“Neither did I,” I said quietly.
“Stonewick has a talent for understatement.” Keegan smiled faintly
Celeste laughed softly and leaned her head against my shoulder.
“Whatever happens,” she said, “I want to know. No secrets.”
“No secrets,” I agreed.
The leaves continued to scatter, and the future stretched uncertain and unresolved. I didn’t know what the Priestess wanted. I didn’t know how far her reach extended. But sitting there with my daughter and the man who’d become my anchor, I knew one thing with absolute certainty.
Whatever was coming, we’d face it for the right reasons.
Celeste shifted beside me, stretching her arms over her head as if she’d just remembered she had a body again.
“I think I’m going to explore,” she said. “Before something else explodes. Or hops.”
“That feels wise,” I replied.
She grinned and stood, then leaned down without hesitation and wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back fiercely, breathing her in, the very real, very grounding presence of my daughter securing me in a way nothing else ever quite could. I kissed her temple, and her hair, then her cheek for good measure.
“Go,” I said softly. “But stay inside the Academy. And if anything feels weird—”
“I’ll come find you,” she finished, rolling her eyes affectionately. “I know.”
She hesitated just long enough to hug me again, tighter this time, before turning and wandering down the path toward the entrance, her steps light but purposeful.
I watched until she disappeared inside and exhaled.
The Academy steps were busy now, with a loose cluster of the vampire women standing near the entrance, shawls drawn closer as the breeze picked up, their voices low and conversational. One of them laughed, the sound rich and unhurried, and another adjusted her gloves with deliberate care. They looked… settled and comfortable.
And the strangest part?
I wasn’t even a little worried about Celeste walking past them.
The realization hit me sideways, and I let out a quiet laugh before I could stop myself.
“Well,” I murmured. “That’s new.”
Keegan turned toward me, curiosity flickering across his face. “What is?”
I nodded toward the steps. “A gaggle of ancient vampires just moved into the Academy, and my daughter walked past them without a second thought. And I didn’t panic.”
He smiled slowly, that easy, knowing smile that always made my stomach do inconvenient things. “Guess that’s growth.”
“Or desensitization,” I said. “Hard to tell anymore.”
His gaze lingered on me, warm and intent in a way that made the world narrow just slightly. I felt it immediately, that awareness sliding into place, the kind that had nothing to do with danger or destiny and everything to do with two people standing a little too close for no reason at all.
I shifted my weight. “What?”
He chuckled, low and soft. “Nothing.”
“That’s never true,” I said.
He tilted his head, studying me openly now. “I was just wondering what you plan on doing with your ex.”
I barked out a laugh. “Oh, good. Light conversation.”
