“Yes, well. Believe me, I’m a monster, too.” A glimmer of light catches my eye from the attic space just above the stairs that lead that way. “Would you excuse me?”
“Sure.” She heads for Coop while I follow that spray of iridescent light up the small stairwell that leads to the butterfly room.
A swirl of electric blue light, a pulse of energy comes from it, and I slowly open the door to see the butterflies fluttering around the cavernous space, and it looks so very peaceful, so very magical. My heart aches at the sight and my tears only fall faster.
“Oh, come now,” a female voice calls from the navy sofa to the left and I find Rory springing to her feet. “What has you so blue?” She offers a brief hug, and I take in her floral scent. Rory looks like a far more resplendent version of me, and it’s both eerie and alarming. “Chloe had her baby.” She gives a cheeky wink and I nod, acknowledging the source of my pain. “And you, my love, delivered it.”
“What?” I gasp as I put two and supernatural two together. “Oh my God!” I smack her on the arm. “You did not!”
“I did, too,” she hisses back. “I had to. You let your emotions get the better of you. Chloe was begging for your help.”
“Newsflash, I knew that and decided to withhold my assistance. And another thing? You are not me. Don’t you dare go around pretending to be so.”
“I’ve only done it this once.” She holds up her right hand as if she were making an oath. “I promise you that. And you needed to help Chloe whether you realize it or not.”
“Why on earth would I need to help Chloe of all people?”
Her lips twitch. I recognize that look inmyeye. She’s up to no good. “You will want her on your side.”
“I don’t want her on my side anymore. I took a blood oath with her and she couldn’t even get that right. I abhor thewhore. I think she’s a pig. I will neverneedChloe Bishop for anything. And yes, she will forever be Chloe Bishop to me.”
She takes a deep breath. “Yes, well, you’ll see I’m right.” She dusts my shoulders off with her hands. “Just know I love you, little sis.” She gives a cheeky wink. “And that everything I do is to progress the cause. Celestra will prosper, and I will help it get in its rightful place. Just you wait and see, Skyla. I will be instrumental to this victory. I’m determined to prove Mother wrong.” She pulls me in by the front of my dress, my enormous belly wedged between us, and I can feel the baby shift inside of me. “I am worthy to be in this fight.” Her eyes are wild, her jaw tense as she comes undone. “You can’t win this without me because it was my fight to begin with.”
I step back, cradling Angel in my belly with my right arm as I inspect this psychotic version of myself.
“Don’t do me any more favors with Chloe. I’m not interested in her help—or yours. This is my battle, Rory. Go back to paradise where you belong.” Tears come to me again. Damn hormones. Damn rotten day. “If you want to do me a favor, go find Sage. Hold her for me. Tell her I love her so much. That she is so deeply missed.” My fingers claw into my stomach as if I could reach in and hold this baby, too. “Maybe you can convince her that I’m not the enemy. That she’ll always be my sweet baby girl.”
I take off and Logan drives us home in silence.
Mom has already fed the boys, bathed them, and they lie sound asleep by the time Logan and I get into the room.
Logan holds me in bed, whispers sweet nothings to me straight to my mind, to my heart. He strokes my arms tenderly and tells me how our lives are the ones we need to focus on. How our new family is where all of our energy should lie and I agree. He warms my belly with his hand, with his love. Logan has always felt like my other half. No pressure, we just fit.
Ezrina is going to solve this marker situation soon,I say.If not with what Chloe gave her to work with today, then with what Laken gives her, or what I give her.
Logan takes a breath.It will be you, Skyla. Vegas would side with you and so do I.
That means it will be us,I say, placing my palm over his hand as we hold my enormous belly together.
It was always us, Skyla. We have always been the answer.
A dull laugh rumbles from me as I pull back to see his gorgeous face streaked with moonlight.I guess I’m lucky I love you.
I’m the lucky one, Skyla.He lands a kiss to my lips.
Logan? Where do you think we’ll be in a year?
His head dips to his pillow as he looks to the ceiling for answers.
In a year, we’ll be doing exactly this at Whitehorse. The boys will be in their room, the baby next to us in her crib. Hopefully, Celestra will be vindicated and rightfully on top.
I nod.Or we will be locked in the battle of a lifetime. As soon as the government starts looking for our markers, there will never be a generation of Nephilim that will live as we did.
They will fly under the radar, Skyla, just the way we do. But it will be different,he says.
I nod.Forever after that we’ll have to rely on serums, vaccinations, potions, and lotions, whatever the hell Ezrina dreams up.
Yes, well, welcome to the new us. It’s doable, Skyla. And we will do it.He pulls back and examines me, his eyes glowing like fire.I’m going to go out on a limb and make another prediction. A year from today, Gage Oliver will see the light. The scales will drop from his eyes and he will return to us just the way he was before. He will kiss your feet with tears in his eyes, begging your forgiveness, and he will work side by side with us to restore all that was lost.
