The Legend of the Eight: The Gifted

28: We Are Survivors

TWENTY-EIGHT: WE ARE SURVIVORS
MARCH 9
NICOLE BRADLEY

IN THE MORTAL WORLD, THERE was a luxurious chain of islands called Turks and Caicos. Over the years, Nicole and Mariella talked about taking a trip there once they had the time and the money. They would spend the days on the beach with their toes buried in the sand, watching clear ocean waves kiss the shore. They'd flirt with the locals and get matching henna tattoos. They'd make enough memories to last a lifetime. It would be the best trip of their lives.

They never did get the opportunity.

The World of Magic didn't have Turks and Caicos but what it did have was a private resort called The Royal Resort and it was even more magical than Nicole could've ever imagined. The skies were bluer than any Nicole had seen and the water was clearer than she ever thought possible. The Diamonds invited her on the vacation and it was a welcomed escape after recent events.

Everyone was still reeling from Dr. K's death, Mr. Donovan's betrayal, and Cam's sacrifice. For some, the pain was too much to bear so they went at it alone. Others favored methods of distraction. Nicole, on the other hand, chose her own path. She chose to honor Dr. K and Cam by enjoying the life she had. The life they sacrificed everything for.

One night for dinner, the group decided to try one of the resort's five-star restaurants. Leo wanted sushi and Wil wanted to dress up so after a long day on the beach, they returned to their suite to get ready.

Nicole was walking from the bathroom to her room, towel-drying her long blonde hair, when she bumped into Prince Leo in the hall.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, captivated in that moment by his olive green eyes. He was definitely her sister's type. There wasn't a doubt about it.

"It's fine," he quickly assured her. "I, uh, I've actually been meaning to talk to you." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "But I just haven't been able to figure out what to say. I mean..." He chuckled nervously and adjusted his ponytail. "You guys look so much alike. It's weird, you know?"

It was then Nicole realized that was the first conversation she was actually having with him—the guy her sister spent years in love with.

"She talked about you a lot," she said, talking about her sister for what felt like the first time since her death. "She never said anything about you being a prince but she also never mentioned she was a wizard so..."

Leo chuckled. "She wanted to protect you."

"Yeah," Nicole said with a quick raise of her eyebrow, growing tired of that excuse. "Seems to be a lot of that going around lately."

He nodded complacently. "He was like a father to me," he said of Dr. K. "He was my dad's best friend—even was knighted back in the day—and I'm still trying to process everything."

Nicole wasn't sure how to respond to that so she stared at the towel in her hands.

"I know," Leo said like she'd said something. "The last few weeks have been crazy for you. Some welcome to the World of Magic, huh? I swear it's not all that bad."

Nicole smiled and shrugged casually. "It hasn't been all that bad. I've learned a lot—about magic, about myself. Good or bad, I'm happy I'm here."

"Kate said you caught up in school pretty quickly. Not that I'm surprised. Mare was a natural when it came to school. She was always learning new spells."

Nicole smiled again. "It's weird. I've known her all my life and the more I hear about her now, the more I realize I never knew her at all. She had this whole other life that I knew nothing about."