RowanShelly turned to look at me over her shoulder, the baby nestled against her chest in a sling as we walked toward the light beaming through an opening in the cave. She narrowed her eyes, squinting into the darkness behind me."It's fine," I whispered, trying not to disturb the sleeping toddler
Darkness fell over the forest as Shelly put the kids to bed, the four children nestled together beneath a single blanket to keep warm. She kept the baby against her chest as she leaned against the tree, running her fingers through their hair as she whispered songs to them.Otto was sitting with me a
"I don't need to know more," Ethan said quickly, swallowing. I felt bile rise in my own throat, blinking rapidly as I tried to clear the gruesome thoughts trying to surface in my mind."We couldn't let Farrah… we just couldn't. There was already talk of it among the elders. She's the only girl born
Maeve- The PersephoneI climbed the stairs to the upper deck, wrapping a loosely woven shawl over my shoulders as I stepped into the light of the moon. Una and her people had supplied us aplenty, ensuring we had food, tools, and clothing for our journey.Our journey through the Southern Pass.I was
"I didn't have parents growing up, remember?" He paused, pursing his lips."What does that have to do with—""It would be better for them to be raised without me. I don't know how to be a dad." His words sliced through the air, and my worst fear seemed to be coming true. He didn't want this."Troy,
"How we feel about each other?" He pulled away, giving me a confused expression. "What do you mean?""When you find your mate—""My mate?" He laughed, throwing his head back. "Who do you think you are to me, Maeve?""I—" I inhaled, steeling my expression. "Not your mate!""Why? Because of the curse?
MaeveCleo felt over my belly, finding a spot just below my navel where my stomach went suddenly limp, as though the muscles I had there just up and disappeared. I looked down, slightly concerned."It's just your ligaments loosening up," she said with a smile, unrolling a length of measuring tape an
"What happened then?""I didn't see her again for many years. Twenty years… the longest years of my life. By that point, I had trained to be a midwife. I ended up setting up a practice in Mirage. That's when—" She exhaled deeply, her eyes misting with tears. She met my eyes, shaking her head. "I've
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