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Their sister's magic could control lust and desire. She'd never had good experiences with it and had done her best to hide away from everyone and everything. She only seemed able to keep her powers completely in control around River and Yesenia. Or at least that had been the case when River had last seen her. "Where did you end up sending her, Senia?"
"Well, I had to apprentice her, or she would've become a complete recluse. But that being said, it was with a female who only sold her abilities to those who wanted a little boost in their relationship, consensually. Like married couples, long-term partners, or even for swinger parties and the like."
It was hard to picture his bookish, shy sister stirring up lust at swingers' shindig. "And she was okay with it?"
Yesenia shrugged one shoulder. "It was better than being forced to use it on those in power, to make them bend to another's will."
Yeah, shady motherfuckers would use that shit to take down rivals, easily. And given how much they'd pay to do it, their father would've forced Meadow until she couldn't take it anymore.
Not for the first time, he was fucking grateful for his older sister's stubbornness and drive to protect her family. "And what's your plan going forward? You always have one."
She shook her head. "Sort of. I've been training and training, working my way up to being able to bring Meadow here and protect her. But moving people through time is a delicate thing, and if done too soon, she could end up here in pieces." She searched River's eyes, debating something, and then blurted, "Bringing fated ones here is easier, and you were my first attempt to do just that."
He frowned. "Did you mess up? Fae witches don't have fated ones."
"No, but like with me, we can end up being one for a shifter or vampire."
A weird feeling went down his spine and he scrutinized Yesenia's face. "Are you not telling me something, Senia?"
She bit her bottom lip. "I want to, but I'm a little afraid to."
He shook his head. "Don't be, Senia. You, me, and Meadow were always a team. Don't start keeping fucking secrets from me now."
She rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Well, then just remember not to shoot the messenger. The truth is you're a vampire's fated one, River. But here's the thing—she didn't want to find hers. I sort of brought you here by mistake."
At the words "vampire" and "her" he put it together. "Nora Yates. I'm the reason her heart's beating again."
His sister nodded. "Yes."
His first thought was he'd lucked out as she was one of the sexiest fucking females he'd ever seen what with her dark hair, arresting eyes, and luscious curves. True, she hid behind some kind of pain and freaked out easily, but his dick didn't care about such things.
However, his rational side knew she was damaged, big time, with issues he couldn't even begin to understand. She'd been fucking chained up for who the hell knew how long, to start with.
And while so far River had been doing a good job of keeping his shit together, someday his trauma would come out and do who the hell knew what to him.
Putting them together was a bad idea on so many fucking levels.
Although the thought of seeing Nora laughing, lying next to him in bed every day, with all her warm skin bared and at his mercy to worship with tongue, teeth, fingers, and cock, almost made him wish it was something he could go after.
"River?"
He looked back at his sister. "I'm just trying to wrap my head around all this shit, Senia. I mean, I trust you when you say I'm in 1890, and yet it doesn't seem real. And now to find out I'm the fated lord of a vampire? It's hard to digest it all, especially since I don't even know if I can go back to the future or have to stay here. And if I'm stuck here, do I have to worry about being convicted of some weird-ass charge and end up with a noose around my neck? I have no fucking idea what the laws are at all."
Yesenia rolled her eyes. "I swear, sometimes I think you make up the weirdest crap just to annoy me." He glared and she lightly patted his shoulder. "I'll help you adjust to the late nineteenth century. It's easier than you think, especially as Leo's putting in a few electric lights in the residence side of the building soon, and there are already toilets. The worst thing will probably be you having to wear suits all the time."
He grimaced and she laughed, then added, "As for the rest—just stay in the vampire and fae witch territories for now, and you'll be fine. Leo and the fae witch Dark Lord, William Khan, are in charge of those places. Speaking of which—you'll have to meet Dark Lord Khan soon."
"Lords are still a thing, not just something I vaguely recall from history class?"
She nodded. "Yes, they're extremely powerful here. The shifter Dark Lord is named Everett Black. And Leo's the vampire one. The three Dark Lords sort of get along. Although as they're all now working together against their new French vampire enemies, I suspect their alliance will strengthen, no matter how often Leo tries to brush it off as no big deal."
He rubbed his forehead. French vampire enemies? Strengthening alliances? He almost didn't want to know. "There's so much new shit I have to learn, isn't there?"
"Yeah, although it's not too bad. At least you already have your magical training. Did you manage to finish it with Dr. Morelli? I know you should've been really close."
He lowered his hand. "The day I was kidnapped by Derrick's goons was the same day I'd finished my apprenticeship. So yes, I'm a full-fledged fae witch doctor now."
Her eyes turned sympathetic. "I'm so sorry your special day was ruined, River."
