“I know,” he replies, and I can feel him nodding, agreeing with me. “I’m so sorry, Ella. Never again. You’re right – it’s not worth it. I can’t keep putting my body on the line like this. Peace, now. Peace.” “Do you promise?” I sigh, hoping to hell that he means it – because that’s all I want in t
Ella We’re an almost ridiculously cheerful group about an hour later when Roger and Cora come to join me and Sinclair in his little clinic room. Roger is first through the door, his face stark with worry as he storms into the room after getting word – probably from Hank – that Sinclair is awake
“Precisely the right attitude, sis,” I sigh, leaning against my mate. “Where is dad?” Sinclair asks, leaning back into me. Roger tilts his head back towards the door. “In another room. He’s okay too but he’s…tired. And I think he feels a lot of guilt.” He grimaces a little and I do as well. Henr
Ella The four of us spent the next few hours talking, eventually ordering quite a bit of takeout and making some complicated plans while Sinclair ate his weight in Chinese food. The sight of him eating pleased me to no end, but eventually I could see him running out of steam. “All right,” I say
And then I kiss my mate again and, with a final squeeze of his hand, slip out the door. When I pull the door shut behind me, I turn to find Hank leaning against the wall outside of the door, as I knew he would be. “Ready to get to work?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow at me. “You betcha,” I say
Sinclair I wake up frowning, knowing immediately that something is…well, not wrong, but certainly off. I reach out an arm, seeking Ella, but my hand passes over cold sheets. My frown deepens as I sit up and realize that she’s not here. A glance at Rafes bassinet makes it clear that he’s not here e
I’m silent for a beat as I try to figure out what to say, but then I just shake my head. “It’s nothing, Ella,” I respond, not wanting to add to her plate. I can see by the darkness under her eyes that she’s exhausted too. “Just…the fallout.” She nods, accepting my incomplete explanation, and focus
Ella It takes days to finish healing all of the men – long days with Cora and Hank by my side, explaining the intricate details of the wounds. We’ve found that it helps me concentrate the gift more completely when I know what is wrong – that it helps me to stitch all of the flesh together neatly i
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