“Well, where I live, everyone can do…special things…like you.” We all watched in wonderment as Magnum worked his way through explaining what the hell was happening to a little girl.
Blake nodded. “Are you mad at me because I showed Uncle Don what I can do?”
“No, no, sweetie.” He spoke softly, rubbing his hand down Blake’s cheek, swiping a tear. “We are very proud of you.” Magnum looked toward his brother for the first time, silently asking him to agree.
“We are,” Donovan whispered before walking close and also getting down on his knees.
My body, specifically my ovaries, went into overdrive, but Valerie’s approach toward Don was like a cold shower.
“Get up,” she said to Donovan, and this time Magnum intervened.
“V, that’s Blake’s uncle. He is not going to harm her.”
Hurt spread across her face, but she did as he suggested and backed off.
“I am proud of you, Blake. I swear.” Donovan touched his forehead to hers, and it was a silent promise to never use his power on her. This man in front of me would never inflict pain on a child. Hormones pinged and ponged inside my body.
“We are worried about the other kids you will meet,” Magnum said. “They won’t understand—”
Blake interrupted her dad. “I won’t show them.”
“I know, Bumble.”
It was a sight—two grown men, arms around a small bite of a kid, comforting her, knowing they would hurt her by taking her away from her mother—as Cinder, Valerie, and I watched from above. Three totally different women with opposite wants, needs, and wishes. Yet here we stood, frozen in time, unable to move from the scene in front of us.
“We will talk later because today is our turn to celebrate Christmas, and we want to share the holiday. But we want you to come see Rubia, where we live, and there are other kids like you.”
Blake nodded. “And Mom? She’s coming too?”
Magnum shot Valerie a look, and she pursed her mouth.
“Of course,” Magnum lied, or said full of wishful thinking… I wasn’t sure because he hadn’t mentioned Valerie coming back to Rubia again.
“That’s forbidden,” Cinder whispered, and Magnum shook his head. She quieted too.
Silently, I wondered how Magnum was such a force over all these women, but I didn’t have time to dwell.
“How about we let Magnum have the rest of the day with Blake?” Donovan stood and declared, taking my hand and nodding his chin toward Cinder.
“What about—”
Donovan cut Cinder off. “We’ll all come back tomorrow.”
Magnum leaned in and whispered something to Donovan, who was now standing and holding Blake’s hand.
“Thank you,” I said to Valerie, thinking it was the polite offering. She dismissed me with a wave. Not wanting another fight to break out, I started toward the door. “Come on, Cin.” She side-eyed me and then started moving, a sinister look on herface. Cinder wasn’t going to forget this when it came to Donovan, and she wasn’t going to wait long for the transfer.
“I will see you tomorrow,” Donovan told Valerie and followed us out.
“What the fuck, Don?” Cinder stomped toward him as he neared the car.
“Get in, Cin. I’m doing what I can. If you want any hope of taking Blake with us and doing the transfer—since both go hand in hand—we have to calm Valerie and keep her here.”
“You should have done it now, but you’re being all soft with Tuvy and a hard-ass to me.”
He ignored her.
We all got inside the sports car and Donovan flicked on the engine.
