Ella I ignore the soft growl that rumbles from the doorway, though Calvin glances briefly in that direction. “No, Calvin,” I say, shaking my head softly. “We did a little bit of research this afternoon. And I’m sorry to say it if it makes you sad, but you’re not my mate.” “What?” he brea
“Stop,” I say, scootching forward across the couch now so that we sit close together. “Calvin, you have nothing to be embarrassed about –“ He huffs a laugh, looking down into his lap. “I was ready to leave my wife, Ella,” he murmurs, “to leave my entire country behind-“ “No,” I interrupt, an
Ella The next day, Cora and Roger come over early. Roger and Sinclair head out, their faces solemn, to speak with their aids and their advisors regarding how to respond to the news we know is inevitably coming. Our reconnaissance teams told us that the Atalaxian delegation did indeed return hom
“So?” I say, turning a little to look at Sinclair, finding his eyes already on me. “Is it done?” “It is,” he replies with a little sigh. Then he reaches for the remote and presses a few buttons, turning on the television that hangs on the far wall. The channel immediately turns to a news venue,
Ella While we spent the rest of the day that war was declared between Moon Valley and Atalaxia quietly together, Henry joining us for lunch and then a peaceful dinner, the three months that followed? They flew by at a baffling pace. A lot of it was Roger and Sinclair working their tails
“Mostly,” I say, trying to be casual. Because I know what she’s getting at here and it’s not something I’m ready to chat about. I haven’t even told Sinclair what I’m trying to do, let alone Cora. “Sometimes I breastfeed before bed – helps him sleep.” It’s a lie, though. I stopped doing that a fe
Ella The door opens then, Roger and Sinclair coming through. “No!” Cora calls, pulling the pillow out from behind her back and flinging it at Roger. “Not you, who did this to me! The source of my misery!” Roger just grins as he snatches the pillow out of the air. “And how is my gorgeous
“Seriously, Ella?” Roger says, leaning forward to look at me with eyes full of doubt. “You’re telling me that if you had a beautiful little girl with rose-gold hair and a sweet little angel face, you’d want to ship her away to a military academy?” I hesitate, because I know that if I had a littl
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