I huffed out a laugh, picturing babies flexing on a dais.“We feel it.When a baby is born, we feel it, almost like a sonic boom.Or a squeak.The Goddess bestows her gifts, and we feel it like a shock wave in the family.It’s sacred.We celebrate and give thanks, vowing to cherish what She has given us.
“Later, when they’re old enough to begin lessons, those with stronger innate magic are again recognized immediately.It’s happened that those with great potential at birth don’t know how to harness it and therefore drop in the ranking.I mean, the difference between numbers six, seven, and eight is pretty small, but that far down the line, it doesn’t really matter.What matters is number one, and that was Great-Gran, Gran, and now Mom.”
“And soon you,” he murmured.
I shook my head against his chest.“Not soon.Mom isn’t even fifty.Wicches live longer than humans.She has decades to go.As for me, I don’t know.I’m only half wicche.We kept that secret most of my life, but they all wondered and theorized.With my dad back in my life, it won’t be long before everyone knows why I have this ribbon of scales on my body, why my hair looks almost indigo in the ocean.Yes, I’m number one in my generation, but I’m different enough that when they whisper, it isn’t only envy.It’s suspicion.No.It won’t be me.They’d never accept me.”
“Does that bother you?”he asked.
“Only if I think too much about it.”
He rubbed his hand up and down my back.“Let’s think about something better, then.Have you been considering any names?”
Grinning sleepily, my body lost some of the tension that had built during the last conversation.“Not really.I mean names pop into my head and I almost immediately rule them out.How about you?”
He kissed my temple.“Kind of the same.I haven’t found one I love yet.I considered Alexandra for my dad Alexander.Alexandra Quinn has a ring but?—”
He stopped talking when I pushed up on my elbow and stared down at him, my brow furrowed.“Quinn?”
He looked confused.“Yeah.She’s my daughter.”
“She’smydaughter.That makes her a Corey.End of story.”
He sat up.“We’re supposed to be partners.Why are you acting like this is all up to you?”
“Because it is.I’m the one who’s pregnant.I’m the one who’s going to give birth and raise her.You could walk away at any time and be completely free to start over.This is my life now.How would it not be my decision?”I got out of bed and stood beside it.“Why are you acting like this is some sort of human relationship?”
“Mates make decisions together,” he growled.“You’re my mate and that’s my child.You can’t erase me from the equation because compromise is difficult.”
“I’m a Corey!One of the oldest and most powerful line of wicches in the world.I’m on the Corey Council.If this baby isn’t a Corey, it will look to the whole wicching world as if I’m turning my back on my family, on my wicche heritage.”
“The wicching world that’s been so kind to you?Faith and Frank aren’t Coreys,” he countered.“They took their dad’s last name.”
My hands flew out from my sides.“And they’ve been viewed as lesser in the family because of it.The family will be shocked when they learn that Faith is on the Council.There’s going to be angry pushback when Mom announces.”I rubbed my forehead.“Besides, Robert’s a Bishop.They’re an old and respected family.After Bridget ran away and Elizabeth started to fade, she was happy to separate even that much from the Corey name.Gran didn’t throw a fit because Elizabeth wasn’t seen as being powerful enough to fight over.”
Declan pushed out of bed too.Hands on hips, he stared at me.“Do you hear yourself?This family has been nothing but horrible to you.They judge their own family members’ worth by their magical strength.And even though you’re the most powerful one of all, they’ve been cruel to you since you were little.”
He ran his hand through his hair, looking like he wanted to tear it out.“Your Aunt Elizabeth, who’s one of the nicest Coreys I’ve met, wasn’t deemed important enough to fight over because she wasn’t powerful enough for anyone to care.”He stared up at the ceiling a moment, then back at me.“This is the family you cling to?This is the name you’ll brand our daughter with?You want her to grow up like you did?Are you insane?”
“You don’t understand!”My head—or maybe it was my heart—felt like it was going to explode.
“No,” he said, dropping back down to the bed, his head in his hands.“I don’t.”
I went out to the living room, slamming the bedroom door after me.I stood in the middle of the dark room, my emotions ripping me apart.I wanted to cry but couldn’t.Crying required release, but I was tied up so tight, it felt like the binds were cutting me into pieces.
I had to get out of here.I couldn’t go wandering around in one of Declan’s old t-shirts, so I flicked my fingers and my sleep shirt was replaced by the dress and shoes I was wearing earlier.
I didn’t want Declan to follow me.I needed space to think, so I lay down in the couch, threw the blanket over me, and waited.I knew he’d hear me and assume I was sleeping on the couch.Instead, I cast a muffling spell, got up, folded the blanket, and walked out the door, all in silence.
I couldn’t make myself invisible—or, at least, I didn’t know how.I’d have to ask Dad about that.No invisibility, but I could glamour myself to blend with the night, making it far more difficult for anyone to see me.
The moon sparkled on riotous waves.They were no longer covering the road, but they were hitting the rocks with a great deal of force.We were all having a rough night.
When I passed the ward on the property line, I was hit by a wave of nausea.I almost fell on my butt, but then I smelled something foul, something dead, and I forced myself to stay alert.
It only took a moment to see the grey and red crumpled mass.My stomach turned.It was a gutted seagull.This wasn’t a natural death.Its intestines had been staked out and an unlit black candle lay on its side beside the poor bird.Running water can often douse a spell.When Dad left and the ocean swamped the road, it looked as though it had also cleansed the black magic that had been dropped at our doorstep.
I had no idea what the spell was intended to do.I was glad it had been neutralized and that Dad had left first, sending the ocean to our fence, so none of our guests were cursed.I flicked my fingers and a wadded up plastic bag appeared in my fist.Out in the open like this, I couldn’t make things disappear in case there was someone nearby who saw.I scooped the bird and candle into the bag and jogged across the street.I’d study the remains once I was safe at the gallery.
