Page 78 of Surrendering Hope (The Hope Legacy)

“But I spied chocolate,” Zee says.

I shrug as I scrape the top layer off the pie. “I have a bigger sweet stomach than most.”

Duncan drops next to Julie with a sigh. A squealing flurry of dark hair flies across the room and lands on Duncan. “Uncle Dunc!”

He chuckles as he tickles the bundle in his arms. The squirming child howls in delight. “See, no secret love child,” I mutter to Zee.

Julie’s head snaps towards me, as Duncan snorts and shakes his head. “That was your conclusion?” he asks.

I point to Zee. “Not mine - Zee’s. I had every faith that if you had a secret wife and child, you would have told me.”

“Defeats the point of secret,” Aaden mutters.

He shakes his head. “Julie is my aunt,” he calms the child in his arms, “and this menace is Robert.”

“Hi,” I say. Robert glances at us before he buries himself under Duncan’s arms.

“He’s a little shy,” Julie says with a soft smile, “I’ve heard so much about you, Natia.”

I raise an eyebrow and side eye Duncan as I deposit a forkful of creamy lime mouse in my mouth. The flavor bursts on my tongue like Florida sunshine. “Oh my god,” I mumble.

“Excuse Natia. She has a close and personal relationship with food, with a preference for those delivered to her in layers,” Zee says just as he pops a whole cookie in his mouth. He groans.

I chuckle. “You were saying?”

Zee covers his mouth. “Bloody hell, Julie. Are you married, because I could propose right now.”

She smirks at him. “You couldn’t handle me.”

His eyes light with interest as he scans her. Oh, for fu… I smack him in the chest. “It wasn’t a direct challenge.”

“Are you a witch like Duncan?” Aaden asks.

Duncan and Julie both scowl at Aaden. He blinks. “Warlocks,” Duncan corrects. Oh, I forgot about the snobbery part. He turns to Julie. “I need you to get another message to Marsha.”

She jumps up and scans the bookshelf behind her, plucking out a thick black leather-bound book, she flips to a few pages in and grabs a pencil from the shelf. She folds herself back into the sofa and looks at Duncan.

Duncan takes a deep breath before delivering his message. “Tell her. The King of Monsters has been released, he is possessing a Primordial god, we need a spell to return him to his prison and Pandora has returned.” The pencil snaps and Julie’s gaze flies to mine. I whip out “State Of My Head” by Shinedown. Robert peeks out from under Duncan’s arm.

“You are Pandora?” Julie asks. I share a look with Duncan, who nods.

“I am, but I remember nothing before this life.”

She taps her pencil against the book. “Did you open the Jaragain?”

I shake my head. “No, it wasn’t me.”

“But you need to be the one to imprison him?” she asks.

I shrug. “According to the god squad.”

“Because it’s your Jar and therefore you command it.”

“Correct.”

“So you are contacting Marsha for what?” she turns to Duncan.

“A reversal spell to suck the beast out of Archan and into the Jar.”

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