“I brought them together!” Theodora declared, her tone sharp as her hands flared wide. “If not for me, this perfect union would never have been!”
Elune’s eyes narrowed, her voice cutting back like a whetted blade. “Hah! If I hadn’t sent the raven to Fawn to protect them and correct your reckless mistake, there would be no perfect union and there would be chaos among witches and warlocks this very day!”
“You think too much of yourself and your abilities, Elune.”
“I don’t think, Theodora, I know I am more powerful than you.”
“You want to test that?” Theodora challenged.
Artemis shook his head, moving away from the two warring witches and went to Rhodes and Fawn.
“You are well, Fawn?” Artemis asked, with concern.
“I am, Da,” Fawn smiled wide and with pride. “My husband saved me.”
Artemis looked at Rhodes. “I hoped getting you riled about how you felt for my daughter was enough to unlock your latent powers and prove yourself a worthy man and a powerful witch. Powerful enough to battle Cander since neither Theodora, Elune, or myself have the skill or power to face such evil. Use your newfound power wisely, my son, and welcome to the family.”
“So, you refuse to accept my challenge. That says it all, Elune,” Theodora boasted.
“You are an idiot, Theodora,” Elune spat.
“Don’t walk away from me. We have yet to settle this.”
Artemis rested his hand on Rhodes’s shoulder. “You’re lucky Fawn is nothing like her mum.”
Fawn grinned. “Thank you, Da, for that compliment.”
Rhodes scrunched his brow. “Does my power include turning people into frogs?”
EPILOGUE
Four months later…
“What doyou mean I cannot turn your mum into a frog?” Rhodes asked, his tone full of feigned disappointment. He tugged at the cuffs of his fine linen shirt. “I have practiced, wife. Tirelessly. I am now highly skilled at such a feat.”
It had taken time and endless talks with Elune, his grandmother, to learn about his heritage and how his da had renounced his witch heritage, which included far too many warlocks, for the woman he loved. She had given her word to her son, Rhodes’s da, that if the time ever came that he was in danger, and he wasn’t there to guide him, that she would do what she had to do to protect him. When Theodora granted Rhodes’s wish, it stirred his witch’s blood. Elune knew she had to act fast since it would alert dark forces to Rhodes’s awakening. Cander, a distant cousin, pounced on the chance to entice Rhodes with what warlock power could achieve. He was just beginning to comprehend and embrace the immense power that he had inherited.
Fawn slipped her arms around his waist from behind, her cheek brushing his back. “Rhodes, if you so much as try to turn my mum into a frog, you will start a war you will soon regret and a never-ending one at that. You may even find yourself turned into—” She laughed. “A goat.”
He turned in her embrace, his hands sliding to rest at her hips, his smile curling slow and wicked. “A goat, is it? That would hardly suit me. I’d prefer a stag. Or perhaps a wolf.”
“You’d prefer whatever gave you an excuse to strut about and make the rest of us tremble,” she teased, though her eyes softened when they met his. “But no magic tricks with my mum, understood? You are still learning. Elune is teaching you control, not mischief.”
“A pity,” he muttered, then leaned down until his lips brushed her temple. “At least my grandmother believes I have potential. Your da encourages, though I think I shocked him when I summoned thunder over his head. Your mum, however?—”
“You will never entirely please her.” Fawn smiled faintly. “She expects more from everyone, even herself.”
He lifted her chin with a finger, studying her as though she were the only truth he needed. “I am learning more than power, Fawn. I am learning patience. Restraint.” His thumb brushed her lower lip, his touch tender despite the mischief still glinting in his eyes. “But when it comes to you, wife, I cannot help myself. Even the strongest warlock would fail at resisting you.”
Her laughter came soft and full of warmth, her hand pressing flat to his chest where his heart beat steady. “It is a good thing you’re not a warlock, then. You may be a witch, but first and foremost you are my husband. That is all the power I need you to wield.”
Rhodes bent his head, kissing her with a mix of heat and promise. “It is the one power I will never relinquish.”
Fawn laid her hand over his, giving his chest a gentle push. “We had better get to the celebration, husband, before they come looking for us.”
His brow arched, mischief dancing in his dark eyes. “Or we could slip in late, then slip out early. I have far better plans for us than feasting with a horde of people.”
“Rhodes.” Her voice carried mock sternness, though the warmth in her smile betrayed her amusement. “If you try to spirit me away, you will have my sisters and my mum to answer to.”
