What in the world?
Hawthorne stands and pulls me up with him. His fingers link with mine in a clear statement, and I search his gaze for a second, wanting to be sure. What I see in the depths of his eyes takes my breath away. How did I get this lucky?
With a smile, I tug him out of the house to see Gatlin’s surprise. When we reach the porch, Jamison’s steel-blue eyes drop to our joined hands, and he stiffens, then moves his gaze to Hawthorne, who gives him a nod. The tension leaves his shoulders, and he waves a hand toward the yard.
I look beyond him and stare in wonder at the creature standing regally, white feathers spread wide.
“What in the world? Is that an albino peacock?” I loosen my grip on Hawthorne’s hands and walk down the steps toward the beautiful bird.
Gatlin shakes his head. “Mostly. She still has color in her eye.” I move closer to them both and peer down. An iridescent eye, filled with deep blue, green, and purple with a black center, stares back at me as if assessing my worth.
I shake my head several times and look helplessly at Gatlin. “She’s too beautiful to sacrifice.”
“You’re not sacrificing her. She’s a gift. Offer Hera a choice. The pin you found or a rare creature to stroll around her garden, bringing her peace and joy,” he replies with a shrug. “There aren’t many of them. She’ll recognize it for the privilege it is.”
I bite my lip and think about it. There might be a way to convince her. Gatlin waits for me to make up my mind. Finally, I nod, walk over to him, and loop my arms around his neck to draw his head down for a thank-you kiss. He wraps his musculararms around me and pulls me in tight, his warmth wrapping around me like a blanket.
When I release him, he whispers in my ear, “Mmm. You smell like Hawthorne and satisfaction. Does this mean you’ve worked things out?”
Hawthorne’s Elven hearing must be good because he immediately steps forward and places a hand on my back. “We did.”
We all hear Jamison walk up the stairs and into the house. I bite my lip, wanting to go to him but not sure if I should.
Gatlin taps me on the nose. “Give him time.” He looks at the creature beside us. “I think this means we’re ready, right?”
“Two items. I think we should visit the temples in Italy. They’re side-by-side and will be the easiest to visit in one trip,” I reply. “I’ll contact Charlie and let him know we want to leave this afternoon.”
It’s obvious Jamison needs space, and I want to finish this little power trip Hera’s on. The sooner we get the next visit over with, the faster I can concentrate on the last two items—the lotus and scepter. I can’t help but feel time is running out. Hawthorne’s hand brushes up and down my back, reminding me of his presence. With so much at stake, I want to see what the rest of the gods have in store for me…us…as soon as possible.
17
HAWTHORNE
Jamison’s silence speaks volumes as I grab a seat on the porch next to him. “In the end, I didn’t need to forgive her. It became a moot point.” He turns his head toward me, and I see his confusion. “I needed to decide if I was willing to fight for her. For us. All of us. For a future I only dreamed about before she came along.” I pause and remind him. “A future we all dreamed of.”
His gaze turns toward the horizon. “Trust is the one thing that is non-negotiable for me. And I know she didn’t lie, but the effect was the same. It blew up our family. The one thing I’ve sworn to protect above all else.”
I scoff, and his head whips around. “Maybe we needed it. We were getting stale in our old age. Besides, we’re grown males, not schoolboys who can’t handle a little adversity. She’s worth it.”
He huffs. “Mathias can’t even be in the same room with her.”
“Mathias will make his own choices. His story is different from mine or yours,” I retort with a shake of my head. “Shedidn’t just break his trust. She’s partly responsible for him never seeing his daughter again. Only he can decide whether that is something he can get over. Just like you have to decide if you have it in you to trust her again.”
His jaw clenches, and I inwardly sigh. Jamison’s stubborn. The traits that make him a steadfast and loyal leader are the same ones that can sometimes get in his way. Rules and order are his hallmarks. Loyalty and trust are non-negotiable. He took a chance on her, and it backfired. It’s hard to tell if he can get over it, but the look in his eyes tells me he’s more angry than hurt. All his life his father has lied to him and broken his trust. But Phaedra is not Lord de Vere, and he needs to realize she only knew one way to operate. Alone. It’s up to us to reassure her that she can rely on us to be there for her. No matter what.
“What are you going to do while we’re gone?” I ask, changing the subject.
He sighs. “Hunt for my father. He’s the only one who can tell us who Bennett is and the extent of his powers.” He taps his fingers against his thigh, something he does when he’s thinking. “My father has never mentioned Bennett. Yet I got the feeling Caron was surprised when I asked who he was and how to find him.”
“Definitely missed something big, right under our noses,” I reply, gritting my teeth at the bubble we’d been living in. “We’ve been too complacent, willing to take orders from the council. There was a time when we had eyes everywhere. When we brought the threats to the council.”
Jamison exhales heavily. “You’re right. And that’s on me. My need for order structured us in a way that left little room for chaos or surprises.”
I wave a hand, dismissing his statement. “We’re all at fault. Not only did we let our guard down, but we also created an opening for the council to assert more power,” I add with agrowl, frustrated with myself for not seeing it. “There needs to be balance, and the only way to get it is to rein them in.”
“Starting with my father,” Jamison says in a hard tone.
“Osian too,” I remind him of the elf councilmember and Caron’s father. “I don’t know about Virilin. The Fae are pretty secretive. The only one I think is halfway decent is Daegan. Probably because the shifters elect a new council leader on a semi-regular basis.”
