Page 71 of The Aether

“Yes?”

Color crept up her neck, and she lowered her gaze to the worktable. “Um, who is… er, um…” She cleared her throat and tried again. “Who is the man you call Blane?”

Although they were surrounded by trouble, love was in the air. Damian curbed his amusement at her embarrassed stammer, not wanting to make her feel bad for her obvious interest. “He’s a Sentinel for the Authority. One in a family of Death Dealers.”

“What is that?”

Catching a brief glimpse of her future, he shook his head and smiled. “I’ll explain in due time. If you don’t mind, I’d like to look in on Sabrina and Viv.”

“Oh! Yes. Of course. I didn’t mean to bother you,” she gushed.

Always the protective sister, Taryn wrapped an arm around Soleil’s shoulders. “He’s not bothered, Lei. He’s just distracted.”

Blush deepening, Soleil nodded. “I get that. I just… yeah, sorry.”

“Not at all, my dear. I’m happy to answer all your questions when circumstances aren’t as dire as these.”

“Thank you.”

He faced away before smiling. When Morcant was defeated, Soleil and Trevor needed a formal introduction. Two more polar opposites didn’t exist, and it would be interesting to see how things played out.

Damian stopped short outside the door to the kitchen and chuckled. Was he assuming Alastair’s matchmaking mantle now? Perhaps.

* * *

Sabrina selected a colored pencil from the craft carousel and started shading the image she’d drawn. When it was time, her father would need the picture she’d created to find her, or her mother, should things go differently than she expected.

Sometimes that happened. No future was absolute, but as the Oracle, she could see every possibility. It wasn’t a gift she would’ve asked for, given a choice, but it made her feel better knowing. She hated surprises.

Pausing to watch her mother blow kisses on Baby Nate’s belly, Sabrina smiled and tried to memorize the moment. If she could recall it when she needed, she might not be as scared. And shewouldbe, because Mama’s spell to remove her emotions hadn’t worked on her. The Aether power in her blood had slapped back and pushed her mother to the ground.

Yes, she did have Sabrina’s hair—or Papa did—but other than to lend strength to the original enchantment surrounding Mama, it was useless. If her mother sacrificed for her, which she hoped wouldneverhappen, Mama wouldn’t feel the fear or pain. If Sabrina was the one to die, Mama wouldn’t know grief until Papa took his revenge on Morcant and eventually broke the bracelet.

“What are you thinking about so hard, darling girl?” Mama asked as she bundled Nate in his blanket.

“You.”

“Me?” Frowning, Mama crossed the room. Sabrina had just enough time to wave her hand and make her drawing look like the garden outside the window.

“What a beautiful picture! How did I not know you had an artist’s talent?”

Sabrina leaned into her mother’s hug and stared down at the real drawing she’d created.

A warehouse in America.

She couldn’t say for certain what the address was, but Papa would remember it from past business dealings. At least, she hoped he would.

“Mama?”

“Mm?” Her mother’s hand felt comforting as she smoothed the hair down Sabrina’s back.

“Does Papa remember everything from when he was alive to now?”

“I’m not sure. Most things, I imagine.”

“What about a hundred and fifty-three years ago?”

Vivian laughed. “That’sspecific. You’d have to ask him. I don’t know what he recalls.”

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