“You know I would never hurt you, Ella,” Cora says, her voice as pleading as it is insistent. “Cora,” I say, shaking my head at her, my eyes wide with apology. “You know that I know you have nothing to do with this just…please, let it pass.” “It’s true, Cora,” Sinclair says, peeking out from the o
Ella “I really must insist,” Leon says awkwardly, looking around at the packed guest bedroom, “that we…thin the crowd. Just a bit.” “Well, I’m not leaving,” I say, stepping forward and bouncing Rafe in my arms as I look down at my sister laying on the bed. Cora is awkward and uncomfortable as she
I see Cora’s eyes start to flicker, though, a little behind her eyelids as the ether takes over and she quickly enters a dreamy half-awake state. I watch her, curious, wondering if I looked the same under Leon’s care. His eyes also on Cora, Roger comes and sits next to me on the bed, wanting to be c
Ella I gasp and quickly reach out my hand to clasp Roger’s. I feel that he is just as tense as I am as we both sit on the end of the bed, staring at Cora. Leon flicks his gaze to me and gives me a very subtle shake of his head and a tiny frown. It’s a small gesture, but the meaning is clear: I abs
“Oh hey, Ella,” she says, her voice wavering a little bit, afraid. “Cora,” I say, as gently as I can. “You said you don’t remember seeing the man in the black robe after that day…but did you ever see him before?” “Ella,” my sister says, her lip starting to tremble. She turns to me, unseeing, and g
Ella Forty-five minutes later, I back out of the bedroom, snicking the door shut behind me. Then, I stand up, closing my eyes and exhaling a long breath. “Is she all right?” a voice hisses, right behind me. I leap about a foot in the air, managing to muffle my shriek as I spin to see my mate sta
“There now,” he says, kneeling down in front of me, which absurdly brings his head basically eye-level with mine. “You trust me, right?” he asks, and, sniffing, I nod vigorously. “And you know I’d never let anyone hurt or take Rafe, yes? Again, I nod. “Then, sleep, darling,” he says, lifting a ha
Cora “Um, should we go get Ella?” I ask, hesitant. Because while I do just want to spill everything right here, right now, while I feel so safe with Roger, I do know that Ella will want to hear this. And quite frankly, I don’t want to tell it twice. Roger stays still for a moment but then he star
He shakes his head at me as tears fill his own eyes and he leans forward, pulling me against him while somehow miraculously managing not to crush our children between us as he holds me tight in his arms. “So, I guess it wouldn’t matter,” he murmurs against my hair as I sniff back my tears and nod.
“Even more than the kids!?” I gasp, my mouth falling open a bit. “I mean, the kids,” he says, shrugging as if they’re not much, which makes me laugh. But then he goes a little rigid as he realizes something, raising his eyes to glare at me a bit. “Wait, are you saying you like the kids more than m
Ella “Nope,” Sinclair says, heaving himself out of bed and grabbing his phone off the bedside table as he does. “I can’t live like this, Ella – I’m calling Roger, I’ve got to know –“ “Dominic!” I say, laughing and grabbing for him, trying to catch the edge of his pajamas and failing because I’v
She laughs and I look first at Sinclair, who shrugs, and then back at my sister. “Come on,” Roger says, nodding at the crowds of people waiting to congratulate us and at the small table of refreshments. “Let’s decide this over some champagne.” Sinclair nods at me and I sigh, moving with my famil
The last image, though, lingers. Ariel, with Rafe and Jesse on either side – as they always are – and her two mates behind her. All standing together on a battlefield with Ariel at the center, magic welling between her hands and passing to her brother, to her cousin. Their faces are serious as t
Cora The images of Ariel’s future come in quick flashes, and somehow I get the impression that the Goddess is eager to share these glimpses of her life. The ones that come first are what I sort of expected, especially after seeing some images of Rafe’s childhood and hearing about the ones that
“We are not,” Cora scoffs, gently taking Ariel into her arms as Sinclair and I laugh. Roger grins, leaning forward to kiss me on the cheek before passing Jesse to me. “You know I’m kidding, right, Ells?” he whispers. I smile at my brother-in-law and gently pat his cheek. “When in doubt, Roger,”
Ella Three weeks later – Ariel was born under a waning quarter moon, not a new moon like her brother and her cousin – I stand anxiously in the woods, my little girl held tight in my arms. “I’m sensing some anxiety,” Cora says, grinning at me with a little too much glee as she comes up to my sid
“Oh my god,” I say, the words spilling out of my mouth. “Oh my god,” I sit up straight, staring at Henry, my eyes flicking to his legs – because honestly, I don’t even notice his chair anymore, or think of him at all as someone whose abilities are hindered. Or of me as someone who is able to do an