Page 74 of Jacinth

“Is that why you kept throwing me into visions?” Sky appeared less grateful, though I couldn’t really fault him. I wouldn’t take his power on for anything.

Wow.

When had I become okay with my abilities? I checked my mind and discovered there was no more resentment. No depression or hate. No urge for escape.

I was experiencing a monumental shift in paradigm as Orion spoke up.

“Hold up. So Niko had the Maiden helping him. Sky, you had the Crone. Where the hell were you in all this?”

The Mother looked up from where she had been inspecting her nails, as though already bored with this entire conversation.

“Oh, I was in the washroom when we were backing our bets. Honestly, no one thought you could pull your head out of your ass long enough to figure out she was your mate.”

Orion started to growl. It was interesting watching the play of emotions running across his face.

“What? I sent you the dog.” She indicated Dagny with a pointed nail, as if this should have been obvious for all to see. When no one took the bait, she sat back in her chair with a huff.

“Fine. It’s all moot anyway because that mating spell let her have them all.”

“Now wait a minute. Yes, the spell showed me who my mates were, but I chose to build a relationship with them.Theyall win, because I need all of them. Nothing to do with you, everything to do with free will. Do you seriously have nothing better to do than bet on us, like dogs or horses?”

I could tell Jace was mad, but she was so damn cute claiming us the way she did. I hooked an arm around her neck and dragged her in for a kiss.

“I love you, babe.”

Jace grimaced, halfway between embarrassed at the public display and chuffed that I was so openly declaring my feelings.

“I love you too.”

“So where does all of this leave us?” Orion asked, bringing everyone back to task. “You were betting on who Jace would end up in a relationship with, whilst clearly you were pissed we brought her back to life. Is this some kind of sick joke?”

All three Fates looked at him quietly for a moment, blank faces eerily similar despite their differing representations of life stages.

“Hmmm,” the Crone muttered, “about that...”

CHAPTER 49

Jacinth

“Where is the amulet?”

The confusion was apparent on Orion’s face as he lifted his necklace over his head.

“No, stupid boy. The other one.”

Cue blank stares all around. What did an amulet have to do with my relationship? I was beginning to understand Sky’s eternal frustration with the Fates. The Crone seemed to be less focused than I was, and I was self aware enough to know that was saying something.

As she silently continued to sit with her hand out, it finally clicked.

“Do you mean Alisdair’s amulet?”

“Not his any longer. Where is it? Don’t tell me you left an object that powerful unattended in a cemetery?”

I had never seen anyone move as fast as Orion did. Between one blink and the next, he vaulted the table and took off running. Shoot. We really should have considered that. Admittedly, at the time, I was struggling to remember who I was.

Definitely not my fault, I decided, sitting back to wait for Orion’s return.

While I waited, I studied the fates.

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