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For a second, his heart skipped a beat. Time wielding magic was powerful, but also tricky. One small mistake, and someone could be lost to the ether forever.
No.Yesenia would never have attempted it unless she was ready.
He released Nora's hand and stood. He moved toward the door, but Leo placed a hand on his shoulder to stay him. "Maybe you shouldn't just yet."
River shrugged off Leo's hand. "Let me help her. I know you're her husband, and she loves you. But it was me and Yesenia and Meadow for so many years. She needs me."
After a beat, Leo nodded and stepped aside.
River rushed into the room to find Yesenia sitting on the couch, staring at the ground, unmoving.
The dark-skinned fae witch with black hair streaked with gray walked up to him. It was Rebecca, Yesenia's friend and magic teacher. He asked quietly, "How long has she been sitting like that?"
"Five minutes or so." She glanced at Yesenia. "I told her that your sister is most likely in this time period—Yesenia's magic is more than strong and refined enough now to do the job—but just not exactly here."
He frowned. "What're you talking about?"
Rebecca's dark eyes met his again. "If her fated one or ones are here, she would've appeared near them instead of this parlor. Their pull would've been stronger than a sister's love."
The odds of all three of them being fated ones to nineteenth-century people seemed unlikely. And yet, who the fuck knew what the universe had planned.
He moved to sit beside Yesenia and lightly bumped his arm against hers. "Hey, Senia. Snap out of it."
Her voice was hollow as she answered, "I might've killed her, River."
"From what Rebecca says, that's unlikely."
Yesenia's brown eyes finally met his. "And even if that's true, she could be anywhere in the world. We could be in the same time, and yet thousands of miles apart. It's not like back in 2022, where we could just hop on a plane and find her." She placed her face in her hands. "I might've lost her for good, to an even worse fate than what she would've had back in the twenty-first century."
He put an arm around Yesenia's shoulders and tried to think of what to say to his sister that wouldn't make shit worse. Especially since it was hard to break through guilt as thick as hers was right now.
However, before River could think of anything, Leo rushed in, Nora close on his heels with an even deeper frown on his face. "I know where Meadow is."
Yesenia dropped her hands. "Where?"
Leo ran a hand through his hair, which wasn't a good fucking sign. "A runner just arrived with the news. She's with Laurie and Joseph."
Yesenia relaxed a fraction. "But that's good news, Leo. They'll watch over her for us and make sure she's safe." She stood. "Let's go get her."
Leo tugged his waistcoat down, which was another tell that things weren't all happy-happy. River narrowed his eyes. "Just spit it out, Leo. What's wrong?"
When he didn't answer, River growled. However, Nora answered before he could say anything. "She's the fated bride of both Laurie and Joseph. She blooded them."
River blinked. "What the fuck?"
He knew it was possible for one person to have multiple fated ones. He'd seen a few poly-pairings back in New Jersey.
But for Meadow? It would be a goddamn nightmare. His sister was deathly afraid of her powers leaking out and turning men horny.
And now she had two vampires who needed to claim her or go crazy?
Fuck.It was bad, like really bad.
Nora came to his side and laid a hand on his chest, bringing him out of his head. "She's locked in a side room, waiting for you and Yesenia to go see her." River was ready to run all the way to the fucking pleasure house, if need be. But Nora added, "Try to convince her to give Laurie and Joseph a chance, River. Please. I couldn't bear for the pair of them to go mad."
He sighed, hugged Nora against him, and whispered, "I'll try my best, baby. It might not be that easy, but I'll fucking try."
Taking a second to hold his wife close, River vowed to do his best to blend their families together. He didn't want Meadow afraid, but he also didn't want Nora watching her middle brother and his partner go crazy without a claiming.
It was going to be fucking difficult, but just because a wrench had been thrown into his happy ending didn't mean he was going to give up. No, he would fight for it and do his damnedest to ensure Nora never had to deal with tragedy or sadness again.
* * *
