After a moment, she nodded, and that was it.
The all-powerful Vampire Queen, now Fae Queen, had given up her Coterie to Naomi without a fight and had just given up debating me about leadership of the Coalition.
For the first time in a long time, I had hope that things would go well.
“I must meet up with my witches soon,” Tally said, bringing the conversation back around. “As luck would have it, the group who has my daughter is near here. Ambassador, please let us know what needs to be done, so we can attend to other pressing matters.”
Jeb rifled through some of the pages of the book. “The ceremony will take place two moons from now, at promptly three a.m., lunar time. That day marks a new moon, and the energy and power will be particularly potent.”
“Should I summon the Princess of Hell?” I asked.
“I beg your pardon?” he said.
“You know, the fifth seat on the Coalition, the demon seat,” I said. “I have her summoning stone. She can be here shortly.”
Jeb seemed momentarily stunned as he leaned over his book and rifled through more pages.
Rourke, Ray, Tyler, Kayla Marcy, and Danny all stood around us waiting for an answer.
Rourke leaned into me. “Maybe we have it wrong?”
“Could be, but then, who fills the seat?” I said. “I thought there were five factions—werewolves, witches, vampires, demons, and fae. Who else is there?”
Jeb glanced up. A pair of round spectacles popped into place on his nose, enhancing his large, bushy eyebrows. “Demons are indeed one of the top powers, but they aren’t technically part of this realm. The Coalition has always been about only this world. If not”—he cocked his head thoughtfully—“the Coalition would contain people like myself, and angels, and many others who are more powerful.”
Point taken.
It seemed our world lagged behind others in strength. That was news to me, but none of us was really old enough to know who’d taken the original seats. I only knew my predecessor had one. “So, if the Princess of Hell is not who we’re searching for, who is?”
Jeb bobbed his head down again, his stick-straight hair not even pretending to move. “The last spot is reserved for those who commune with the dead. It’s not always one specific supernatural Sect, but in this case”—Jeb looked over his spectacles—“it’s reserved for a necromancer.”
His gaze moved past me and stopped over my shoulder.
I turned, meeting Kayla’s startled gaze as her hand settled over her heart. “Me?” She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“I haven’t known Jeb for very long, but he hasn’t been wrong so far,” I said. “It seems Enid knew a thing or two when she picked you to do her bidding. She must’ve seen this already. You are the most powerful necromancer around, right?”
Kayla was almost too overcome to answer. “Yes…at least…I think I am. But we’re not like you.” She glanced around. “We are solitary, independent supernaturals. We don’t operate in a typical Sect.”
“Then how would you know if you’re the best of your kind?” Ray asked. He caught my eye and shrugged. “Just asking.”
She gazed at the ground, and Jeb said, “I can answer that. You see, her father was the most accomplished necromancer the world has ever seen. He, and he alone, was able to raise armies, to command the dead on a mere thought. Kayla has inherited not only his power, but his unique genes.”
Kayla was clearly overcome. I made my way over and laid a hand on her arm. “Kayla, we’ve already witnessed your incredible power up close. It’s truly spectacular. I don’t think Enid was careless when she selected you. She did it because you are meant to take this position. I know this must be overwhelming, but I am certain your parents would be incredibly proud. Your place on the Coalition will also solidify your brother’s safety. There’s no better place for you guys to be than here.”
Kayla stilled herself, finding her quiet inner strength, which was just as fierce as any of ours. As far as keeping the supernatural world in line, her skills would be unmatched.
No supernatural could defeat an army of anything.
Jeb coughed politely. “It seems as though Fate has your favor,” he said to me.
“My favor? I can’t exactly agree with you there,” I replied. “Since I’ve been born, my life has been nothing but an uphill battle.”
“Your relationship with each person on this Coalition is unprecedented,” he stated evenly. “Not only are they known to you—some even bonded to you—a few of their mates are related to you. A mate bond is no simple thing. It’s etched into the very fabric and cell of each party. This entire Coalition was set into motion many, many years ago. Yes, there’ve been a few glitches,” he admitted. “But it seems someone, or something, wanted to be doubly, or triply, sure that this operated smoothly and efficiently by putting their faith in you.”
“Well, if that’s the case, I’d have to assume Eudoxia is a mistake. There are likely very few people in the world I get along with less than the Fae Queen.”
“We can’t all be your sheep,” Eudoxia declared authoritatively. “If that were true, then you would get lazy and put us all at risk.”
“I’m not bonded to you either,” Tally said.
“Actually,” Jeb said, thumbing through more pages. “I wouldn’t rule that out just yet.”
“What are you talking about?” Tally asked, alarmed. She’d said it so vehemently, Jeb arched his head back like he’d been struck.
“Well, you’re not mated yet, but it is written here—”
Tally held up her hand. “Stop right there. I don’t want to know. When I find my mate, I’ll know it. There’s no way I’d take that book’s word for it anyway, so don’t complicate things. Are we almost done here? I am anxious to be reunited with my daughter.”
Jeb’s lips curled in distaste. The Coalition was going to be run by five headstrong women who would not be pushed around by a conservative, stuck-in-his-ways warlock. “Yes, we are done here,” he said. “I simply came to tell you the time and the place of your coronation.”
“We got it. Three a.m., two moons from now,” I said. One moon would be rising in just a few hours. That meant there was only one full day left. “Where do we meet?”
“We will assemble at the highest point in Florence, a place called San Miniato. There is a basilica there, built in the eleventh century. We will meet on the grounds outside, under the new moon. I will see you then.”
The words were barely out of his mouth when Jeb popped out of existence.
We all stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do.
“Well,” I said. “I think it’s safe to say it’s going to take the warlock some time to get used to us. He’s mentioned that this Coalition is already much different than the others. He’s not thrilled about the change. I think Jebediah Amel is used to certainty and routine, and he will likely get neither from the likes of us.”
Rourke settled his arm around my shoulders. “Let’s head back to the villa,” he said. “Your father’s taken the wolves back to the bunkhouse to talk about the future and settle any lingering unrest. He assigned wolves to deal with the bodies as well. Let’s go decompress and figure out our next step.”
“I’m not sticking around,” Eudoxia declared. “As I said before, I have some pressing business to attend to. I will be at the meeting place two nights from now, but you will not see me again before then.” She nodded once, and then shot up in the air and out of sight.
We all glanced at each other.
It’d been a long day.
As we began to walk, I said, “I think this is the first time someone or something hasn’t been after me.” I laid my head on Rourke’s shoulder.
He growled, “And it’s going to stay that way if I have anything to say about it.”
30
It didn’t take long for Tally’s witches to deliver her daughter, Maggie, to our doorstep. Tally had been waiting anxiously on the veranda with open a
rms, Marcy right behind her. There was a lot of kissing and crooning over the toddler.
Marcy held the cherub in her arms, nuzzling her cheeks loudly, murmuring, “You still smell like baby to me, even though I know you’re so grown up. I’ve missed you, you little goof. I’m so happy you’re back.”
After a few more moments of continued smothering, Maggie wiggled out of Marcy’s arms and toddled toward me. She stopped, lifting her arms in the universal sign of uppy. I obliged and picked her up, placing a kiss on her cheek. “Maggie, I’m so glad you’re okay. We were so worried.”
She grabbed my face between her two chubby hands, her expression comically serious. “You have babies,” she told me in hushed tones. Then she brought her tiny fingers in front of my face and flashed a crumpled peace sign. “Two of them.”
I smiled. “I know,” I told her. “I just found out. It’s big news.”
She nodded gravely and grabbed my face again. “It’s gonna be okay,” she said. “The baby boy will protect the baby girl, like your brudder protects you. She will have lots of friends.” She proudly jabbed a single finger into her chest. “I’m going to be her friend.” She sighed dramatically. “She’s gonna be my bestest friend.”
My throat was too constricted to speak.
I had to glance away from her sincere little face for fear of scaring her with racking sobs.
Rourke came to my rescue, scooping her out of my arms and tossing her into the air. She gave a delighted squeal. “Kitty, do more!” she called, using the cute nickname she’d given Rourke.
Rourke obliged, and while the child was occupied with flying through the air, Marcy came over to give me a hug. “My little cousin-niece can be one spooky little child when she’s spouting the future,” she said. “But don’t forget, she’s never wrong. I believe she might be the most powerful seer in the entire world.” Marcy linked arms with me as we watched my mate continued to toss her around as her squeals got louder. “If she says your babies will be fine, I believe her.” Marcy’s hand reassuringly stroked my arm.
I leaned my head against hers. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to have to give my daughter up at some point,” I confided to my best friend for the first time. “My daughter is the sacrifice Juanita was talking about.”
Marcy turned to me, her eyes wide. “Are you sure?” she asked. “Or are you metaphorically speaking? Like you’re going to have to ‘give her up,’ as in when they turn the dreaded thirteen and want nothing to do with you, you feel like kicking them out?”
I shook my head. “My daughter is the reincarnate of Bianca, the third sister. I’m sure of it,” I said. “She will most likely retain her true self and memories, but I’m not sure about the timing of when she has to leave.” Tears began to creep into the corners of my eyes. “I don’t know how I’m going to manage to give up my child. And I can’t even talk about what it’s going to do to Rourke. But it’s something I must swear to do to Enid tomorrow night at midnight.”
Marcy purposefully guided me into the house, and we ducked into a nearby library. She closed the double doors. “Go sit on that settee,” she ordered with a gesture of her arm as she grabbed a straight-backed chair and dragged it over to where I numbly sat. “I need you to look at me.” She placed both her hands on my legs and gave a squeeze. At her prodding, I met her gaze. “This isn’t as dire as it seems,” she stated firmly.
“How can you say that?” I said, a single tear tracking down my face. “I have no idea if Enid will even let her visit once she leaves, or if my daughter will even want to.” I shook my head. “What if they demand her at Maggie’s age? What if they take my baby away from me? Away from Rourke and our son? What if we never get a chance to know her?”
“They won’t do that,” Marcy said hastily. “Ultimately, they want their sister happy and healthy, right? Sure, she’ll have some of her old memories creeping in at Maggie’s age, but she won’t be old enough to process them. She’ll need love, stability, and understanding, and you can give her all those in spades. Enid would be foolish to rob her sister of a loving family.”
“I hear you, and I want to believe it, but I’m having trouble putting all the pieces in the right box.” Marcy leaned back, and I stood, needing to walk out my frustrations. “It’s overwhelming to learn I’m pregnant at all, much less know that I’ll have to give up my child.”
Marcy turned in her chair so she could face me. “You heard Maggie just now,” she argued. “She’s going to be best friends with your daughter. And I can see why—they’re both powerful seers. Who better to help navigate the waters? Fate is choosing to take care of this itself. If you don’t believe me, ask Maggie more questions and she’ll tell you herself. And, honestly, you can’t take all this worry on right now. If you do, your head might pop off, and then where will the babies be? I’m sorry to inform you, but they need a mother with a head or they can’t survive.”
“I don’t want to ask Maggie any more questions,” I told her, leaning against the wall and crossing my arms around my midsection. I was fearful of what the toddler might say, that it be too hard to bear. I couldn’t risk that right before I had to talk to Enid. If I couldn’t convince the Hag that I would give over her sister when she asked, I would die, and my babies would die along with me. The stakes were so much higher now. “I have to let this play out without the interference. Rourke and I haven’t even had a chance to discuss it.” I ran a hand through my hair. “I need to get my feelings in order so I can stay strong for him.”
Marcy stood, coming up next to me. She reached her arm around my waist and pulled me close. I hugged her back. “You don’t need to be strong for Rourke. He’s your rock, and he will continue to be. You two will weather this storm. It’s not going to destroy you. I won’t let it. Nobody will. We will rally around you both. There has to be some goodness in Enid, way, way deep down, like possibly lumped up in her baby toe. Even if she doesn’t agree now, once she meets her infant reincarnated sister for the first time, she will want what’s best for her. She will see that the only sane thing to do is leave the child with you until she comes of age.”
I stepped back. “What then?” I asked. “She just disappears into the sunset, never to be seen again? Where do the Hags even live?”
Marcy tossed her hands in the air. “How can you be hormone-crazed already? This isn’t like you, and that’s not how this is going to work. People don’t just gallop off into the sunset, never to be seen again. We’re supernaturals, for cripes sake! You will continue to see your daughter—the girl you raise from birth. You will have an ongoing relationship. If she has to leave for extended times, you’re just going to have to pretend she’s off backpacking through Europe, like college kids do. Then, when she comes home for a visit, you will make the most of it. That’s how this will work.” Marcy’s voice was adamant, and for the first time since I’d heard the news that I was pregnant and giving birth to Enid’s sister, I had a glimmer of hope that this wasn’t going to be as bad as I imagined.
“I hope you’re right,” I agreed, exhaling a long breath. “Because I don’t think I could bear to sever myself from my child forever. Do you think Enid will ask that of me?”
“No, honey. She’d have to be a sadist who hates her baby sister and wants her to live a horrible life. And she’s not that. Enid is going to be so beyond relieved to finally have her flesh and blood breathing on this earth after all these years that she will likely become her fairy godmother.” Marcy giggled. “I can just envision ol’ Enid coming to Christmas dinner with an armful of crazy gifts, like the looney cat lady aunt who still thinks giving Russian stacking dolls and hand-knit sweaters is cool.”
I laughed in spite of the situation. It felt good. “I keep imagining her little brother left without his sister for all those years, feeling the loss acutely. I’m a twin, and if they’re anything like me and Tyler, their bond will be unbreakable from the moment they’re born. It would be heart-wrenching to have her torn from our lives.”
Marcy slung her arm over my shoulders. “I hear you, Ace. It’s not going to be easy, especially going into this not knowing the outcome. But I don’t think it’s going to be as bad as you think. Plus, you haven’t factored in Juanita yet. She’s always been your advocate, and she will continue to cheer you on and want what’s best for her sister. Enid won’t be the only one making the decisions here.”
There was a soft knock on the door.
Marcy went to answer it.
Rourke stood holding Maggie, who looked happy and content, her blonde curly head resting on his broad shoulder. Rourke hesitated before he came in, trying to read my emotions. “Maggie wanted to find you,” he said, his face full of concern. He felt my tension, stress, and sadness acutely. This had to be incredibly hard for him, especially since we hadn’t had a chance to talk.
Are you okay? he asked. I wish we could go upstairs right now, he growled. But it would be remiss of us not to talk to your dad and make sure everything is running smoothly before we disappear.
I hear you. I want nothing more than some alone time with you. And I’m doing as well as can be expected. Marcy’s helping me a lot, so I’m thankful for that.
“Jess-ca.” Maggie yawned while reaching for me. I took the tot out of Rourke’s arms and held her close. She angled her head into the crook of my neck, while her little palm stroked my cheek. “It’s gonna be okay. Annie lubs you already.” Her voice was barely a whisper. She was almost asleep. The kid had been through a lot. “She’s my bestest friend, and I can’t wait to meet her.”
My gaze raced to Rourke’s.
Annie.
My mother’s name.
It’s perfect, Rourke said, his voice full of emotion. It’s appropriate for her to be named after your mother.
What was your father’s name? I asked.
Aodhán, he replied. Pronounced Aidan in modern English.
Annie and Aidan.
I turned my back on my mate, rocking Maggie in my arms as my eyes misted. I might have to face facts and admit that the added hormones might be making me weepy.
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