Page 59 of The Aether

“No parent wants to outlive their children, Beastie. The hurt is too great. Neither your mother nor I could handle it if something happened to either you or your brother. Do you understand?”

Compressing her lips, she shook her head.

“No, you don’t understand, or no, you don’t believe we’ll go mad without you in our lives?”

Her gaze focused on something behind him, and rather than turn, Damian allowed his senses to seek what was there.

Vivian.

How much had she heard?

“All of it,” she said hoarsely. “I’ll kill Morcant myself before he touches one hair on your head, Sabrina Evelyn Dethridge. And you’d better damned well believe it.”

Shooting off the bed and darting past him, his daughter launched herself at Vivian. “I’m sorry, Mama. I’m sorry,” she sobbed.

The sight of them blurred.

Swiping a hand across his eyes, Damian was startled to see moisture.

Vivian clutched her distraught daughter and turned her terrified gaze to Damian. The sight of his tears stunned her speechless. In the confines of her mind, she tried to build a wall to block out her fear from Sabrina.

Directing the question to her formidable husband, she asked,“What do we do?”

He shook his head, apparently at a loss, like her.

After conjuring tissues, Vivian shifted and knelt in front of Sabrina. She dabbed her daughter’s tear-swollen eyes and smoothed the hair back from her hot forehead.

“We’re going to get through this, my darling girl. I promise you, we will.”

There was zero hope in Sabrina’s tortured expression. “I don’t want you to die, Mama.”

“Listen to me. Your father is correct. If it comes down to you or me, let me be the one.” Unable to stop herself, Vivian dragged her daughter back into her arms and pressed a cheek to Sabrina’s silky black hair. “I mean it. You are meant for great things, and your papa needs you. Nate needs you to guide him and be the best big sister imaginable.”

Joining them, Damian wrapped them both within the circle of his arms.

“I need you both,” he said, and there was no compromise in his tone. If it was up to him—and Vivian prayed it was—they’d all survive Morcant’s malevolent machinations.

“I think it’s time to gather your new Sentinel team, Damian,” Vivian said in a low voice. “It’s time to wipe Morcant from the face of this earth for good.”

“Consider it done.”

The sharp click of the door marked his exit.

Vivian guided Sabrina to the nearby chaise. After fluffing pillows and urging her daughter to lie down, she drew a blanket up to her slender shoulders and sat on the floor next to her.

“Can you tell me every scenario available to us? And before you tell me that your papa says you’re not supposed to, know that I don’t care about Damian’s rule this time. I need to be able to come up with the best solution.”

“Morcant wants to keep me sad, Mama. He wants to kill you and Papa and Baby Nate.”

“I understand that. So, his plan is to what… spread the grief apart? Take us out one at a time to keep you mourning?”

“Yes, but he can’t. Not after you.”

Vivian sucked in a breath so hard she coughed. Could her Oracle daughter make her death any plainer?

Fuck.

“If he can’t, then what?”

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