I was hungry for every detail about the pregnancy Lake would share. I wished to hell we could be with her at the doctor appointments, but Lake, Jamie, and our baby’s safety were of theutmost importance. It was a sacrifice Dash and I had to make, though we both hated it.
“Jo would have let you know if something was wrong in case I couldn’t. She watches over me like a mother hen, but I love the attention. I, uh, I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me, Keir. The privilege to carry this precious little baby for you guys has been so amazing, and the chance to get my degree in cosmetology was more than I ever imagined I’d have when I was dancing not long ago. Jo is such a wonderful grandmotherly figure for Jamie, and since Lily came to visit, we’ve been having so much fun. I do hate that she and Quinn had a fight and decided to spend some time apart. Do you think they’ll work out their differences soon?”
I’d wondered how Lilith justified joining Jo in the babysitting duties without Lake asking a lot of questions. “I have a feeling they’ll figure things out very soon.”
Not many people wanted to discuss heartbreak, so it was a genius idea to use that as the basis for her visit. Lilith was a smart woman...er, demon.
“Is there anything you need?” I knew I’d drop everything and get Lake whatever she desired.
She grinned. “I just want to go home.” She rubbed her belly, her eyes belying the toll the pregnancy was taking on her body.
I stood, scooted my chair in front of Lake, and lifted her feet to rest on the seat. “Sit here and rest. Jo, how about a dance?” They sat next to me, knitting needles clacking away.
“Sure, Keir. That would be lovely.” I extended my hand and led them to the dance floor.
“How were you able to secure the time for Dad to come?”
The band was playing a waltz, and thanks to my mother, I knew how to slowly lead a partner around the floor. I’d done it a few times growing up, and it was something I could teach our daughter when she was older. The idea of it thrilled me andinstilled a lot of dread. Surly teens lining up to dance with my daughter brought on a sudden surge of anxiety.
Jo offered a big smile. “Your father is doing a great service to all of us, but he’s not the only entity in the collective, so they could spare him for the time he needed to be here to speak with you. And really, who would know your family history better than your father? You needed to understand the family lineage much faster to deal with Lorraine Joly and get her out of the way. Did you find your answers?”
“Yes. We are part of Pierre’s lineage, not Claude’s. Dad said Pierre had a son who was my many-times great-grandfather, while Claude went on to join a religious order in Spain and never fathered any children. Dad says I resemble Claude, but I’m not the reincarnation of him. It seems he went for judgment when he originally died, and Lorraine’s got her wires crossed.”
The visit with my father was quick. The information dump had been intense, but he’d solved a mystery and saved me hours of reading through his research. I’d thanked him very much for offering me the shortcut. I wished he could have stayed longer.
“We need to confront that spirit and set her straight very soon. What about the spell? What do we need to do? Is there any way I can help?” The music ended, and we clapped as I slowly escorted Jo back to their seat.
We stopped short of the table where Dash sat with Jamie and Lake. “Dash and I want to bring them back to our apartment.” I could see Jo’s face morph into a scowl, so I held up my hand. “Before you protest, we want you to stay with us, too. We made a bedroom for Lake and Jamie to share, and I’m guessing you don’t sleep, but we can make up the couch in our office upstairs to give the pretense that you have somewhere to sleep.”
Jo still wasn’t convinced, but frankly, I didn’t care. It felt wrong for Lake and Jamie not to be with us where we couldlook after the two of them—well, three if you counted Lake’s tiny passenger.
I decided to change the subject. “Do you have any idea who is reopening the portals you’ve closed? Is it Lucifer? You know there’s a bet between Nyx and Lucifer, so I was wondering if he was somehow giving himself an unfair advantage. Is he trying to make our job harder or something?”
“I’ve been doing it, actually. Now that Lake is so far along, I’ve been trying to steer Nyx away from Reardon. I didn’t know the significance of your little girl’s birth when I was closing those portals to guide the fight straight to you without harm coming to other humans, but as more was revealed, I realized I needed to undo what I’d done.
“I’m trying very hard to keep Nyx away from your walk-in, Keir. I’ve also been backtracking over Lake and Jamie’s auras to confuse anyone attempting to track them. They think we’ve been in San Francisco since we left Hades, but really, we’ve been constantly on the move. Do you really think you can keep Lake and your baby safe at the funeral home?” Jo looked skeptical. I was beginning to question it myself.
I ushered them to the table and pulled out their chair when something struck me. I knelt and touched their arm. “Jo, is there a portal in Normandy or anywhere nearby?”
She seemed to think for a moment before she answered. “Yes, there’s a portal there. That site has been a source of turmoil and strife for millennia. The evil that has taken place in that part of the world makes it impossible to sanctify the ground. Why? That portal was extremely difficult to close, such that I didn’t reopen it.”
“Open it. It seems like Normandy has a tie to everything surrounding my family, and if we want to take the fight elsewhere, then that seems like the best place since that’s whereHenri’s actions caused the spell to be cast on my family in the first place.”
I hoped the plan formulating in my brain was possible to carry out. It might just be the way to end all the madness.
“Dearly & Son, Keir Dearly speaking.”
We’d been home from San Francisco for ten days. Lake and Jamie were living with us in our apartment. They didn’t mind sharing a bed, thankfully, and instead of Jo being present in her human form, she was around in her angelic form, which Lake and Jamie couldn’t see.
“Hey, Keir. It’s Jonas. How are you and your guests?”
“We’re all doing well. Have you and Vale set a wedding date?” Amelie’s wedding had been beautiful, and I was anxious for Vale and Jonas to tie their proverbial knot. I was finding myself to be a sucker for a good wedding.
“What, misery loves company, is it?” Jonas had me laughing at his joke.
“What can I do for you? You guys want to get together for poker before the baby comes?” We had been too busy to even consider it before the wedding, but now that it was behind us, I wouldn’t mind playing again. I always had a lot of fun with our friends.
“Yeah. I’ll talk to Vale. We got a call from Mercy General in Sacramento. Mrs. Hannah Blount was brought in, DOA. She didn’t show up for work at Whole Foods, so the store manager went to check on her and found her dead in her bed. The police contacted her physician, who said she was due for an angioplasty next week. Joachim confirmed she’d had a widow-maker heart attack.”
