“How dare you!” Mom belted.
“It’s the truth, Mom, don’t try to act like it isn’t,” I said. My mom was totally the type to tell a guy that he needed to give up his parents— and everyone else— for her.
Mom huffed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I deserve to enjoy the twilight years of my life with the man I love, after everything I’ve given up.”
Oh,gods. My mom was barely forty. She might be a grandma, but she was nowhere near entering the nursing home. Hertwilight years.Psh. Someone get her an Oscar for Actress of the Year.
Arthur crossed his arms. He made his next statement very slowly. “Even if you don’t like each other… even if youhateeach other… you have to act like you don’t. For the twins’ sake. They deserve to grow up in a stable family that isn’t arguing all the time. As their father, I have to protect them from that kind of neglect. So I say anyone who brings any drama around my kids won’t be around them long enough to do permanent damage.”
“Arthur!” Mom gasped.
“Ye heard me, Ma. I won’t tolerate anyone acting this way in front of my children,” Arthur stated firmly. “So either shape up, or ship out.”
Mom stuck out her lip and pouted, while my grandparents didn’t say anything. I was certain my grandparents could bite their tongues and keep it together, for Kazim and Kalina’s sake. Mom, not so much.
“I think we’ve discussed all we can, for now,” Lucien said. “We’ll pick this conversation back up if the twins’ safety proves too hard to maintain here.”
Mom couldn’t wait to get out of there. She stormed out like some starlet who’d been told she couldn’t have a new purse. Lucien didn’t bother to rush after her, which surprised me.
Bapa and Babcia gave us nods as they left. They thought we’d done the right thing. At least they’d always support us.
“You okay?” I asked Arthur as I turned to him.
“Yeah,” he said with a weary sigh. “Just wish things weren’t so complicated.”
ThatI agreed with. “You still thinking about Vara being a goddess?”
He gave a ghost of a smile. “Now that I’ve had a moment to process the idea, it’s actually somewhat… comforting.”
“Yeah?” My hopes brightened.
“It is. She’s always with me. But I think I need some time alone with it… to process.”
I totally got that. “Let me know if you need me.”
“Always will.” Arthur squeezed my arm, and it gave me a sense of comfort. Our twin bond felt strong again. I knew he missed Vara, but maybe now that he knew she was a goddess, it could give him some sort of peace.
“Emma, Ethan,” Lucien said briskly. “I want you with me. Come along.”
Uh-oh. Were we in trouble? I’d probably been too straightforward during that whole conversation.
We followed Lucien outside. It was a starlit night, perfect for spell-casting. The only sound that could be heard were the waves hitting the rocks on the cliffside.
Lucien took us to the middle of the gardens, where he turned around. As he faced us, he said, “If you’re serious about keeping the twins here, you have to learn shadow manipulation, Emma. There can’t be any gaps in your arsenal. You must be willing to use whatever power is at your disposal to protect them, even if it’s painful for you to go into the deepest parts of yourself to summon it.”
I immediately felt resistance. I wanted to say no, but Lucien was right. Shadow manipulation was powerful. I could use it to defeat Droga and Gabby. I had failed to perform it before, but I wouldn’t fail again, because I had no other choice. I couldn’t keep denying that I had to walk down this path, if I wanted to be successful in my quest.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect the twins,” I said.
Lucien nodded. “Very well. Sit down, please. Ethan, you’ll need to anchor her. Perhaps with a mate, Emma will be able to access the darkest parts of herself easier.”
The three of us sat down on the grass. Ethan changed into a wolf and laid his head on my lap. I placed both hands on his fur to keep me grounded as Lucien began the meditation. “Imagine you are going down a dark tunnel, deep inside yourself. It is dark there, with no light other than the one you hold in your hand…”
Lucien’s voice faded into the background as I fell heavily into the meditation. I saw the tunnel that Lucien spoke of, and my spirit began proceeding toward the exit as if it had a form of its own. My illusion magic made everything seem real, just as it had before.
This time, though, I could still feel my body back on Earth, because I was holding on to Ethan. His fur was a tether, reminding me I could return to our bond at any time if I wanted a break from confronting my inner darkness.
I got to the door at the end of the tunnel and opened it. I entered into the same gray forest I had months ago. Everything was identical, from the dark trees to the overcast sky. Nothing had changed.
