“No.”
Amelie frowned at me in the mirror. “No?”
“No. Try another one.”
“You know I’m trying to get a bit of everything so Everest can be the one who says no.”
I grimaced at the bright orange top Amelie had on, complete with weird ruffles. “Fine, but if that winds up in your closet, I’m going to find it and turn it into kindling.”
She giggled then ducked behind the dressing room curtain. We’d been at it for about two hours now, working to bring the shopping experience to Everest. We had a number of bags already, all resting at my feet, as I sat in an armchair. This was our last store, and then it was on to getting all the food we could find here. Pretzels and hot dogs and the like, then carting it all back to the mansion.
Amelie was going to have to come back and return half of what she bought, but she said Everest needed a pick me up and this would get her mind off worrying about the baby. She’d picked out several bags for Everest, too. I had no doubt Slade would want most of it to be returned. Some of it I hadn’t been allowed to see. Womanly things, Amelie called them.
When the curtain parted again, Amelie stepped out in a snug pair of dark jeans, dark brown boots, and a flannel that fit her perfectly. The green brought out the emerald of her eyes.
She spun around slowly. “Well?”
I got up and leisurely walked around her scratching my jaw.
“Tank? Hello? It’s not like you’re figuring out the answer to life’s greatest question here.”
“I could be.” I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. “I think you should wear this one back to the mansion.”
“I’m going to take that as a yes. Great. I think we’re done. All that’s left is to get the food.”
We purchased the items and headed out. A tiny part of me had expected this trip to be painful, following her around as she shopped. It was the complete opposite. I hadn’t had this much fun out in public in a very long time.
It was nice to give her my input on what she purchased. Each time I gave her a compliment, her cheeks would turn a brighter shade of red as she grinned. “We are finished,” she said after buying a couple of cupcakes. “Anything you need?”
“I picked up another pair of jeans and some shirts.”
“What? When?” she asked, already digging into one of the chocolate cupcakes.
I leaned in to kiss the tiny bit of icing that made it to the tip of her nose. “I’m sneaky.”
We piled into the SUV we’d borrowed from one of the warlocks at the mansion and drove out of town.
Once we were back, I lugged all the bags into Everest’s room, along with the food we’d bought.
She burst out laughing as Amelie announced it was time for a fashion show and all the boys had to get out.
Slade and I snagged a couple of pretzels and let them shove us out of the room, so they could have their fun time. We wandered through the mansion and out to the grounds. Slade caught me up on what little else occurred in the valley. Nothing terribly exciting.
We stopped on the small bridge over the stream.
“Mason came to me,” he said.
“Let me guess. He said he’s feeling weird.”
“He talked to you already?”
“He came to me before I left with Amelie for the gathering. I told him to talk to Everest or his parents, but he didn’t want to bother them. You think he’s got latent magic in him?”
“His mom’s an extremely powerful witch. Or she used to be anyway. His dad’s a Shadowguard. The chances of Mason not turning out to be like either one is highly unlikely. And being around magic so much must’ve stirred something up in him.” Slade hung his head. “I want to be there for him, but with Everest, the baby… shit, man.”
“I’m sure Mason understands. I told him to call me if he needed.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “How are you really holding up? You can be honest. Everest’s not around. No one is.”
Slade swiped roughly at his eyes, hunching over the bridge’s rail. “I thought I knew what fear was after watching Everest almost die, you know? I thought I could never be that afraid again, or any more afraid. I was wrong, so freaking wrong.” A tear slipped from his eye, and he didn’t seem to notice or care. “I’m damned good at saving people, but at that moment, there was nothing I could do. If she’d lost the baby, if I lost either one of them… there’s nothing I can do to stop it from happening.”
“You’re not going to lose them.” I pulled him into a bear hug as he fell apart.
Slade, the clan leader of the Shadowguards, had not been able to break down back home. I understood that. He had to be strong for Everest, for the valley. Keep them all positive that nothing bad was going to happen. Here with me, he could fall apart without judgment. He wept, and I let him, not saying anything as he let his fears go.
“Sorry, man,” he muttered a while later. “Think I needed that.”
“That’s what I’m here for. You two will be fine here. This place has been nothing but peaceful since we dealt with the poltergeist.”
“Peaceful. Uh huh.”
“What?”
He shook his head, grinning. “Nothing. Just happy to see you happy for once.”
“You can thank Amelie for that.”
“I plan to.”
I fiddled with a splinter on the railing. “We’re planning on moving. There’s that bit of land outside of town I pointed out to you. Think it’d make a nice little farm for us. Give us some room for her gardening and me to churn up some dirt of my own.”
“All yours,” Slade said without any hesitation. “You and Amelie. This is a big step.”
“Not in the mood to waste time, you know? We’re happy, genuinely happy and with her, everything feels so…”
“Right?” Slade supplied. “I know the feeling.”
“Bet you do. Everest had you all twisted up after the first time you met.”
“I hated her the first time we met.”
I chuckled. “And that lasted so long. You fell for her damned fast, and you know it.”
“She saved my ass, how could I not?” He sighed as he turned around, taking in the surrounding trees.
The herd of unicorns was on the back field. Everest would like to see them, I was sure of it.
I was about to tell Slade so when he asked, “What else is going on with you?”
“Nothing, why?”
“You’re up to something, I can feel it. You’ve got that look on your face you’d get right before we’d charge headfirst into a fight.” He leaned in. “Is there something I need to know about?”
“I guess you’ll find out anyway. My sister’s alive.”
“Cara?”
“Yeah, when I was in the pool of remembrance, I saw my family members who’d died. All of them except her. My baby sister is alive somewhere out in the world. Amelie and I are going to find her.” I was a crazy bundle of nerves inside if I wanted to be honest. If we found her alive and well, why hadn’t she come to the valley when word was sent out that Slade had liberated our clan? Why hadn’t she made contact somehow? Was she being held against her will and if so by who? I gripped the railing until my knuckles cramped. If she was in trouble, I had to find her. I would not lose another member of my family, not now when my life was nearing some semblance of being perfect.
“You’ll find her. I’d go with you but—”
“No, your place is here with Everest. I’ll be alright. I have a pretty strong witch on my side.”
“Yes, you do.” Slade fell silent, a contemplative look on his face. “I’m going to be a dad, and you have a girlfriend. Did you ever see this happening, years ago? Not fighting for our lives? Settled?”
“No. Every now and then I think it might be a dream,” I admitted. “But then I hear Amelie’s laughter, or see her working in the greenhouse, lounging out on the grounds, and I remember we finally have some peace in our lives.”
We stayed on that bridge talking about our plans moving forward. I made sure to keep the conversation light, so Slade wouldn’t sink back into his fears about Everest or the baby. As the sun began to lower in the sky, we walked back to the mansion and to their room. Amelie was gone. Everest told me she went to put away the clothes that she was keeping. I told them I’d meet them in the hall for dinner and jogged upstairs to get Amelie.
I knocked, and she told me to come on in.
“Where are you at?”
Her hand shot up over the changing screen in the corner. “Almost ready.”
“What did you decide to keep—no. Anything, but that top,” I pleaded as she came out, boasting that horrid neon orange top again. “I thought we talked about this.”
“We did, but I dunno. Kinda growing on me.”
I stalked toward her, smoke trailing from my nose. “I could just burn it off of you,” I teased.
Her breath caught as she blushed.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, I’d dare.” I held her waist and lowered my mouth to hers. She wrapped her arms around my neck and then somehow, we found ourselves on the couch, entangled in each other’s arms. I was considering following through on my promise when a knock sounded at the door, followed by a startled gasp, then laughter.
“I’m sorry. Did I interrupt something?” Lucius asked.
“Sorry, Lucius.” Amelie laughed.
“Dinner is ready if you two can manage to make it downstairs.” He glanced back, winked, then was gone.
I growled at the interruption. “That shirt,” I muttered.
Amelie made no move to change.
“You’re joking, right? Please?”
She tilted her head back and forth, then smiled. “Of course I am. You can’t think I’d actually wear this? Nope, going to change.” She patted my cheek, disappeared behind the screen, and when she came back out this time, she was in the flannel shirt she’d bought. “Better?”
“Much. Now let’s go get some chow. Starving.”
The next couple of days passed at the same calming pace as they had since the gathering ended.
Amelie set up a comfortable lounge for Everest in the greenhouse she was working in, so they could keep each other company.
Slade and I tended to the grounds for Selma, mostly to keep him Slade and from driving Everest nuts by hovering. Selma checked on Everest and the baby every morning and every night. So far, she said rest was doing them both a world of good and they were right on schedule for Everest’s due date.
A couple of evenings later, I left Slade and Everest to relax in their room and went to find Amelie. She’d been busy most of the day putting the finishing touches on the tracking potion. The workshop was in the southern tower, and the climb was ungodly long to get there. I grunted in annoyance when I reached the top, completely out of breath. How had I gotten so out of shape?
The sweet smell of honeysuckle met my nose as I pushed the door open. Candles lit the circular room, and a fire crackled beneath a bubbling cauldron. Amelie had a huge spoon to stir the contents. All that was missing was a pointed hat and a broom. I contented myself with watching her in her element, dumping more liquids into the potion, adding touches of herbs here and there. When a puff of bright blue smoke rose, she laughed to herself, and the image of the human’s version of a witch came rushing right back.
I chuckled.
Her green gaze met mine through the smoke. “What’s so funny?”
“How mad would you be if I bought you a pointed hat and a broom, and we adopted a couple of black cats?”
She glowered. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Too late for that. This the tracking potion?”
“It is, and it’s almost finished. Two more nights of simmering then we’ll add the final ingredient.”
“What’s that?”
“Your blood. Since you’re related, it’s all I have to actually track her. It’ll lead us to whoever shares the same genes essentially.”
I wanted to see the potion, but apprehension this plan would fail held me back.
“Tank?”
“Sorry, it’s just been so long since I’ve seen her. I want this to work so much.”
“You’re worried it might not?” She came to me and kissed my cheek. “If it doesn’t, then we’ll try something stronger. I’ll track down the best witch I can find if need be. We’ll find your sister. And wherever Cara is I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to see you again.”
“You can’t know that.” I tugged myself free and walked to the far windows. “She’s going to hate me. Not that I blame her.” I knocked my fist against the stones. Could I handle seeing hatred on the face of my last living family member? What if she wanted nothing to do with me? The last time I saw her, we were being dragged apart by Black Diamond dragons. Every time we went on a raid, I searched for her, but never could locate her. “If we find her maybe you should approach her alone.”
“Not happening.”
“Amelie, please,” I pleaded.
She shook her head. “Cara doesn’t know me. We have no idea what she’s been through. She needs a familiar face.” Amelie pulled me back from the wall and held my face in her hands, running her fingers through my hair. “She needs her big brother.”
I wanted to believe her, but how could I? I’d suffered through my own version of hell. Cara’s could’ve been worse. She could still be going through it. Amelie rested against my side as we watched the sun setting over the grounds. Her presence was beyond comforting. If this worked, if we found Cara, I’d never be able to thank her enough. Even if it didn’t work, that determined look on her face said she was not going to give up until we found Cara. Or at least learned of her fate. We knew she was alive. That was a start.
“How was Everest’s evening report?” she asked after a few moments of silence.
“Good. Selma’s positive she’ll make it to her due date without any more complications. As long as she continues to rest. And as long as she has no stress.”
“With any luck, we’ll find Cara and make it back in time to welcome the newest witch—or Shadowguard dragon—into the world. I can’t believe they don’t know what it’s going to be yet.”
“Don’t think I could deal with a surprise like that.”
“Oh, no?” Her brow arched. “I can see you being a dad.”
“Really?”
She nodded as she went back to stirring the potion. I had no issue seeing her as a mom. But a dad? Me? I tugged on the collar of my shirt, a lump forming in my throat.
Amelie burst into laughter at my discomfort.
“Relax, let’s find your sister first. And start our farm. Then we can worry about everything else.”
Our farm. I liked the sound of that. As she worked the potion, I walked the breadth of the room, taking in the shelves of herbs and vials. I hadn’t seen a workshop like this back at her home. I added it to my list of what we would need on our farm. Hell, she might want a whole separate building. With a tower, of course, so she could view the stars.
Eventually, I’d start drawing up some plans for the main house and all the outer buildings we’d have. Oh yeah, this was going to be great.
A rumbling sounded from across the room.
Amelie placed a hand to her stomach.
“Did you eat yet today?”
“I ate breakfast, remember?” she said, looking guilty.
“I do. Anything since?”
Her cringe said it all. “I’ve been a bit busy with this potion.”
“Which is my fault. Come on, let’s go get some food. I’m sure Lucius can dig us up something. Or I can cook.” I held out my hand for hers, but she didn’t take it. “You need to eat.”
“It’s not that. The potion is in the final stages.”
“And? You said it had two more days.”
“Two more days of it being watched and stirred constantly. Did I forget to mention that part?” She tapped her chin.
This told me she’d omitted it on purpose.
“Amelie.”
“What? I don’t mind, really. It’s why I slept in this morning.”
“I’m not letting you stay up two days straight by yourself.” I found a chair in the corner, sat down, crossed my arms, and didn’t move again.
“You don’t need to stay with me. Seriously. Get some sleep.”
“Nope, this is a potion to find my sister. I can stay awake for two days.”
“One of us needs to be coherent when it’s finished,” she argued.
I didn’t budge.
She continued stirring. We stared each other down until she sighed.
“Fine, at least call for Lucius to bring us some coffee or something. I’m going to need it.”
“That I can do.” I tugged on the rope by the door.
Lucius appeared minutes later.
“Amelie seems to have forgotten we have to stay awake for two days straight. Can I bother you to bring us coffee and something to eat?”
“Two days?” Lucius scowled as he glanced past me to Amelie. “Truly?”
“It’s how the potion works. Not my fault.”
Lucius glanced skyward. “I will be certain to keep you both well supplied. If you need anything else, simply call.” He gave Amelie one more aggravated look then marched away.
“That man really cares for everyone here, doesn’t he?”
Amelie nodded. “He’s like our unofficial grandpa. That’s why it was so hard to believe he could’ve killed Troy or hurt any of us.” Her hand slowed as her eyes took on a dark glimmer. “Some mornings, I wake up, thinking they’re all still alive and here. I could almost swear that I can hear Melody and Troy laughing. That I can hear Grant’s voice as he’s walking past my door.”
“Are you sure they aren’t?”
“What? Like ghosts?”
“If their souls were strong enough, they could be lingering. They might not be ready to move on, or they know you three need closure.” I scooted down in the chair, crossed my ankles, and rested my head against the stones.
“Huh.” Amelie reached behind her for a handful of crushed blue and violet flowers.
“What?”
“Just adding another reason to my list of why—well, never mind.” Her cheeks reddened, and it had nothing to do with the heat from the fire.
I knew how she felt and smiled to myself as I shut my eyes. The sounds of her stirring the potion, the crackling fire, her moving around and whispering to herself as she continued to work on the potion were enough to relax me, and I dozed off.
When I woke up later, the sun had completely set, and a tray of sandwiches and a carafe of coffee were on the table behind Amelie.
“Damn,” I grunted as I stretched my arms. “What did I miss?”
“Not much,” she mumbled through a yawn. “Did you dream anything interesting?”
“No, but I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” I got up, thankful there was coffee in the carafe and that it was still warm. I sipped it then went to Amelie and took the large spoon from her. “Go on. Get a couple hours of sleep.”
“I can’t do that. Really, I’m fine.” She yawned again. “I’m good. I promise.”
“Tell me what I need to do, then get some sleep. It’s only fair.”
She puffed out an exasperated breath. “You’re not going to back down, are you?”
“What do you think?”
“Alright, but you have to stir almost constantly. If the bluish color starts to fade, add a pinch from this bowl,” she said, motioning behind me to a bowl filled with what looked like red stones, “but if it starts to look yellow, add three pinches from this one. Got it?”
I glanced at the second bowl, and the coffee in my stomach churned. “Do I want to know why it’s mushy and… is it moving?”
“The less you know, the better.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “You sure? I can stay awake.”
“Yes, I’m sure. Go get comfortable somewhere and sleep.”
When she looked like she was going to argue, I threatened to pick her up and carry her off.
She threw her arms into the air and went to the chair I’d fallen asleep in. After a bit of shifting around, her quiet snoring filled the room, her head in her hand. Her neck was going to hurt when she woke up, but at least she was getting some sleep.
I stirred the potion, watching the color carefully, and keeping an eye on Amelie as she peacefully slept across the room. If all went well, I could see my sister in two days. After that, I’d bring her to the valley, start the farm, and live happily ever after with Amelie.
Even as I thought it, a weird uneasiness settled in my gut that it was not going to be that easy.