Violet We walked into the cabin and I stripped out of my dress. Theodore’s shirt slipped over my head easily. I rolled the sleeves up past my elbows, the hem brushing scandalously high on my thighs. There was nothing to be done for the lacy underwear Lily had brought me. When I turned to face him,
Soon, it was roasting and the scent of cooking meat filled the air. We ate, leaning together on the back porch, wrapped in the blankets he had in the cabin. I moved to stand and hissed at the shock of pain in my back. "You've pushed yourself too far." He nodded toward the door. "Head in. I'll clea
Violet I shook off the haze and blinked at the empty space beside me. The faint warmth in the sheets was the only evidence that Theodore had been there at all. The unease from my dream lingered, a nagging sensation curling in my chest. Something felt off. Slipping out of bed, I padded toward the
The conviction in his voice was enough to push back the doubt, if only a little. I took a deep breath and slipped out of his arms. He let me go, and I closed my eyes, reaching inward, pushing, and searching for that spark that had once felt as easy as breathing. Please, I thought, willing the conn
Violet I bolted into the forest. Theodore’s answering snarl carried a hint of amusement, and then he was after me, his powerful strides eating up the distance between us. I ran faster, darting through the trees, weaving around trunks, and leaping over underbrush, my senses alive with the thrill of
“It was worth it.” Theodore’s expression softened, and he reached out to brush a strand of hair from my face. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “It was.” The forest around us seemed to glow faintly, the magical flowers casting their light like stars against the darkness. For a moment, neither of us mov
Theodore I didn’t know what to say as it all clicked into place for me. “Violet...” She shook her head, forcing a wry smile. “Look back, the Goddess had to have been protecting me probably for the best, right? A child with him...” Her voice cracked, and I swallowed hard. I pulled her close
“Then what is it?” His thumb brushed over my knuckles, and his gaze softened. “It’s about what’s right. For us. For our lives. I don’t want to give you an answer that’ll make you question yourself more than you already do.” I swallowed, my throat tight. He was trying to protect me—of course, he
I dropped the trowel and frying pan next to the baseball and bat, shaking my head at this makeshift arsenal. “My baby is already too smart for its own good.”Bennett opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted when we were distracted by Theo suddenly vanishing into thin air. My cousin and I
Violet’s POV“Just try.”It didn’t matter how many times I explained to Bennett that Auntie had said the baby’s magic would sway my magic toward more innocent manifestations. He wasn’t convinced.Theo was on the other side of Marcy’s backyard, fists clenched, gaze unfocused, as he tried to complete
Theodore’s POVI was searching the archives’ computer for anything related to forehead bands when my phone rang. My phone screen showed, “Aunt Lillith”. Adding her to my contacts with the title of “aunt” was partially an affectionate and respectful decision, but mostly it was to avoid Eva’s wrath in
Violet’s POVPart of me wondered it not worrying Theo was an excuse. If the years with Lucas not being the partner I needed had subconsciously trained me to stay independent. To never lean on anyone, even temporarily, because they couldn’t be trusted to hold me up. Even still, Theo was right. So I
We pulled out of our kiss, my head dizzy with love and hope. We would find the answers we needed. We would find a future together.“You said there were answers to four questions.” I looked between the two of them, tallying the three they’d already shared. “What’s the fourth?”Violet thought for a mo
Theodore’s POV“Alari, please wake up!”I held Violet’s head in my lap, her jaw terrifyingly slack. I dared a glance at the High Priestess who had collapsed in a heap at the same time that Violet’s body had gone completely limp. “High Priestess?!”This wasn’t happening.I reached for my phone, thank
Theodore’s POVIn one breath, the love of my life laying still in the grass let out a gut-wrenching scream and the High Priestess dropped to her knees. I lunged for my wife but was thrown back by an invisible force. When I pulled myself upright, the High Priestess had a hand outstretched, clearly us
Auntie folded her hands in front of her. “Altrosis is an attempt to control magic enough to pin it down and examine it. One could more easily pin down the wind.”As if to illustrate her point, a cool breeze swept through the clearing, though not a hair on Auntie’s head swayed in its drift.“Magic is
Violet’s POVThe jungle outside the village my family lived in was beautiful. It was lush and alive, humming with magic like the air itself was breathing. I had only visited this village and its surrounding area a few times in my life, but I’d always made time to come stand among the ferns and frond