Daughter Trilogy Bundle (116 page)

“
Were you worried about me?” Hale seduces, and she blushes in response.

“
Someone can take my spot, I’m going to ride with Gemma the rest of the way,” Ther says gently while stroking the hair of his scattered girl. 

I never thought it possible for her to care so much about him, and Ambora climbs in to be our new passenger in the oversized SUV.

Nadia is completely tuned out as she stares at the cartoon, and Devin smiles a little at her intense focus.

“
I’m going to ride the rest of the way with Faith,” Jace announces.  “I wasn’t thinking about them all getting so worked up,” he murmurs lightly, and I cast him a smile.

He rolls his eyes and then disappears into the second car.  Deacon stretches out in the very back now that it
’s not so cramped, and Camara crawls in to be beside him.

Hale invites Ambora to join him, and then Ember climbs into the front passenger seat beside Kry.  He tenses slightly, and I lean over to whisper to Devin.

“I think Kry might be a little uncomfortable.”

He smirks a little and keeps the low conversation out of reach from anyone else
’s immortal ears.

“
Furies have always been beautiful but viciously dangerous.  Until now, no one’s ever had the chance to enjoy the company of one.  As you can see, it’s having a bit of an effect on the boys,” he chuckles out.

“
And you?” I question suspiciously.

“
Not in the least.  I happened to be married to the most seductive, beautiful, and spellbinding woman in the world.  It’s impossible for any woman to distract a man’s attention from you,” he smolders.

“
Unless you’re a witch with a spell,” I retort to myself, but his saddened face brings me guilt when I see he overheard it.

“
Adisia, I’m sorry,” he sighs.

“
It wasn’t you, Devin.  I shouldn’t have said that,” I murmur apologetically.

He wraps his arms around me tighter, and we finally head back out onto the road. 

I lean into his warm embrace, and then I smile when Nadia rests her head against us.  Devin lets a smirk escape, and he rests one arm around her.

She
’s one of the few women I’ll share his touch with.

“This is ridiculous,” Theia blares. 
“Harpies, hellhounds, and dextro beetles.”

Oh my.
  I giggle a little at my silent joke to her ranting panic, but she doesn’t notice.

“
I’m glad the beetles weren’t in your phones as well,” Devin murmurs.

“
That’s not very much peace of mind,” Persia sighs.

This is getting old, and I
’m bored with the whole conversation.  I’ve grown weary of the back and forth strategizing and the gasping realities.

“
We can talk about this later,” I interrupt.  “Right now I need to go speak to my family.  I’m sure they’re wondering why all the men around them have gone crazy,” I sigh.

I stomp off toward the house, leaving the crowd of immortals behind me.  I
’m so sick of all the impossibilities being possibly.

Devin flashes up to hold my hand, and the huge ranch on the Montana landscape brings back a calming.  The tall grass dances beneath the graceful winds, and the flowers pop up randomly to further prove their wild growth.

“You sure you want to do this?” he asks softly.

“
No.  I don’t
want
to do this at all, but it was eventually going to come up at some point.  I’m sure they would start wondering why I never look any older.  I’m just out of time for procrastination, and I’m worried they’re going to choose option number two,” I choke out slightly.

Jace flashes up to my other side, but he keeps his silence.  I can see Clara scowling at Henry, and then I hear her yelling.

“What the hell?  You said you’d tell me later.  What’s going on?” she growls.

I huff at the impending conversation I
’ve dreaded for a while now.  Clara sees me, and her eyes widen in disbelief as she rushes over.

“
You too?” she gasps, and her arms wrap around me.

I slowly return the embrace, and I just nod to answer her question.

“Do you know why we’re here?  If this is some surprise vacation, I’m not amused,” she gripes at Devin, and then her eyes widen again.  “When did the two of you reconcile?” she gasps.

“
A few days ago, sorry.  It’s been hectic,” I answer.  “And
I’m
the one who had everyone rounded up.  The men were just doing as they were told,” I vaguely explain.

“
Adisia, what the hell?” she grumbles.

“
I’m sorry, but-”

“
Adisia?  Oh thank goodness,” Mom yells, and then she jerks me up in a hug.

“
Hey, Mom,” I say gently, and then I see Jane leaning against Jake without question. 

Damn honeymooners.

We all head into the house, and everyone chatters with Devin’s parents and Persia and Kahl - though they don’t yet know their true identity.  Mom walks over to pull me out of Devin’s embrace so she can speak to me privately.

“
When did this reconciliation happen?” she giggles excitedly.

“
A few days ago.  It’s a long story, but I promise a few things will make more sense in a minute.  Or, it could make less sense, depending on how you feel about it,” I worry.

Her giddy eyes downshift quickly to anxious as she pulls my hand in hers. 

“Honey, what’s wrong?” she asks softly.

“
More than I care to discuss right away.  I’d rather you see it,” I murmur.

“
See what?” she insists.

“
Mrs. Titan?” Jace interrupts.  “I think I can answer that, but I need your hand,” he continues.

She looks at him suspiciously, and then I nod to tell her to go.  Devin walks over to pull my hand in his as Jace begins working solely on my mother.

Kahl and Theia take a deep breath, and take the hands of the others to begin the process.

Mom gasps as Jace enters her mind to show her the world as it truly is.  Tears streak her face, and I quietly caution Jace.

“Just the highlights.  Keep the gruesome omitted.”

“
I am,” he soothes, and then my mother cries a little more.

One by one they finish up, and each of them look catatonic after their awakening, all but Clara.

She’s been through this once before, and now her memories have fully returned.  She slaps me on my arm$ and then grabs her aching hand that struck me.

“
Why did I do that?  I knew it was going to hurt,” she growls.

“
Why did you do it at all?” I muse.

“
You didn’t show me this whole thing again after you somehow rewound time?  I’m your best friend.  You’re like a sister to me,” she scolds.

“
She is my sister, and this is the first I’ve heard of it at all,” Jake murmurs with a shocked stare.

“
How are you feeling, big brother?” I ask timidly.

“
Like someone stuck my head in a vice and sucked the sanity right out of it.  Is this true?” he murmurs with a baffled touch.

“
It’s true,” I chirp.

“
Is that all of it?” he asks while grabbing his pounding head.

“
Not even a tenth of it, but it’s what you need to know to understand why you have to stay here for a while.  You have to hide, and you have to stay safe,” I assert.

“
So is this why the two of you split up?” Mom asks when she walks over.

“
That’s a whole other twisted story I won’t burden you with.  We’re back together now,” I mutter softly.

“
And it will stay that way,” Devin adds adamantly.

Mom grins a little, and then I sigh when my dad, Henry, and Jane join us.

“If you don’t want to know this, there’s a way to wipe your memory clean of everything.  You’ll never know I even existed to help with the transition,” I whimper.

“
So it’ll be like you were never our daughter?” Dad asks with a heartbreaking tune.

“
Exactly.  You’ll be able to live your lives somewhere safe with no recollection of me at all,” I murmur while doing my best to hold back my tears.  “Jace can wipe your memories right now.”

“
Honey, we can deal with this.  It’s not like you’re really all that different.  You just have a few special attributes we would have never guessed,” Mom says compassionately, and then her arms embrace me to pull me to her as I let free the parading tears of relief.

“
What about the rest of you?” I whimper.

“
I think it’s pretty cool, actually,” Jake says with a casual shrug.

“
You know I’ve already made peace with it,” Clara says with a scolding tone still etched in her voice.  “Even though it’s going to suck when we’re eighty, and I look like an old prune while you’re still piping hot.  I might let you erase my memories then,” she teases, and I laugh through the tears.

“
So, wow,” Jane stumbles out.

“
Indeed,” Henry exasperates while still struggling with the shock of it all.

“
Daddy?  Are you okay with all this?” I worry.

“
It’s certainly a load of information, but I would never lose one memory of you.  I actually would like to meet your biological parents more formally,” he says softly, and I look over to Persia and Kahl.

“
They want to speak to you,” I prompt, and they act as though they weren’t already eavesdropping when they join us.

“
Wow.  You’re absolutely stunning,” Mom pops out while gawking at Persia.

“
Thank you,” Persia murmurs shyly.

“
You’re very… tall,” Dad says awkwardly to Kahl, and I giggle quietly when I see him standing up a little straighter to match Kahl’s impeccable posture.

“
So you’re totally loaded,” Jake murmurs to Devin.

“
More than you could ever imagine,” he chuckles.

“
Awesome,” Jake gushes.  “I want a demonstration,” he prompts, and Devin snickers a little.

“
Of my money or my power?” he teases.

“
Power.  I’ve seen a demonstration of the money,” Jake spouts while man-crushing on my husband.

“
Let’s head outside,” Devin proffers.

Everyone stumbles outside as Devin walks out with me hand-in-hand.  Jake hops up on the railing and eagerly awaits the show like a child.

Clara takes Nadia’s hand, and they lean over to watch as well.  Jane props against her enamored husband, while Mom and Dad stand with Persia and Kahl.

Devin gives me a smirk and a wink before he throws forth his ripple, and the fence on the far side shatters into pieces while ripping free from the sturdy ground.

I hear gasps and gushing coming from all around, and then Devin smiles as the small pond in the distance rises into a funneling cyclone of water.  It dances around for a minute before he releases it.

Again, everyone is shocked and in awe as the water climbs back down to an undisturbed stillness.

“Your turn, sis,” Jake prompts, and I smirk as I force a wind to directly push him off the railing. 

He squeals a little as he bounces to the porch with a
thud
, and everyone bursts out laughing while he stands back up to dust himself off.

“
Funny.  Real funny.  What else you got?  And don’t aim it at me, please,” he gripes.

“
I have a few tricks,” I murmur vaguely, and the sky thunders overhead.

Jake leaps backwards as the first crash of lightning strikes the ground at a safe distance away, and then Devin walks in front of me for the real display of power.

I bring down a second bolt, and it splits around him to show everyone how perfectly intertwined we are.

“
Oh my gosh,” Clara squeals.

Nadia is smiling ear to ear as she watches, for to her, this is nothing new.  She
’s the only one amused rather than in awe.

“
Is that all you can do?” Jake teases while trying to seem unimpressed - though I’ve already seen his jaw hit the floor.

“
Adisia can do much more, but I think it’s safer for you if she doesn’t demonstrate,” Devin chuckles.

“
I’m not scared,” Jake dares.  “Show me.”

I had intentionally requested Jake
’s memories from before the rewind not be restored.  I didn’t want him to know he had been possessed by Safina, so he has no clue at all the things I can do.