I push my plate back and sigh. “It’s been the longest fucking day in the history of long fucking days.”
“And to think I missed the most exciting part of it.” Evander slices off another piece of cake with his fork. We’re in the kitchen, and I just finished my fourth plate of pasta. Kristy and Tabatha are in the library with the werewolves, setting things up for them for the night. It’s late, and we’re all exhausted. “I cannot believe you went to Hell without me, sister.”
Laughing, I shake my head. “Next time, I’ll take you and give you the grand tour. Though I only saw a fraction of it.” I finish the rest of my cranberry juice. “It does make me wonder what the other hell dimensions look like.”
“Not another word.” Evander waves his fork in the air. “From now until the morning, you’re off demon-duty.”
“I know, and you don’t need to tell me how much I need a break. We all need breaks. It’s just hard to go upstairs, tuck myself in, and get a restful night of sleep knowing what’s going on below.”
“I’m happy to cast a sleeping spell on you.”
“I might take you up on that offer,” I grumble and get up, putting my dishes in the sink. Thanks to Eliza, the house is sparkling clean. Even the library has been tidied up. She genuinely wanted to help, but by slowly restocking the books that fell off the shelves, she was able to curiously watch the wolves. Lucas kept them both away from other supernatural beings, for their own safety and to avoid unnecessary drama. I’m the first witch she had much interaction with, and I’m sure she’s never been allowed to cross paths with wolves before. “You guys are sure you don’t want me to come down in a few hours and help?”
“I am sure.” Evander gives me a no-nonsense look. “You’re six months pregnant, Callie. Growing a human takes energy, and you need to sleep. Plus, we’re all a little worried still from you getting knocked on your ass.”
“It’s insulting when you say it like that,” I sass, but Evander doesn’t crack a smile.
“I can’t say I know what it’s like to be superhuman most of the time. I can only imagine how hard it is to go from never getting sick, drinking bottles of wine in one sitting, and healing twice as fast as anyone else to being, well, normal. But right now, Callie, that’s more or less what you are. Normal, and pregnant. Take care of yourself and your baby so she can grow up knowing how totally awesome her uncle Evander is.”
His words make me smile and make the weight of the truth sit heavily on my shoulders. “You’re right.”
“What’s that?” Evander puts his hand to his ear.
“You’re right,” I repeat ruefully. “I am going to bed.”
“Shower first. You smell like brimstone.”
“Really?” I sniff my arm, and Evander chuckles. “Asshole.”
Yawning, I go up the back staircase and into the master bedroom. Eliza moved all the gifts into the sitting area of the room, and the Oh, baby! sign that was hanging above the dessert table is taped to the window.
“I always knew there was something seriously wrong with you,” Eliza starts, handing me a large box wrapped in pretty pink paper. “Orchestrating an escape to Hell just to avoid opening gifts in front of people only proves my point.”
Laughing, I take the box from her. “You caught me.”
“Next time, give me a heads-up and I’ll make the carbon monoxide detectors go off. Subtlety isn’t your strong suit.”
“Shocking, isn’t it?”
She pushes my hair back and smiles. “I kinda like that about you. Open mine first.” She zooms out of the room, closing the doors behind her. I put the box on the bed and join Lucas in the bathroom. He started the shower, warming up the water for me. Silently, I strip out of my clothes and get in with him.
My eyes fall shut as the warm water washes over me. Lucas gently shampoos my hair for me, knowing that I’m just spent. After we’re out and dried off, Lucas brings me into bed.
“Do you want to open one or two?” he asks, looking at the gifts.
“Yeah,” I tell him. “I do.”
My eyes slowly flutter open, and I pause before getting up. Lucas isn’t in bed with me. Scarlet took his spot, and Pandora is stretched out on my pillow above my head. The house is quiet, and the energy is still. I fell asleep quite literally in the middle of opening presents last night. We made it through about half of the gifts, and Lucas organized what we opened in the sitting area of our room.
Seeing the tiny clothes, the little booties, and all the baby supplies makes me feel way too much this early in the morning. I’m excited and nervous and terrified and guilty all at once.
And I don’t have time to allow myself to process any of that.
Swinging my legs off the bed, I get up and immediately head to the bathroom to pee. I give my face a quick wash, run a brush through my hair, and brush my teeth, not sure if I’ll get a chance to come back and do it after I have my morning coffee. I get dressed in one of my last pairs of black leggings I can stretch over my stomach and a gray maternity shirt that’s so not my style.
Magically curling my hair as I walk, I go downstairs and find everyone but Noah, Lucas, and Eliza in the kitchen eating breakfast. The bump on Alyssa’s head is going down already, thanks to being a werewolf and healing fast. Brock’s arm, however, looks worse, and I’m not sure if I can get Abby to spring for antibiotics without it raising red flags. I don’t want her involved any more than she needs to be.
“Hey, guys.” The smell of coffee hits me, making my stomach grumble with hunger. I’m craving my normal cup of black coffee, still thankful that nasty phase of wanting to ruin perfectly good coffee with creamer is over. I’m limiting myself to a half cup of caffeinated coffee a day and the rest decaf.
“I made breakfast,” Alyssa says, motioning to the eggs, sausage, and toast on the counter. One of the fruit trays from the party is out as well. “I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course, thank you.”
“I fed your dog too. She’s very well behaved.”
“She’s had extensive training.” I get a coffee cup from the cabinet.
“It’s not half decaf,” Kristy says apologetically. “I forgot.”
“It’s okay. I’ll just have half a cup.” I go into the butler’s pantry to fill up my cup and return to load food onto a plate. Judging by how calm everyone is, Noah didn’t rot from the inside out last night and the demon is still subdued, tied up in the library while Lucas and Eliza keep watch.
“The twins and Ruby are meeting with us soon,” Tabatha tells me when I sit at the breakfast table next to her. “Ruby thinks she found a breakthrough.”
“I’m gonna guess she was up all night doing research and not resting like she was supposed to.”
“I am too.” She gives me a look that lets me know she has something more to say but doesn’t want to say it in front of the others. We finish eating in mostly awkward silence, and then Tabatha takes me into the conservatory. I really need Olive to come over and help me with my sad attempt of growing my own herbs.
“That werewolf boy isn’t going to last must longer,” she says, cutting right to the chase. If he were merely human, the demon would have burned through him already, even with us constantly casting the demon sleep spell.
“I know,” I say, feeling my heart sink. “Did you tell his mother?”
“No, and I’m not going to.”
“You’re not?” I wrinkle my nose. “We should warn her so she’s prepared.”
“Noah is not going to die.”
“But you said he’s not going to make it much longer.” I tip my head, not following.
“He’s not, not with the demon inside of him. So, we are going to perform an exorcism.”