“Elaria,” Darc called brokenly, “can you not even stay with us for a few minutes?”
I looked at Darc and something twitched inside me. I saw an explosion of light inside my mind—a memory of our magic merging—of creating life with him and of experiencing pleasure so sublime that nothing on Earth could touch it. My chest constricted. “I... of course, I can. Just... I'm just going to stand at the door, where he can see me. Forhissake.”
“And for yours,” Gage muttered.
I looked away, feeling ashamed and not understanding why. Despite that feeling, I went to stand at the open door of the guest room. Verin was fastening his pants but looked up as soon as I came into view. His stare met mine and softened gratefully, the tense line of his shoulders relaxing. I smiled gently in understanding. Verin finished getting dressed, zipped up the bag he'd fetched the night before, and hurried over to me. I went right back into his arms and pressed my cheek against his chest. We breathed together.
“Is there anyone in the Zone who might be able to help us?” Torin asked Slate.
“You're a fucking shining one, if there's anyone powerful enough to break the spell, it will be one of you,” Slate shot back.
“Perhaps a Selenite healer,” Torin suggested, looking at Declan for input.
Declan nodded. “Or maybe Jet.”
Or how about a fucking Spellsinger, you yahoos,RS muttered in all of our minds, even Verin's—judging by the way he flinched.
“You've brought her back,” Gage said with a hint of hope.
“This morning.” I stepped away from Verin but took his hand. “And I don't think I can break this spell, RS.”
You are not the only Spellsinger in existence, you narcissist,RS reminded me.
I blinked in surprise as my husbands and Slate exchanged eager grins.
“What's happening right now?” Verin asked me warily.
“I believe I'm about to have a family reunion.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Your mother said the spell was troubling you, but I had no idea it was this bad,” Aunt Adelaid declared as she looked Verin and me over.
We were out on the veranda, having just finished breakfast, and everyone was seated at the long, rectangular, wrought iron table, sipping cocktails. Everyone except for Verin and me, who were leaning against the vine-wrapped railing. I stood within his arms, my back to his front, and his chin resting on my head.
“There's nothing bad here,” I protested. “It's just the strength of our emotions magnifying the spell.”
Verin grunted in agreement.
Adelaid lifted her brows as she shifted her stare to the other Spellsingers. They were all related to me and all attractive. Adelaid was the most striking of the group with her pale, golden hair, peridot eyes, and supermodel body dressed in supermodel clothes, but the others weren't far behind. There was Genevieve, who'd recently cut her blonde hair—a shade darker than Adelaid's—into a sassy, shoulder-length style. With her jeans and oversized T-shirt, she looked like the youngest of the bunch, her sky-blue eyes adding to that innocent air. But Genevieve was actually the third eldest, born right after Eilener.
Eilener—the only male Spellsinger in existence—had a bass clef tattoo on his cheek and sin-black hair that matched mine. He had that hair swept back in a modern cut that emphasized the angles of his face. Finally, there was Daphne. I was the youngest spellsinger but Daphne had been born just before me. Since Spellsingers are born every five hundred years, that made her exactly five hundred years older than me—still a baby in immortal terms. With her dark hair, big blue eyes, and sweet face, she looked like Eilener's opposite—a doll propped beside a wolf. But beneath that innocent exterior, she was more like Annabelle than American Girl.
The only one missing was Aunt Alex. Asrai could leave the water, but she wasn't a Spellsinger anymore and no one wanted to rub that in by inviting her. So, it was only the four of them exchanging concerned glances. They'd arrived within an hour of my call; I'm family and that meant that they'd drop whatever they were doing to help me. It also meant that they'd lecture me if they saw fit. I braced myself for a round of reprimands that never came.
“Okay. That's definitely a possibility, but why don't we take care of this spell for you, and then you can experience the true magnitude of your love?” Daphne offered diplomatically.
“We've already agreed to it, Aunt Daphne,” I said. “You don't have to convince us. I'm the one who asked you to come, remember?”
Eilener narrowed his steel-gray eyes at me. “You should have asked us sooner, Elaria.”
“It didn't occur to me.” I shrugged. “It didn't occur to any of us. It was the Rooster Spell who suggested that we call you.”
“Your sex spell recommended us?” Adelaid laughed brightly.
“It's not a sex spell, Aunt Addy,” I grumbled. “It's a love spell.”
“And one love spell is enough, eh?” Adelaid teased. “She doesn't want any competition.”
