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The magic wasn’t mine, and giving in to it led us nowhere good. The only thing the fiendsdidn’twant me to do with it was what I’d done with the rest already: give it up, freely and without regret. As my consort had reminded me, the monsters couldn’t manipulate what was offered willingly, be it blood like I’d spilled my own by the Cliff or the power within me here.
I trailed my lips down to Rose’s jaw and cast off that final tremor of magic with a flick of my fingers. As it vanished into the air, leaving me totally myself again, I thought I felt an echo of a purer, grateful energy rush through me and all around the gazebo. Seth sucked in a soft breath and Gabriel hummed happily as if they’d also sensed it.
Then that was gone too, and all that remained was the six of us and the bliss we were creating between us.
Chapter Fifteen
Three years later
Damon
Maybe I wasn’t much of a flower fanatic, but even I had to admit that nothing really compared to the Hallowell gardens in full bloom. Jin’s mom had come by in the spring to make some suggestions to the current gardener on staff, and now, in late summer, the area behind the manor was a riot of color that could rival any of her son’s paintings. The blossoms gave off a cocktail of scents—fresh and sweet with richer notes mixed in—that I’d bet would bring in riches if you could bottle it.
At the moment, I was content to simply lean back in my lawn chair and drink it in on the warm breeze, watching the one element that elevated the space to something beyond just a pretty scene.
“Come, Grandma!” Alora cried, trundling along one of the garden paths. Her steps had become increasingly steadier with each passing month and now, a few months past her second birthday, I rarely saw a wobble that sent my heart lurching into my throat. Not that the occasional scraped knees had dampened her enthusiasm before.
My mom came hustling after her with a gentle, relaxed smile I couldn’t remember ever seeing on her face before she’d had Alora to aim it at. The arrival of a granddaughter, even one within a very unconventional family, had been enough to finally bring Mom out to the estate for regular, if brief, visits. As I watched her crouch down next to Alora, who was pointing at a bumblebee on one of the flowers, a pang that was both relieved and regretful formed in my chest.
Mom still wasn’t totally comfortable here. I saw it every time she turned her attention on anything or anyoneotherthan her granddaughter. But it was a start. It was more than she’d been open to before.
As if she’d sensed my thoughts, Mom straightened up and glanced toward me. “I’d better get going now,” she said. “Still have the grocery shopping to do.”
“Aw, play some more, Grandma,” Alora pleaded, wrapping her little arms around Mom’s leg.
As my mother tussled her hair affectionately, Gabriel swooped in to redirect our toddler. “Grandma will come back again soon. Wait until you see what I just found!”
Alora’s eyes brightened in an instant. “What? Where is it?” She released Mom to hustle along after him.
I peeled myself out of the chair at Mom’s approach. “Good to see you, Mrs. Scarsi!” Seth called from where he, Kyler, and Jin were tossing a frisbee around just past the hedges. She raised her hand in a tentative wave goodbye.
Rose got up from the chair next to mine even though I shot her a look to say she really didn’t have to. Normally I walked my mom out on my own. Mainly because, like now, Mom’s gaze got a little twitchy when Rose was nearby, as if she couldn’t quite decide where to direct it.
“Itisalways good to see you, Mom,” I said as we passed through the house to the front door, where she’d left her purse. “I should be able to bring Alora around to the park in town sometime after work this week if you want to meet us there again.”
Mom’s smile came back, if more reserved than before. “I’d like that.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Lennox and Mrs. Lyang are coming for dinner next Saturday,” Rose said, undeterred by the fact that my mom hadn’t looked straight at her for more than a second since we’d entered the house. “We’d love it if you joined us too—Alora would be so excited to see all the grandparents at once.”
I could tell Mom was torn between appreciating the invitation with that framing and being unsettled by the thought of those varied grandparents. “Well, I— I’ll have to check my work schedule and let you know. Thank you.”
At least she could manage to be polite about it. I squeezed her arm briefly before she headed out.
After the door was closed, Rose turned to me. “Do you think there’s any chance she’ll come?”
I made a face. “I don’t know. She’s taking her time getting used to the whole situation. But if you keep asking, she might come around eventually. Don’t take it personally.”
Rose laughed. “I’ve figured out that much.”
When we returned to the backyard, Ky had left the frisbee game to prop Alora up on his shoulders and trot around the garden. She squealed in delight, her hands clutching his tawny curls.
“Daddy!” she shouted when she saw me. “Look at me!”
I grinned back at her. “You’re going to touch the sky like that.”
She tapped Ky’s head. “Faster, Daddy.”
Hearing her call all of us “Daddy,” including me, brought a swell of joy into my chest. I hadn’t known how much I’d love hearing that title. Hadn’t known how much it’d mean to share it with the four other guys.
