by Dannika Dark
***
Six weeks had passed since the birth of Rose La Croix. The night of the birth, I had sat with Adam in the dining room and we’d shared conversation over a cup of gourmet coffee. I couldn’t help but notice he hadn’t been able to wipe the smirk off his face since saving Rose.
“First baby?” I asked.
“I hope they don’t all go that way. Feel me? There was a minute there I didn’t think she’d make it.” Adam looked all swashbuckling, reminding me of the man I’d first met back in Texas. Maybe it was just seeing the hope glimmering in his eyes that had been lost for so long.
Adam recounted what happened during the birth. He said after a valiant effort to save her life, Elsa had finally covered the baby’s lifeless body and left the room. He didn’t think his healing light would work on an infant so small, but since it had successfully helped Page, he gave it a shot. Upon the first gasp of breath, he began clearing her airway and rubbing on her like the Relic had been doing to stimulate her to cry.
Adam stayed with us for two days to care for Page. He followed her instructions on what she needed, checking her vitals and making sure that she took it easy. Page wanted to recover quickly so she could care for the baby. Justus didn’t hesitate in taking his duties as a father seriously. After each feeding, Rose would go into her daddy’s arms so he could warm her with his Thermal heat and rock her to sleep in the nursery.
I’d never seen him so gentle.
I don’t know if Christian ever called Justus and smoothed things over, but when Page began receiving flowers and cards, one card stood out. The envelope was addressed to Justus, not Page. It was black with an embossed design on the front, an infinity symbol in silver.
The only thing written inside was: May your new light forever shine.
There was neither a signature nor a return address, but I knew it was from Christian Poe. It was his way of apologizing, and because it was kept with the other cards, I had a feeling Justus had finally forgiven him.
Logan cooked our meals, which I had no complaints about except for the night he decided to make anchovy pizza. Finn looked a little out of place but delved into the extensive library in our home, devouring all the books on law he could find.
Page said the baby was old enough to be around a large group of people now that she was six weeks old, so I decided to host a dinner party to celebrate. Logan and Levi helped me in the kitchen as we made enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, and more guacamole than I’d ever seen in my life. The Cross brothers were invited, along with Simon, Novis, Sunny, Adam, and Sadie.
All showed up.
It was a spectacular dinner—one of the best we’d ever had. Simon told raunchy jokes that made Sunny roll her eyes more than once, and Levi demonstrated just how many burritos one man could consume.
I made a mental note not to ask him to stay overnight.
Sadie soaked it all in. She’d been getting to know her brothers and the week prior, we’d gone to Northern Lights to watch her perform. She had an angelic voice with just the right amount of rasp. What I loved was how she didn’t have a need for a band. She sang a song without her guitar and still had the audience in her thrall. I couldn’t help but notice the glittery look in Adam’s eyes as he watched her. After her performance, Logan insisted she begin playing at the Breed clubs. The pay was better and to be honest, I think he was so proud of his little sister that he wanted to show her off to the world.
It was also nice to have a group of girls in my core of friends—it wasn’t just me surrounded by a bunch of men anymore. Page wasn’t ready for a girls’ night out, but we had plans in the summer to do something out of town. I didn’t think she’d be able to leave the baby, but Justus convinced her to agree. He had complete confidence he could care for that child by himself.
At least for a weekend.
After the last enchilada was scooped out of the dish, everyone retired to the living room. Simon collapsed on the flokati rug, his arms and legs stretched out as he moaned and groaned at the ceiling.
“I haven’t eaten like that since my trip to France in 1923. I feel… punished.”
We had pulled in extra seating to accommodate everyone. Justus and Page cozied up on the leather sofa facing the monitors while Logan and Levi made themselves at home on the couch facing the fireplace. Lucian sat in a leather chair to the left, staring at fish swimming by on our screensaver. Sadie plopped down in a green swivel chair next to Adam, who was doing his sexy lean against the wall.
After Levi raised the topic on the latest Breed crime report, Novis followed me into the kitchen to help with the drinks. No alcohol would be served at this gathering, so we made several cups of cocoa and hot apple cider. I dropped an oversized marshmallow into a cup, listening to the chatter in the other room.
“Did Justus talk to you about Page?” I asked.
“He did. And before we get to that, you missed your training session yesterday.”
“Sorry. I had to run to the dry cleaners and then I got wiped out.”
He skeptically arched his brow. “Wiped out?”
I shrugged. “Everyone is entitled to a day off.”
Novis had begun working with me on my Unique abilities, testing my limits and helping me learn how to harness that energy. But between his sessions and Justus’s—which had been ongoing since the birth—I was exhausted.
“I will allow you to take a day off, but it would be courteous to call and give me notice so I can rearrange my schedule.”
“Sorry about that.”
He stirred a spoon in a cup. “I have another assignment for you. This one is more than a messenger role—I need you to speak on my behalf at an upcoming event.”
Butterflies violently hurled themselves against my stomach in panic. “What event?”
“It is a speech I’m to give in front of the Mageri regarding Nero and the events that unfolded in front of the higher authority. I’m unable to attend as I had already made a commitment to an old friend and will be traveling out of the country that week. It’s nothing to trouble yourself over. I’ll give you the speech and you can memorize it.”
“Speech?” I exclaimed, my eyes wide, my voice shrill. “I have to make a speech in front of people?”
“Just a few hundred.”
I spun around and gripped the sink. “Oh my God. I think I’m going to be sick.”
Novis laughed and his face brightened as he lifted the tray of drinks. “Only kidding, Silver. You said I needed a sense of humor, but where has yours gone?”
“That’s not funny,” I lied, still coming down from shock.
“I do have an assignment. Your duties as my apprentice are still ongoing. This is why it’s imperative for you to be proactive in learning how to use your gifts. I have the utmost confidence you can take care of yourself.”
“Well,” I admitted, “Logan hasn’t confessed to anything, but he’s unofficially taken over as my guard. The last run you had me go on, I caught him lurking in the shadows. He’s not as smooth about it as Christian was.”
An enigmatic smile crossed his expression. “Come. We have thirsty people waiting on these drinks.”
I eyed him suspiciously as he turned the corner. When I entered the living room, I set my tray on a small table and began passing out the drinks. Sunny returned from using the bathroom, looking more pregnant than ever.
She stopped and Novis handed her a cup, steam swirling in front of her face as she took a sip. My eyes skated down to his hand resting on her belly. It was remarkable how a human had restored what he’d lost in his immortal life—humanity. Another man beneath the layers began to emerge—not just a wise man of authority, but a friend, a mentor, and someone who opened his heart to others.
Sunny touched the engagement ring Knox had bought for her. She wore it on a silver chain around her neck to keep him close to her heart.
Novis had established a close friendship with Sunny and had welcomed her family to live in his home for as long as they wanted. Maybe they were good for ea
ch other, even though it wasn’t a romantic relationship. I tried not to think of how she’d soon age and her children would be grown, because dwelling on the end of things never allows you to enjoy the beginning. I had to be positive about the privilege of seeing her descendants and being able to tell them the beautiful and tragic story of Sunny and Knox. Maybe I had to believe everything happened for a reason. Logan had once said that every event in our lives leads us to a greater destiny, even if we don’t always understand the purpose. I was beginning to see some truth in that.
“Come sit beside me, Little Raven, and rest your feet.” Logan tugged at my hand.
“Don’t you want cocoa?”
“I already have something sweet,” he said with a suggestive arch of his brow. I collapsed in the space beside him and sighed.
Finn relaxed against the wall in front of us, and Max sauntered up to him, flicking his tail left and right. Finn didn’t like my cat, and Max seemed indifferent about it. They engaged in a staring contest as Max sat down and growled. I watched my brother as he stuck out his tongue at the black cat and tossed a marshmallow at his head. After it bounced off and hit the floor, Max took a few licks and walked away.
Leo eased into a chair beside Lucian to my left. He placed some papers on a small table in front of him. “I’ve purchased a building on the west side of town. This is an amazing location and it won’t require much renovation to the building, outside of security. There’s an underground garage with two levels, so there’ll be plenty of space for parking. We’ll have six floors, and the walls can be knocked out to make the homes the size we require. Some of us need the space,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ll let everyone look over the layout.”
Page handed Justus the baby and he set her on his lap. Rose was dressed in a pale yellow nightgown with tiny daisies on it. Justus played with her toes and spoke to Leo without looking away. “Why not just give us each our own floor?”
Leo counted on his hands, looking about the room. “That would leave an odd man out. We’d have Levi, Lucian, and Finn. That’s four when you include me. That leaves us with only two floors left and two couples,” he said, looking at Logan and then Justus. “Sadie will be left without her own space.”
“I’ll stay with you,” she piped in. “I’d like the company. Unless you don’t want to listen to your baby sister playing her guitar. I get it.” She smiled and played with a braid in her hair. I couldn’t help but find her amusing, because even at our dinner party, she wore her boots. She called them her lucky heels.
“I have no problem with that. One day, I may look at expanding with another floor, if possible. Is everyone in agreement? When Sadie finds a mate, she’ll move in with him, as is usually the custom.”
“Mate?” Levi said, sitting up straight on the sofa and making fists with his hands. “I don’t think she’s going anywhere.”
“Uh-oh,” I whispered to Logan. “Sounds like the big-brother instinct is kicking in.”
Sadie crossed her legs and smiled expressively, putting a blush on her cheek. “Just remember, boys, I’m the one who decides my own fate. You’ll accept whomever I give my heart to, and nobody had better even think about scaring him off. I don’t plan on getting hitched next week, so you can put that out of your head. I’m not even sure how many men would want to marry a woman whose only skill is playing the guitar and baking a pecan pie.”
Adam leaned forward. “Did you say pecan?”
“Yeah, why?”
He chuckled and crossed the room, lifting one of the cups and sitting on the edge of our sofa. “Nothing. It’s just my favorite pie,” he said, taking a slow sip.
Levi scorched Adam with a glare.
“Bloody hell,” Simon murmured from his spot on the floor. “Just shag her and get it over with.”
All the girls burst out laughing and the men shook their heads.
“I love baking pies,” Sunny chimed in. “I have a fantastic recipe for an apple pie that’s orgasmic.”
I stifled a snort when Novis’s cheeks bloomed red.
The baby began crying and Justus held her up so her feet stiffly touched his legs.
“Justus,” Page said, tugging down the back of the multi-colored knit hat that covered Rose’s pretty blond hair. “She’s too young to stand.”
“Nonsense,” he said. “She wants to stand. Look at her smiling.”
Rose cooed and Justus smirked at his daughter with the cherub face and big brown eyes.
Justus hadn’t changed. Same shaved head, designer clothes, imported cologne, and a fancy Rolex—even though a Mage didn’t have need for a watch. His muscles were an example of what a man could look like with the right conditioning. His eyes still sparkled cobalt blue and his Charmer ability seemed to have no effect on his woman or his daughter. Novis suspected Rose was a Blocker, or had inherited whatever resistance Page had to Justus’s charm. Rose would cry and pout at him, but sometimes I think that little baby knew she could make Justus the kind of father he was meant to be. Even though he hadn’t changed outwardly, something was different about him—a youthful spirit that shone in his eyes that I’d never seen. He seemed more alive and in the present than ever before.
Simon rolled over and finally sat with his knees up, watching Justus help his daughter stand. “She’s a charmer, that one.”
Justus’s eyes became volcanic. “Bite your tongue. That’s one gift I wouldn’t wish on her.”
Simon laughed. “With Page’s looks and your attitude? Yeah, as if men won’t already be chasing her. That one you’re going to have to keep an eye on, mate. She’s going to break hearts.”
“Adam, do you think you can take a picture of us?” Page asked. “Silver told me you’re quite the photographer and I’d like a family portrait.”
He smiled with his dark eyes. “You bet.”
Rose let out a happy squawk and Justus lifted her up and kissed her cheeks.
I no longer felt sadness about the fate I’d been handed. I knew I’d have children in my life through others, and that was enough. Not everyone is meant to have a spouse, a child, a home, or all the things promised at an early age. We must take what we are given and make the most of it. My life was about finding purpose and opening my heart to let others in, even if it meant losing a piece of my heart in the process. Loss was part of love.
Logan nuzzled my neck and I gave him a warm kiss, touching the tiny laugh lines at the corners of his mouth. His amber eyes glimmered in the soft light and I felt a deep reverence for this man who had turned his life around, all for love.
All for me.
Adam had been right all along: Some men do stick around.
Maybe Justus had a point that there are no happy endings, but there’s always a beginning—a new start filled with hope and love.
Sadie glanced across the room at Adam as he sipped his warm drink and set it on the table. He winked at her and she laughed quietly, shaking her head and twisting a small thread from her dress.
Sunny sipped her cocoa from a loveseat to my right while Novis engaged in a serious conversation with Justus. During their chat, Novis placed his hand on Sunny’s stomach, feeling the two lives kicking within her. He smiled at her briefly and resumed his chat. Sunny was learning it was okay to laugh again—that life went on and Knox would live on through her memories and her children.
I watched Justus as he kissed his baby sweetly on the cheek, whispering something in French.
He was my Ghuardian, my mentor, and in some ways, my father. Nothing in life is permanent, and while I knew I would someday face losing people who meant the world to me, they had become the very definition of who I was.
Family.
Friends.
Home.
This was the life I was meant to live. These were the people I was meant to love.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for taking this journey with me. SHINE is the last planned book the Mageri Series, although stand-alone spin offs are possible, (I don’t like closing do
ors). If you would like to know more about Kane’s story (Sunny’s brother from the Breed jail), be sure to check out CLOSER. All of my books take place in the same world with the same types of Breeds, so the journey won’t end here. In fact, this is just the beginning.
Additionally, there may be crossovers of Mageri characters into other books as some stories intersect. Later in the Seven Series, you’ll learn a very surprising piece of information that links to the Mageri Series. I am passionate about the Mageri world and wish to bring you more in both Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Please take a moment to show your love for the Mageri books by leaving a short review on the product page where your purchase was made. Your reviews are valuable and will help other readers discover this series!
I can’t express enough gratitude for the support and love I’ve received, so the best I can do to give back is to continue writing more stories.
Dannika
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THE MAGERI SERIES is an exciting urban fantasy romance following the journey of a young woman's claim to immortality, and her own identity. Dark, unique, passionate, and full of unpredictable twists, the Mageri series provides an original spin to an old concept.
THE SEVEN SERIES is a light paranormal romance that portrays Shifters living in secret in the modern world. A blend of humor, heartwarming romance, drama, and real-life issues. This series is for those who believe in family, second chances, and finding that person who completes you. Cliffhanger-free.
Sometimes ordinary people are destined for extraordinary lives.
Buy books by Dannika Dark
Books by Dannika Dark
THE MAGERI SERIES
Sterling
Twist
Impulse
Gravity
Shine
NOVELLAS
Closer
THE SEVEN SERIES
Seven Years