Emory I hear a beeping sound, faintly, in the background, and I know that it’s some kind of machine. I remember hearing them in the hospital when Lola was born. For a moment, I am back there, and I am wanting to hold the baby but also want to see her mother, and I’m told that she died in childbirth
“He sacrificed himself for her,” Kane explains. “They had a car waiting on the other side of the wall, closest to their clan lands. Jacob slowed Rainer up so that Opal could get away. She’s gone now, and I’m pretty sure she managed to slip through our border patrol, too. I’m going to go call her fat
Emory Lex looks different when he comes in. It’s not just that he’s got smudges of dirt all over him and his clothing is torn, something I can’t imagine from the polished Lex I saw at dinner the other night and in the library earlier, but his countenance has changed. “Hello,” he says as he walks t
I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly, thinking I should ask for some medicine to help me sleep now. I’ve been so tired the last few days, it should be easy enough even without the medicine, but my shoulder is aching a little, and I feel drained, but my mind is blasting off at a million miles
“I like your optimism,” he says. “But… unfortunately, in my experience, bitches like Opal tend to get away with this kind of shit.” “Maybe you’re right,” I tell him. “Only time will tell.” “Well, listen,” he says, clapping my leg again, though not hard. “I know you’re tired. I’m gonna get out of y
KaneIt’s difficult for me to decide what to do first, call Vampire King Peter to see if he has Opal and demand justice for what his bitch daughter has done here or to go interrogate Jacob. In the end, I decide to head to the dungeon first. I want to see the face of the asshole who tried to kill my
“That’s true,” I agree. “But you didn’t. You had to know there was some risk involved in this, didn’t you?” He only looks at me blankly. “Were you always supposed to be the one to take the fall when it went to shit? Or did you just come up with the short straw?”“We weren’t supposed to get caught,”
I have to close my eyes for a second to will that image away. “I really don’t want to hear about any of your sexcapades, especially not those concerning my brother.” So much for Lex trying to tell me he’s only into women.“Anyway, she should’ve stayed in her room. We couldn’t make it in there. Those
Fractured memories of the night I nearly drank myself to death careen to the forefront of my mind. There was a woman. I don’t remember her face or her name. I was so far gone with drink and self-loathing that I gave in to whatever kind of attention and stimulations she had to offer. It was consensua
ColeThe letter came in the dead of night, rain-soaked and smeared, but I’d know her handwriting anywhere, in any condition. She’d written that she needed to see me, urgently, that it couldn’t wait, and she couldn’t explain why, not in a letter, not at the risk of what she needed to tell me going pu
EmeldaIt’s a quiet night. A long, silent walk from the castle. I needed this quiet, this stillness in the late summer air. Ravenfell comes into view beyond the trees, twinkling in the darkness. I smile, shaking my head as I look down at my shoes. I can still feel the weight of the twins in my arms
MichaelI haven’t been to Scarlet Thunder in… years. I didn’t realize how long it’s been until I pulled up to the back of the castle, somewhat startled by how small it looks compared to my memories from my childhood. Not that it's a small castle, but I'm much bigger now. I step out of my car, my fac
Faye“Oh, Faye, this is beautiful,” Emory says as she walks around the wide room on the second floor of the newly constructed manor. She runs her fingers over the pale blue and pink floral wallpaper and white trim, her jade eyes sparkling as she takes in the lace curtains and soft cream carpet. “I l
EmeldaIn the week since the twins were born, I’ve been busy with the final touches on my cottage. I spent days this past spring digging in the front garden, planting herbs and vegetables, and fixing the front path. I hired a group of shifters to replace the roof and update the inside, installing ne
Emelda“Thank you,” I say, hurrying at a near run as a maid takes my cloak. The castle is buzzing with nervous energy but remains quiet with even the maids tiptoeing around, trying not to make a sound. I’d remained in Ravenfell for the birth. I spent all night and most of this morning at Alma’s hou
FayeSomething’s wrong. Something has to be wrong. “You’re doing great. Keep pushing, Faye. You’ve got this,” Alma says, her face glistening with sweat and determination while I roar in pain. Michael clutches my hand, his other hand bracing my inner thigh as I bear down with all the strength I hav
Michael“It could be hours–or a day,” Alma says quietly as she arranges her tonics on a table just outside the bedroom where Faye’s finally getting some rest. “It’s been hours already,” I tell her, motioning toward the window in my suite in the castle where moonlight drifts through the panes, casti