So, I climbed into the bed, unruffling the quilt and bringing it up to my chest as I laid back against the pillow, my eyes fixated on the ceiling.I listened to the men above fighting with the storm. Had I heard Troy's voice yelling commands? Was that Pete's voice crying out in reply?I thought of M
"Oh, Goddess!" I screamed as the crewmen's faces disappeared into the inky, furious depths of the sea, boat and all. I barely noticed the rope being tied around my waist until Troy tugged on it, hard, and then took me in his arms, cradling me against the doorway to the lower levels as the boat pitch
Maeve"Mama?" I crept into the room, my feet silent on the wide plank floorboards bathed in violet twilight, "Daddy?"Dad stirred, rolling over and leaning on his elbow as he watched me enter the room, his hair ruffled from sleep. He motioned for me to come to the bed, pulling down the covers as I c
I looked around, my gaze settling on the sparse palms and knotted, low hanging trees I couldn't recognize or name. I walked along the sand, my mind jumbled as I tried to piece together the fragmented memories of the storm."Oh, Myla," I whispered as I gazed back over the water, seeing nothing but sp
The dog just stared, its tail wagging once in reply.'Are you a shifter?' I asked.It snorted, shaking its head rapidly. I held my hands out, slowly reaching towards it, inviting it to me."I won't hurt you," I said aloud as it took one step forward, gingerly lowering its snout to sniff the ground a
HannaThe figure was in the distance. A woman. Her long, red-blonde hair was floating around her head like a halo as she drifted limply in the water.She wasn't supposed to be here.I moved towards her, looking up to see the surface of the water high above my head.This wasn't right. I was far away
"Ah. I see," I said quietly, racking my brain for some semblance of understanding. We made the bed in silence, my eyes grazing over Rowan's face, his mouth sunken in a frown."Does she talk to you much, sweetheart?" I asked, fluffing the pillows.Rowan shook his head, "No, not really. A few words he
"The guest room is ready for you two upstairs," I whispered, smiling at her. Kacidra was a sweet girl, I liked her a lot. I was only slightly disappointed that she hadn't been Rowan's mate, but I couldn't be too upset. Hanna was a nice girl as well, just… strange. I'd get to the bottom of it eventua
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