Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 139178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Almost able to see the gears turning in Illium’s brain, Raphael turned to his hunter. Do I appear smug and happy, hbeebti?
Yes, and it makes you even more gorgeous, was the delightful response before his consort decided there could be no more private and perfect moment. “Super-parasite incoming.” Because these two were well aware of Nisia’s old joke.
The next hug involved both men wrapping her up in their arms, while all their wings tangled and Raphael had to use his power to keep them aloft. Then the two tackle-hugged Raphael instead and it was all over.
Elena, with no archangelic powers to keep them aloft, watched as all three crashed into the cool green waters of the Amur…to come up laughing, their joy so infectious that she wished she was Lady Sharine and could paint this scene. Instead, she decided she’d keep a journal for their baby, not just of this day, but of all the ones that had come before and all that would come after, full of memories of how many people already loved them, and how joyously their arrival had been awaited.
Flying down to hover above the water when the three lingered in the lazy current, chatting, she said, “We still have to tell Lady Sharine, Titus, Zoe, and Vivek, so don’t spill!” Though now Illium’s spymaster, Vivek had once been a loyal member of her Guard and—despite his service to Illium—remained one of her greatest friends.
Raphael pushed back his dripping wet hair. “Elena-mine, we forgot that spymasters are mobile. He’s probably not even in the territory, is he, Illium?”
“You lucked out. He and Lady Katrina are both present and accounted for as of the last three days—but you’d better tell him as soon as we arrive, because I plan to start wearing clothing bearing the legend ‘Future Uncle Illium’ as fast as I can get it printed.” He looked at Aodhan. “You know what, why don’t you just paint the words on my current clothes?”
“I will be too busy painting ‘Future Uncle Aodhan’ on mine,” Aodhan said with a straight face.
Later, however, after they were all dry and in the Spire, archangel and second both made it clear they’d keep the news to themselves as long as possible. The two understood that the farther along Elena was in her pregnancy, the safer she and the child would be. While angels didn’t tend to attack children or use them as pawns in war, there was no need to take unnecessary chances.
Especially when angelkind wasn’t the only threat. Vampires could turn vicious either from bloodlust or a hunger for power. The end result would be the annihilation of all involved—but their babe might still end up dead.
Better to remove even the glimmer of temptation.
“Zoe and Vivek next,” Elena said, her heart full at the idea of sharing this news with Sara’s daughter, and with a friend who’d known her since they were both mortals. Living pieces of another time, another life.
* * *
* * *
Zoe proved to be hanging out with Eve when Elena tracked her down. Her shout of delight jubilant, she drew both Elena and Eve into a crushing hug. “Mom would’ve been so excited!” she said, her smile dazzling. “I bet you she’s celebrating up there.”
Elena’s eyes grew hot at the idea of it, and her tears had the other two women sniffling even as they jokingly rebuked her for making them all lose it…while never breaking contact with her. It was a moment sweet with happiness—and just then, looking into Zoe’s shining eyes, Elena could almost hear Sara’s familiar voice, as if her best friend stood with them in this circle of joy.
“I can’t wait to meet the baby,” Zoe added later, after Eve was pulled away for a few minutes. “I’m so thrilled about the news that I’m not even mad you didn’t tell me when you told Eve.”
“You’re a kid,” Elena said, hands on her hips. “I couldn’t tell you until the pregnancy was well into what the healers consider the stable stage. How could I risk breaking the heart of Sara’s baby girl, hmm?” She could still see how Zoe had once been—a tiny sprite with a halo of curls who’d come running into her arms; the idea of bruising her heart was a knife to Elena’s own heart.
Grinning, Zoe shook her head. “Mom called me her baby girl right till our last day together.” She leaned her head against Elena’s shoulder. “Don’t tell anyone I said so, but I’m glad you still do.”
Eyes hot all over again, Elena cupped the back of Zoe’s head and dropped a kiss to her hair. “You’ll always be Sara’s baby girl to me, Zoe.”
And it struck her then that no matter if Zoe teased her about her protectiveness, they were both more than okay with their relationship. It was about family, about bonds that had been formed long before either one of them stepped on the road to immortality.