MaeveGemma was sitting at the kitchen island, pouring a hefty amount of cream into her coffee. She stirred in two spoonfuls of sugar before setting the spoon down and lifting the mug to her lips.I was standing near the sink, the carafe of coffee in my hand as I prepared to pour myself a mug. It ha
"Why not?""Because it's something you have to talk about with your mom. He said it… wasn't my business. He's been a real crab lately.""Something bad happened, didn't it?""Yeah… it was bad. But I...." She looked into my eyes, sighing. "Do you remember my necklace? The one my mother left me. You sa
"Get out of the water! What is wrong with you kids—" Dad grabbed Rowan by the collar of his jacket and lifted him onto the dock while Troy gripped the dock with his fingers, his teeth chattering. Dad reached down to help, but Troy suddenly let go of the dock."I dropped it! Oh, shit. I dropped—" he
MaeveMom patted the bed, inviting me to lay next to her.I wiped the tears from my face before turning down the thick covers, sliding into bed beside her. She was in a sitting position, holding the cup of tea in her lap as she looked over at me, taking me in."You've changed a lot," she said with a
"How do you know what that is?""Oh, Goddess," I sighed, rolling over onto my back. "This is going to be a very long story, Mom."***"So, you felt it when I… when I lost my powers?" she asked. It had taken me over two hours to tell her everything. I recounted every detail from the moment I met Tro
"How are you? I haven't been able to talk to you since we got here." Troy looked at me with concern."I'm fine… just huge. And tired. You don't have to sleep in the garage again, I promise.""Ernest and Talon are on their way back from Mirage; they will arrive in the morning. Troy, we will have a lo
TroyWell, I was still alive.I hadn't been sure what to expect when we finally reached Maeve's homeland, but I thought Maeve would have been more at peace.Instead, I watched her crumble at the edge of her parents' bed, the moonstones in her hands, realizing the act of bringing them together hadn't
She filled both of them with coffee and added a liberal amount of fresh cream, which made my stomach tighten with anticipation. We had been eating nothing but dried food and grains for weeks, and no one aboard Damian's cruiser could cook worth a damn. Yesterday, we'd been too busy to eat a proper me
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