He remembered that much.
There was a wedding soon after. A baby… One with Marquis’s dark hair with Mads’s silvery shine. Justin?
No, they never decided. But Marquis was dead set on one name in particular.
Rexford.
Little Rex…
Chapter Three
Marquis
“Caspian must have been a therapist in another life. He’s good at it. Even I’ve never gotten that story from you.” Rexford strolled in, phone in hand. A pained look flashed across his face.
“What’s going on?” Marquis bounced the babe on his hip.
“Mads is making sense. They want you to come in. And I want to, too…” Rexford didn’t make eye contact as he said it. “I don’t have questions or any anger left in me. So, don’t worry.”
Nite slipped through, a heavy trash bag scooting across the floor as he did so. After the coven had searched through all of her belongings, all that was left was to rid them of the eighty years of stuff she left behind. It all felt dirty since he’d found out. “You two heading out?”
“I suppose we must. I believe I’m in as good of a headspace as any.” Marquis sighed.
“Take the rugrat with you. If he’s here with me, papa’s gettingzerowork done.” Nite swept back around to give Rexford a kiss and Caspian a little nuzzle. “Emotional support baby.”
“Is Mads safe enough?” Marquis glanced at Rexford, who shrugged.
Caspian took a moment to lean over and chew on Marquis’s shoulder, drooling heavily while making a babbling, complaining noise.
“Is it naptime already?” Marquis glanced down as Caspian rubbed furiously at his eyes.
“Good, he can sleep on the way. Car naps are the best.” Nite grunted as he dragged another bag out to the garage.
“Don’t forget the baby strap.” Nite swept through again and flung a complicated array of straps and buckles at Rex, who stared at it with a long sigh.
“I recently changed him. Get him in the car seat while I pack a snack and a bottle.” Marquis sighed and went about prepping for the trip. He’d taken to modern child-rearing so easily. It was a great distraction.
After a few minutes, they were out the door, Nite still wand-waving about the house bagging up all of Doris’s presence. He wanted as much of her gone as possible. A bitter memory only.
The drive wasn’t all that far from his coven headquarters. The Penumbra coven had an estate rather like a retirement community that had a religious status as some sort of nature-worshiping cult for tax purposes, and it kept the mundanes away.
In the city proper, they had offices, an older small hospital they’d taken over for offices, with the basement serving as housing for special needs patients. Mads was kept there under lock and key, every minute bite of food and drop of drink logged—especially after they’d discovered Doris’s tampering.
As they signed in, a rather pleasant woman, a siren, gave them a worried smile. “He’s been asking for you, Covenmaster.”
She was the wife of one of his mages, Paulina, tolerated in that their species were compatible and siren unions yielded less children, but a higher percentage chance of familiars. Something to do with seahorses…Marquis shook the thought away as she walked them down crisp, clean halls to his suite.
Caspian flailed and cried as they walked, and Marquis opened his arms. “Come, Rexford. Emotional support baby time.”
Rexford rolled his eyes and unbuckled Caspian, handing him over with a sigh. The child flopped over Marquis’s shoulder and clutched to him with pure, unadulterated love in the way only a child could. “Apa!”
“Grandpa, that’s right!” Rexford cooed, and Caspian bounced himself in Marquis’s arms.
Paulina unlocked the door and the yellow-bright light filtered into the dark hall from a crack as she announced herself. “Mads, you have visitors.”
Marquis tensed, holding the baby tighter as the door swung open.
“Marquis…” Mads looked up from a chair in a small sitting room. Piles of books lay stacked in a corner and on either side of a small TV that looked disused. He stood as they walked in, Rexford in tow.
