“Twice!” Kiara fell forward, smacking her face with a pillow.
“Just don’t get pregnant, you’ll scare Ethan off,” Delmare joked.
“Yeah, we have video proof!” Odette shouted. Alexei let out a cackle.
“Hey, maybe youshould’vegotten pregnant,” Stefan cracked. “It’d have scared the demon right out of him.”
Everyone laughed but my mate. Ethan’s lips downturned. “I’m glad you’re all having a joke at my expense.”
“Lighten up. We’re just messing with you.” I slapped his broad chest playfully. Ethan scowled deeper.
Arthur came out of his dorm room. He held a wrapped package in his hands and stood beside the couch. “Hey, Em. Ready to go? Babcia and Bapa are waiting.”
I stood. “Yeah. See you guys later.” I let my fingers trail out of Ethan’s. Arthur nodded to Ethan, and he nodded back. I was sure the two wolvens were speaking telepathically, Arthur promising to keep me safe.
I was on guard as we left campus, but the streets were quiet. Arthur remained in his shifter form until we got to our grandparents’ house, changing back only until we’d locked the door behind us.
As usual, Babcia and Bapa were gathered around the hearth. Bapa was reading the news with his pipe in his mouth, and Babcia was stirring another pot over the fire— stuffed cabbage, it smelled like.
Babcia tapped the ladle against the pot as we walked in. “About time both of you showed up. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”
“How are you holding up with the protests?” I asked as Arthur and I sat on the couch across from her.
Babcia huffed skeptically. “It’ll take a lot more than that to make me move from my home. I’d like to see someone try to get in here— protestors, police or otherwise.”
Arthur shook his head. “You two are so stubborn. You should consider moving out of town.”
Bapa folded his paper and tossed it into the fire. “Listen here, boy. We’ve been chased and hunted and bothered our entire lives for being Unseelie fae. We aren’t going to start kowtowing to people’s demands now.”
I could hardly see that happening, ever. Droga himself could pound on my grandparents’ door, and they’d tell him to go to hell. At least I knew now where I got my bullheadedness from.
“We were working on Unseelie spells the last time you were here,” Babcia said. “Before we begin, are there any questions you’d like us to answer?”
I paused to consider. “Yes, actually. We’ve spoken before how I harnessed the power of the dark necklace in the Contest.”
“Yes, go on,” Bapa growled.
“Well… the dark necklace burned me.” I pulled down my sweater, to show a few of the scars that were still there. “When I used it, it was painful. It took a lot out on my body, and sucked all my energy. Wearing it was literally killing me. But why would that be, if it was an Unseelie object and I’m an Unseelie myself?”
“Did you know how to read a book before you learned the alphabet?” Babcia asked.
“I suppose not.”
“Then of course the necklace would burn. It overpowered you, and without you having knowledge of how to direct the necklace’s magic, the object drew energy fromyou itselfwhile in use. Perhaps if you wore it now, you could direct the dark magic in a way that it wouldn’t hurt you,” Bapa said. “From what you’ve told us about the necklace, I’ve deduced the gemstones within the object were what provided the power. As you used the power in the gems, the gems would have to harness power from elsewhere. If you were able to guide the stones into taking energy from things around you, instead of your own body, you might’ve been able to continue wearing it.”
I nodded. “That makes sense.”
“I have a question,” Arthur said. “When I was speaking with my mother, she mentioned that she bonded with two shifters instead of one— our father, and King Lycus. Is such a thing possible amongst fae?”
That was a good question. I hadn’t thought to ask that.
“Polyamory was common among the old fae, but women were the only ones who chose multiple partners. It wasn’t unusual for a sorceress to bond with two or more shifters that were devoted to only her,” Babcia said. “Back in the old days, fae were fae and didn’t try to be anything else. We did what we wanted and didn’t bother ourselves with the consequences.”
“What changed?” I asked.
“There was influence from the humans. But truly, the Circle wanted power.” Babcia shrugged. “It’s easier to control people when you can force them to follow a specific doctrine.”
“What about other races? Or other Factions? Even… same sexes?” I dared to ask.
