“Technically,” I answered, “she is staying separate, and she’s treading carefully to do so. But I genuinely don’t know if she would still be doing all this if she weren’t also my aunt.”Cue Kincaid’s jaw on the floor again.“Oh! And Owen planted spies in Theo’s home.”Kincaid shook his head like a w
Theodore’s POVMy carriage had dropped me off at the border at 9am as instructed. I waited by the road with a suitcase and my backpack, on edge. If the wrong person found me before Violet showed up…A black sedan approached, slowing as it neared me. When it got close enough, I recognized my mate’s b
Violet rested her hand over mine and smiled. I looked her over in awe, noticing that her breasts were a little swollen. She looked healthy and supple.I noticed a cord around her neck. I pulled my hand from her stomach to reach for it, pulling out my mother’s token that she had restrung on a sturdy
Theodore’s POVWhen I looked up, there was a literal crowd huddled around the car. All my senses went on alert and the hair stood up on my arms.“Doher,” Violet chuckled beside me. “Look at their smiles. They’re here to welcome us, not attack us.”She nudged my elbow with hers. “Not everyone’s famil
Violet’s POV“Wait – you have seven aunts?” Theo exclaimed. We had settled on the far side of the middle table next to a bowl of boren mushrooms that my husband was favoring. I tucked that little preference into my mind for future use.“Six aunts,” I chuckled at his incredulity as I corrected him. “
Theodore’s POVI held Violet’s hair back as she retched into the toilet of Marcy’s bathroom. We couldn’t blame the wine since Violet obviously hadn’t had any, nor the food that hadn’t made anyone else sick. No, this was caused by something I couldn’t help but feel a little responsible for.I rubbed
Violet’s POVThe pride I felt from being able to control my magic, even briefly, quickly vanished as my stomach sank at Auntie’s words. She knew I had magic.“So it’s my magic and not the baby’s?”Still as a serene lake instead of the turbulent ocean I felt rocking inside me, Auntie shrugged slightl
Auntie studied me for a moment. “Are you sure you haven’t used magic before that?”The memory of my father appearing before me in the courtroom, and then again yesterday at the feast, popped into my mind. Perhaps that was part of my magic, but even that was still no more than six weeks ago. “Definit
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