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Dion was generally a quiet kid who liked his own space and was wary of other people. But Nova was the exception. She was the one person he chose over solitude every time. Can’t say I blame him. Nova had that effect on people.
“Be right back,” I muttered, leaving Nathaniel, Micah, and Danielle on the deck to head for the playhouse.
Dion was crouched in front of Nova, braiding her long red hair over one shoulder. “There, now you’re ready to go hunting.”
Nova beamed up at him and picked up a makeshift bow made out of a stick and a piece of string. “Ready.”
“Good.” Dion turned and picked up a very realistic-looking trident that was as long as he was tall.
Oh fuck.
That wasn’t a toy made out of a stick. That was a legitimate weapon that should have been in the hidden room off the garage.
“Dion,” I called, picking up my pace. If Nathaniel saw the trident, our afternoon was going to go downhill fast.
Both kids looked at me with eyes way too intelligent for their ages.
“What are you doing?” I asked, pointedly eyeing their weapons through the doorway to the playhouse.
“We’re playingHunger Games,” my five-year-old said as if that was a totally normal explanation.
I was going to murder whoever introduced him to that particular story.
“And where did you get the trident?” I asked, giving him the look I’d given countless teenagers on the streets of Boston.
“From the garage.”
So he knew where the weapon stash was in the garage. Nathaniel wasn’t the only one who was going to be out for my blood tonight. I twisted my wedding band around my finger, already trying to plan out how I was going to explain this one to Siren.
“Right. And you thought it was a good idea to play with the… grown-up tools in the garage?”
“We’re going hunting,” Nova said helpfully.
“Sorry, kiddo, but hunting’s been canceled.” I held out a hand to Nova and plucked her from the playhouse, kissing the top of her head before putting her back on her feet. “Why don’t you go see your dad? I need to talk to Dion for a minute.”
Nova looked to my son, waiting for his consent. He gave her a nod, and she scampered off in the direction of the deck.
I leaned in to look my son in the eyes. “Listen to me very carefully, okay? The tools in the garage are not toys. You don’t show them to people, and you don’t touch them without my or your mom’s permission. Ever. Understand?” Dion and Nova were serious kids whom I actually trusted with weapons—when they were being supervised by full-grown, experienced angels—but I couldn’t have Dion showing them to anyone else.
He nodded.
“Good.” I pulled him into a hug. “How do you know whatThe Hunger Gamesis?”
“Uncle Remy was watching it on his laptop at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.”
Dammit. I couldn’t murder Siren’s seventeen-year-old brother. I could get Nacio to deal with him though.
“Let’s not tell Nova or your sisters about that story, okay? We don’t want to give them nightmares.”
Dion’s expression turned solemn. “Okay.”
“Now go get your mom for me.” I had to figure out how to transport the trident between the playhouse and the garage without anyone else noticing. How the hell had Dion pulled that off?
* * *
Piper
“Mom!”It was hard to believe I’d once thought I’d never hear anyone call me that. I couldn’t imagine my life without my children. I’d finally found my purpose. I was a mother and a wife, and it felt so obvious now that this was what I was meant to do.
