“It appears so. And they’ve painted a bull’s-eye on all of us.” She stared out the windows to the forest beyond and folded her arms. The last one had threatened her personally, although her own health and safety were the least of her worries.
“Have you talked to Queen Penelope about this?”
“I have. She’s not involved. She allowed me access to her mind to prove it. We’ve become friends, Nathaniel. I know it’s not her.” Raven prided herself on the positive relationship she’d built with Darnuith and wasn’t above asking Penelope for help if she needed it.
“Hmm. It’s a problem and a risk.” His smoke tangled into a knot and sank back into his pipe.
“I keep kicking myself,” Raven said. “If only I’d thought to take the other hearts when I took Marius’s, while Eleanor’s ritual room was still standing.” Charlie tugged at her skirt, and Raven pulled her into her arms.
Nathaniel snorted. “Even the most powerful witch can’t go back in time, Raven. You can’t beat yourself up.”
She shook her head. “You didn’t see Marius’s face. He almost strangled his mate, Nathaniel. Think about if something like this were keeping you from Clarissa. He’s tortured. I’ve never seen such pain. He’s vowed to stay away from her until we fix this.”
Charlie squirmed in Raven’s arms, and she let her down again. The girl couldn’t stop fidgeting. Raven needed to get her outside. Maybe she needed exercise.
Nathaniel scoffed. “How can he tolerate it? Once I was mated to Clarissa, I couldn’t stand to be apart from her.”
Raven pressed a hand over her stomach, remembering what it was like to try to stay apart from Gabriel when she thought she might drain him to death. “You’d find a way if you thought your presence might hurt her.”
“True.”
“Mommy?” Charlie tugged on her skirt again.
“Just a minute, honey. Uncle Nathaniel and I are almost done talking. Then we’ll go play.”
Nathaniel sighed. “I still think the best course of action is to evacuate the palace and muscle through it. If your relationship with Queen Penelope is strong, perhaps she can allow safe harbor in Darnuith. She could protect our families while we do what we have to do. It shouldn’t take us more than a day or two.”
“Mommy, look what I can do.” Charlie wriggled at her side.
“Just a minute, honey.” Raven reached for her but addressed Nathaniel. “Let me talk to Gabriel about it.”
“As you wish.” Nathaniel tucked his pipe inside his pocket.
“Mommy!”
“Yes, Charlie!” Raven turned to her daughter, completely exasperated. Charlie was standing at the edge of the symbol, staring at Raven’s map of the thirteen dimensions. The spell would keep her out. Only Raven could manipulate the representations inside. Still, she didn’t like the way the stars reflected in her daughter’s eyes. She looked ready to dive in. “Stay away from there. That’s not for you.”
Charlie’s smile lit up the room. She brushed her platinum curls aside. “But I can do it!”
“Do what, sweetheart?” Nathaniel asked.
Charlie spread her hands, and a window to a fourteenth dimension opened. Time seemed to slow as Raven recognized the scene inside it. It was Eleanor’s ritual room. She saw herself with baby Charlie in her arms. Eleanor had Marius’s heart in her hand.
“No,” Raven said, shaking her head. This shouldn’t be possible. She was looking at a scene from the past.
“I’ll get the hearts, Mommy!”
“Charlie, noooo!” Raven lunged for her daughter. But she was too late. With a flap of her feathery wings, Charlie was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Five
After a night without his mate, Marius wanted to kill someone. Yet another reason he couldn’t be with her right now. He was too afraid the next person he’d kill might be her if he wasn’t careful. He didn’t trust himself. Not until Raven figured out a way to stop his visions and nightmares of the underworld.
Staying away threatened to rip his heart out, though. He’d received a falcon from her that morning with a note that read, I’ll wait as long as it takes or not at all. I’m not afraid of you.
He’d sent one back that read, I’ve waited for you too long to risk losing you.
He’d never had a way with words. It wasn’t enough, but it would have to do. Raven had promised him she’d figure it out. She was meeting with Nathaniel that very moment to search for a way to retrieve Killian’s and Brynhoff’s hearts and set their souls free. Once the nightmares stopped, he could truly be a mate to Harlow. Not before.
