“That was a matter of mortal will,” Mab said quietly. “Balance must be restored. Neither of us has power over that.”
And Mab held out her arms.
Mother Summer’s expression firmed. “A moment. Let him hold his child.”
Mab lowered her arms and bowed her head.
My stomach sank.
Because I realized what was coming.
What had to come next.
What I had asked for.
Mother Summer rose, slowly and carefully, looking down upon the child and singing softly to him, and brought him to Thomas.
“I give you this time,” Mother Summer said, “to give him your blessing.”
Thomas had recovered somewhat in the intervening time. He took the child uncertainly, as if fearing the baby might simply explode if he did something incorrectly. Lara was beside him, showing him how to support the baby’s head and body.
Thomas stared down at the child, weeping openly.
“My God,” he breathed. “Harry…look at him.”
He looked like a newborn. His face was all squished, there was some weird stuff on his scalp, his body still wanted to curl, and he looked odd and a little ugly and beautiful beyond the power of words to describe.
And I realized that I had a nephew.
I had more family.
I swallowed a lot. And blinked a lot. I didn’t cry, what with how manly I am. But the kid got blurry. Probably some kind of vampire thing.
I put my hand on my brother’s shoulder and we just looked down at the kid.
Thomas swallowed. And looked up at Mab.
“I don’t get to keep him,” he said quietly. “Do I?”
Mab’s face…couldn’t show compassion. But it could have been a lot more remote. “I have been tasked with restoring balance between the White Court and the svartalves,” she said quietly. “You have taken a life. You must give one in return. This is the old way.”
“I won’t let you take him to have Etri harm him,” Thomas said.
“I swear this to you,” Mab replied, something suspiciously like reassurance in her voice. “He will be raised as one of Etri’s own family. As a prince of his people. Treasured and protected and taught their ways. And when it is his time, to deal with his own Hunger, Etri will permit him contact with your House, to be taught what is needed of your ways.”
“If the child was…with me…” Thomas said. “With us. Justine…she’d never be able to heal from what has to happen to her.”
“Yes,” Mab confirmed.
“I’ll never be able to talk to her about him,” Thomas said. “Never be able to share how much I miss…Because it would hurt her, too.”
“Yes,” Mab said gently. “The pain you have given, coming back unto you. Balance.”
Thomas heaved several breaths in and out, shuddering. Ugly crying.
Lara slid her arm around his shoulders and leaned her head on his.
“And you’re doing this,” Thomas said, voice anguished, “because of Harry.”
