Page 102 of Mama Si's Paradise

“Oh, you poor thing,” said Cynthia. “That is so sad!”

“It’s not sad. Just the way of the world,” Lucinda said, pushing her plate away as if to say she was done with her food. “What did she tell you? What did she promise?”

“Magic. That I’d have…magic. Power,” I said, cheeks heated up, ashamed.

“Oh,” Vera said. “Well, you do get that.”

Yes, apparently, I would. I’d seen her making that light ball with my own eyes just now. “How does it work exactly? You were all human, weren’t you?”

“Yes, we were. But the moment we get bitten by the dragons, the magic starts to let us through. We start getting small charges, like electricity going down our bodies at first, but then after the Blood Call, it comes to you all at once,” Vera explained.

“And tries to drive you mad. Sometimes it succeeds,” Lucinda said, throwing a quick look at Cynthia.

“Don’t be a brat,Luce,” Vera said. “It takes some time to learn to master the magic, but with the help of your chosen Master, you’ll get the hang of it.”

Master.That word made me want to fucking gag, so I chose to ignore it.

“What about the Blood Call? What exactly is that? How does it happen?”

The women gave each other a knowing look. Then Lucinda told me, “Since you don’t know already, all we can tell you is that you’ll enjoy it. A lot.”

I shook my head, about to tell her that Iwouldn’t,that I wouldn’t even be around long enough for the Blood Call, but Vera beat me to it.

“Oh, don’t look so gloomy, Fall. We live a good life.”

“Averygood life, indeed,” said Cynthia. “We’re practically queens.”

“We’re not queens,” Lucinda muttered.

“How? How does this whole thing work?” Because so many pieces of the puzzle were still missing, and I needed to see the bigger picture asap.

Vera sighed. “Oh, dear. You really don’t know anything, do you.” It wasn’t a question.

“I really don’t.”

“It’s very straight forward,” said Lucinda. “The Blood Call determines which of the Evernight brothers is more compatible with you, meaning which one of them is more likely to get you pregnant. Once you know that, you become that brother’s bride, you feed him with your blood, and you basically fuck each other’s brains out any chance you get in hopes to get pregnant and bear the next Evernight heir—which is much more difficult than you might imagine. I’m sure you’ve noticed there are no fanged kiddies running around here.” She stretched her lips as if she were meaning to smile. “That clear enough for you?”

Exactly what I’d feared.Fuck.

Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath to calm my racing heart.

“However, even if the brides don’t get pregnant, they can choose to leave the castle when they’re older and no longerable to carry children. They can choose to live in any of the Isles, or even go back to the human world,” Vera explained.

That would have been great—ifI didn’t have to spend decades being fucked by a vampire first.No, thank you.

“But anyway,Iam Master Grey’s bride,” Cynthia then said, wiggling happily in her chair. “He is the second strongest of the brothers, and has the biggest dragon right after Master Romin, despite being the third-born. He even got the scars of his wings earlier than any other Evernight,” she proudly said.

I almost choked on thin air. “Wings?”

“Yes, wings,” Cynthia said with a huge smile. “They gain wings when they’re older and gather more power. For Master Grey, they started coming out when he was still in his twenties. They’re not out all the way yet, though.” She laughed. “But don’t let that scare you—he’s such a gentle giant.” Lucinda snorted. Cynthia flinched. “Well, I mean heispretty scary. Just saying, he’s notasscary in bed, though between these walls”— she put her hand on the side of her mouth and whispered—“I like it better when it’s scary.” And she winked.

“Of course, you do. We all do. We’re women,” Lucinda muttered.

“Luceand I are Master Romin’s brides,” Vera continued, and now I choked on my own spit.

“Excuse me?”

Again, they exchanged a look, and Vera said, “There’s four of us at the moment, including Rachel and Anna. Master Romin is the eldest Evernight brother, and he is our ruler. He’s pretty much in charge of the Woods and most of what goes on in the Seven Isles. His wings came out of him just as he turned forty.” I could have sworn she said that because of Cynthia, as if they werecompetingabout whose Master was better and who got his wings sooner, which was so fucking beyond me. “Master Romin also has the best chance at siring an heir.”

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