention to his surroundings.

We turned and noticed everyone's appearance. Tino's family shook their heads and blinked several times.

"Why did you change?" Val asked us.

"What?" Tino asked.

"You said you were using the bathroom. How long were you gone for?"

"Uh." Tino pulled in his brows, not knowing what to say.

"Oh, you know how it is with weddings." I shrugged.

"Misty has the right idea. I'm getting out of this monkey suit," Rafe said, leaving the house.

The others followed suit. Once everyone changed into casual clothes, we returned to the reception. My dad pulled my mom into his arms and danced with her. He twirled her before pulling her back and dancing with her. Everyone joined them and danced, celebrating my parents' wedding.