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I shook my head. “To the best of my knowledge, no. Whereas the Lunar Lord was a title granted by the Handmaiden witches alongside the associated power, the first Solar Sovereign crowned themselves in response to that decision. As such, they weren’t afflicted with this burden. If the Lunar Lord was destroyed, my curse would be as well, which means each shifter would experience the lunar madness the way I do. For example, wolf shifters would become the feral werewolves written about in old human texts.” I grimaced. “The Solar Sovereign feeds on fear, too, and there’ll beplentyof that for the taking. In the past, Velaris, a Solar Sovereign from centuries ago, overthrew the Lunar Lord at the time. They have no issue involving humans in their affairs—and do you know what happens? Wolf hunts, witches burning at the stake.” I growled. “Thankfully, Fenrir, my father, killed them during the eclipse over eight hundred years ago, but imagine it happening in the modern era.”
I knew this explanation wasn’t what anyone would findcomforting, but it was the truth—and that was what Celeste deserved.
When she pulled back, she looked like she was about to be sick. “What if we just skip the eclipse altogether?” she asked, sounding choked up. “You know, just go hide somewhere on the other side of the world where the Solar Sovereign can’t find us.” She licked her lips. “Then you won’t be in danger, the eclipse will pass, and we’ll be able to go on with our lives happy and whole. All of us, the shifters included.”
I sighed. On the most surface level, I supposed that was true. “If we hide, we won’t be able to break the curse,” I murmured. “And more importantly, we won’t be able to bind your life force to mine. I will never be able to take you as my mate.”
“I know, but everyone else…”
“What about them? Sure, it’ll be fine for a time—but you will live a mortal lifespan and die a mortal death, and I will go mad just like my brother did. You’re the only Handmaiden witch I know. Even if you magically found more, we’d need a whole coven to be able to crown a new Lunar Lord. I don’t even know how that would work because Lyka and I are the last members of the Celestial Pack. I have no idea if a mortal shifter would be able to withstand the curse.” I scowled. “All shifters would be in the exact same place. It would simply be delayed by seventy or so years.”
“Fenris…”
“Even if you did find an entire coven of Handmaiden witches somewhere, and even if they magically found some other immortal shifter pack that’s been hidden for all of time, they’d be weak. And the Solar Sovereign could simply waltz in and end the ritual before it even began. They would have decades to gather their strength.” I sighed, considering my next words. “It would only delay the outcome, Celeste, not change it.”
Celeste refused to meet my gaze as she pressed her forehead against my chest. In turn, I rubbed my hand up and down her spine. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that all of this hinged on us—in a way, hinged onher, her ability to complete the ritual. I knew it was asking too much too fast, but…
“Okay,” she whispered, finally pulling away. She rubbed her face, then gave herself a little shake. “Okay,” she said once more with a little more strength. “Well, if that’s the way it is, then I really ought to be getting back to training.” She paused, finally looking back at me. “Hey, do you have—well, I don’t know why you would, but do you know if there’s a spell book that explains exactly what I’ll need to do during the eclipse? I think I need to focus on that, strictly. No guessing.”
I frowned, irritated with myself because I hadn’t thought of that resource for her. “I do not,” I said, “but the Handmaiden witches did keep fairly extensive records. I’m sure that information is recorded somewhere. I’ll have someone go through their archives and find it at once.” My frown deepened, remembering I’d never been privy to the coven’s inner workings. It wasn’t my place, and I wasn’t one of their members.
Perhaps Grant Oakley will be able to research this for me if I provide him with the archives. After all, he had found that…ah, the grimoire!
I’d be retrieving that grimoire soon. If ithadbelonged to Celeste’s birth mother, as we suspected, it was an excellent start. I had half a mind to mention it to Celeste, but decided against getting her hopes up in case Grant was wrong.
Instead, I told her, “I believe I know someone capable of doing that research.”
“Okay,” Celeste said, nodding. “Do you want to come down to the beach with me while I practice?”
There was nothing I wanted more, but I didn’t have the time. I sighed heavily and walked back over to her. “I need to prepare for the meeting with the Order of the Stars,” I said regretfully, leaning in to kiss her forehead. “But I would much rather be here with you.” I felt her tiny smile more than I saw it. “When I get back, I’d like to go on that date you mentioned earlier.”
Celeste’s smile grew as she nodded. “I would love that, Fenris,” she said quietly. She reached out and gave my hand a little squeeze. “I know you’re going to be busy, but if you can, please consider taking Abi? She’d really like to get her stuff and let her family know she’s okay so they don’t call the police.”
I groaned, but replied, “I’ll see what I can do.”
Celeste’s eyes sparkled, then she pressed a kiss to my lips. In that moment, I would have moved the stars if she’d asked me to.
Chapter17
Celeste
Fenris’s Private Villa
Isla Lobo, Panama
I still felt tired when I woke up, but seeing1:17flash across my phone screen made me groan, and I hauled myself out of bed. I used to hate sleeping in, and even now, I didn’t love it. It didn’t matter that I’d been practicing magic well into the wee hours of the morning and pushed myself harder than ever before. Everything Fenris had explained to me yesterday was still at the forefront of my mind. The idea of letting him down…of letting everyone down…
Stop that.I couldn’t focus on that, or I’d be paralyzed. And then I’d be no good to anyone.
After taking a quick shower and changing into a fresh t-shirt and a pair of shorts, I headed downstairs to grab something quick to eat. Fenris had left for Florida while I was out training, and I assumed Walter had gone with him. I didn’t mind—I’d been making food for myself for a while. It felt nice to do something for myself instead of having it done for me, but I also didn’t have time to linger on these everyday pleasantries.
As I ate my sandwich, I considered what I should work on today. I felt like I had a pretty good grasp of manipulating water the way Val had taught me.I wonder if she left today, like she’d mentioned at dinner. I hope not.I could certainly use another lesson, but the kitchen was quiet and empty. I would’ve been concerned if not for the sticky note my best friend had left for me on the refrigerator door. Fenris had taken Abi with him to Florida. I’d miss them both, but I appreciated him doing that for me, and I hoped Abi could take care of everything she needed.
I finished eating and washed up my plate, sticking it in the drying rack before heading outside. The weather was almost perfect, as it often was on Isla Lobo. A gentle breeze rolled off the ocean, and out in the sun, it was warm enough to enjoy it without feeling too hot or too cold. With the breeze, it was just right. The sand shifted beneath my bare feet as the palms rustled further up inland.
Despite the idyllic scenery, I found myself growing restless the longer I stood there. I focused on my breathing, but my gut twisted and my pulse picked up. My anxiety was spiking for no good reason, but then again, that was why anxiety was called a disorder, right? I took a deep breath, trying to quash the restless feelings, when I suddenly realized what they really were.
Is that my wolf?
