After Ethan dashed off out the window, I listened to Soren as he was in the other room, speaking to Seraphine. I could tell by his tone that he was very concerned, and she was assuring him that I was going to be fine, but it was imperative that we find a new place for me to live as soon as possible.
That worked perfectly with Ethan's suggestion, so I found myself agreeing with Soren half jokingly. "I'll be more than happy to work for my generous employer again, but–"Soren raised a brow. "When did my Ro learn to negotiate?"I smiled back, "I always knew how to negotiate. I was just too poor to
As similar as it was to the Luna Suite, this house wasn't exactly the same. The Luna Suite was huge and had darker furniture and bedding, which made the room luxurious but solemn. This house, on the other hand, was much smaller and primarily decorated with elegant creamy white beddings and curtains
"Ro, all the boxes were unloaded, come in and check it out!" Seraphine led me to the house, and I was so excited to finally have my own home! I couldn't believe that I had a place to live, independent of anyone else— It didn't belong to my father, it wasn't in Ethan's pack or James's castle, and it
"Seraphine," I called her name, recognizing that she normally wore it. No wonder she seemed distracted. She must have been looking for it. As I was about to hand it over to her, the corner of my eye caught a glimpse of what was inside. It was a regal woman with long, white hair wearing a crown. "
I decided to open the window in the living room. It was our old signal, the one I'd used to let him know I was expecting him.Was he waiting for that?I had no idea, but it was worth the try.Standing there for a few moments, I breathed in the salty ocean air and let it wash over my skin, hoping it
When I realized what I had asked, I felt my face light on fire. I wish I could just dig a hole to hide myself from the embarrassment. What was wrong with me? I never knew I could be this… needy!Ethan's eyes landed on me with a bright glow in them. He was a little surprised, but then a smile sprea
But that wasn't the most dazzling feature of my surprise.All around us, the trees, the sky, the grass, everywhere I looked was twinkling and flashing with a thousand lights in shades from bright yellow to soft white. Fireflies—thousands of them—fluttered around us.I stood there, staring at the mag
The entire family had gathered in the dining room and was chatting amiably over a very impressive spread that had been laid out by the kitchen–two prime rib roasts, a honeyed ham, and three roast ducks were the centerpieces of the table, all of which were being enjoyed liberally by everyone.George
RowanMom ran her fingers across Selene's head, admiring her fine white hair. She looked every ounce the doting grandmother instead of a ball of uncertainty, like Maeve. Maeve was pacing back and forth near the fall wall of my bedroom, her arms folded across her chest and her head bent as she tried
Kacidra joined in the conversation. "Maeve is right, Rowan. We need to know what's happening with you and Hanna, or else we'll never be able to help."Rosalie's voice was calm and supportive as she asked, "Is it Hanna that's troubling you, son? Is she doing all right?My first instinct was to tell t
Gemma and Ernest had flown down with my parents and their son George, who was just two months older than Maeve's sons.A moment later, the library door opened and more of our family members poured in, as if they were fully aware of the thoughts I'd just had and I'd summoned them. I pushed aside my n
RowanThe castle was abuzz with its usual day-to-day activities. Servants and maids passed me in the hallway carrying baskets of laundry and trays of tea. I could hear the clattering of cookware as I left my office and walked toward the grand staircase off the foyer, seeing the door to the servants'
"Who? What happens?""There's so much more out there," Mara said dreamily. "So, so much more.""Maeve!" Troy called from down the beach.I turned to look at him, and when I turned back to Mara, she had taken off. "Wait!" I called after her, but she had already made it out of earshot, her footsteps l
Best of all, Troy was happy. He was at peace and at home. But there was still much work to be done.We were spending several weeks jumping from island to island, taking stock of the wellbeing of the inhabitants, and making a list of what was needed. Most of the islands were in need of medicine, inf
Maeve–Four Months LaterSuntra was not what I was expecting. I had become accustomed to the seemingly endless white-sand beaches of Avondale, where the sand grit was so fine it felt like powdered sugar as you walked barefoot in the surf. Suntra's sand was coarse and golden and dappled with tidepool
I straightened up a bit, shifting Oliver's weight in my arms as I narrowed my eyes back at him, sizing him up. A man roughly my father's age came bounding out of their house, waving at me apologetically as he leaned to whisper harshly in the ear of the man I assumed was his father.Whatever his son