Looks like we were about to have that conversation right now.
Arthur and I glanced at each other before we followed Lord Lucien down to the dining room. When we got there, I saw Ethan sitting at the center of the table, looking between both ends. Babcia and Bapa were seated at one side of the table, my mother, the other.
Oh, great. I bet this was going to be a real brawl. You couldn’t get my grandparents and my mother in the same room together without some kind of meltdown.
I cautiously took a seat beside Ethan, and Arthur sat beside me. Lucien took a seat beside Mom and placed an arm around her shoulder as he said, “Now that we’re certain thestrygawon’t return, what we need to decide is how much precaution we’re willing to take with Kalina.”
Lucien cleared his throat. Babcia leaned forward and said, “Thestrygawouldn’t want Kalina unless she had more power than they themselves did— and that kind of magic is tremendous. If we were unsure of her demigod abilities before, we can’t be now. Sheisa demigoddess. It’s dangerous if others have access to that type of knowledge.”
“There might be more,” I began. I looked at Arthur, and he gave me a nod. “Arthur and I have been discussing. We believe that Vara might’ve been Neva incarnated.”
There were notes of surprise around the table. Even my grandparents looked shocked, and nothing got to them. Ethan rubbed his chin and said, “This is interesting. What are the odds that we had not one goddess in our midst, but two?”
“Astronomical,” Arthur replied. “But still possible.”
“When I look back at everything that’s happened, yes, it could be true,” Bapa muttered.
“If this is true, Kalina could’ve inherited Neva’s abilities. Asidhefae as well— a daughter of a goddess mother, and a mortal father,” Lucien marveled. “That would make her the strongest sorceress of her time.”
“Once she’s come of age,” I said. “Right now, she’s just a baby. And we have at least seventeen years, maybe more, before she’s able to use her magic to protect herself. We have to keep her safe during that time.”
There was a bout of silence, where Lucien said, “We knew Emma was the Worldweaver before she was even born, and Kalina being a demigod is even more dangerous. We have to be willing to take drastic measures in order to preserve her life.”
“What are you playing at?” Arthur narrowed his eyes, and I similarly bristled.
Lucien sighed. “I beg you to forgive me, but the matter seems obvious. Arthur has to take Kalina far away from here, and raise her on his own. One of us will take Kaz.”
Arthur immediately jumped up and slammed his hands on the table. “Ah, fuck no. You aren’t suggesting it.”
“There may not be another option,” Lucien said calmly.
“I’m her father. I have more right than anyone to decide what happens to her,” Arthur growled. “She needs to stay with Kaz, and I need to stay with my son. They’ve already lost their mother. There’s nothing more important than keeping our family together.”
“Being a parent means makingsacrifices,” Mom shot at him. “Sometimes you have to choose.”
Shut up, Mom.This wasn’t what he needed right now. My grandparents stiffened. I knew damn well Babcia wanted to tell her off, but she kept her mouth shut. Wouldn’t for much longer, though.
Lucien drummed his fingers on the table. “You have to consider the possibility that it might be safer for them to be seperated.”
“No. I’m with Arthur,” I said immediately. “It was cruel that you guys split us up when we were kids. We damn sure aren’t going to let that happen to the twins.”
“I for one agree with our grandchildren. We thought it was foolish for Evonna to take Emma and leave Arthur behind. It would be a mistake to do the same thing twice,” Babcia said.
“You don’t have a say in this. You’re just a great-grandparent,” Mom snarled.
“They have as much say as anyone! They raised me, which is less than I can say of you!” Arthur bellowed.
Mom wrinkled her nose and rolled her eyes, like she didn’t really care what Arthur thought of her anymore. And maybe she didn’t. She had Lucien now. Her kids might as well be meaningless.
“Arthur, sit down,” Ethan said gently. “We can work out an agreement that benefits everyone, especially the twins.”
Arthur slowly sank into his seat, but he was about to go off again at a moment’s notice. Our twin bond was tight… like Arthur was a fuse that’d already been lit.
Mom gave a long, dramatic sigh, like she was bored and this was taking up her precious time. “What if both of the twins have these amazing abilities? It would be better if they weren’t together, so whoever is after them wouldn’t be able to take both of them at once.”
“Kazim is normal. An average supernatural, possibly not even talented,” I stated. “There isn’t power in him like there is in Kalina.”
“And how do you know?” Mom asked.
