on one occasion many years ago. Deacon was a raven shifter, as was his whole family, but they all had their individual curses, too. His curse, such as it was, allowed him to take on other people’s curses. Amelia had thought he might be able to give Robin a break from his imprisonment.
That hadn’t been the case, however. Try as Deacon might, he’d been unable to move the invisible wall that surrounded Robin even an inch.
The failure had prompted Amelia to surmise that fairy magic created in a different realm was uncrackable. She’d vowed to keep trying, but her tone had said what Robin had already been thinking: Don’t expect anything to come of it.
But tonight, none of that mattered. Tonight he had Theo by his side as he stepped boldly toward a new start. He’d realized that part of why he’d responded so poorly to her secret about her fae blood was because he cared so much for her.
He loved her. And he wanted to think that the woman he loved wouldn’t keep anything from him. But he also knew that he’d given her every reason to think hiding it was the right choice.
Now, there were no more secrets between them. More than that, he was ready to take this next step to improve his life, whatever the consequences. Maybe that was the reason his boundaries had suddenly expanded.
He’d made the choice to be happy in the life he had. Of course, that was easy to do with Theo around. She was like a beacon of light in his dark world. He couldn’t get enough of her, and she made him want more from the life he’d come to accept.
No more of the status quo being all right. It was time to press forward and strive for a bigger life.
This dinner party was just the beginning. As his social circle grew, he hoped his magic boundaries would continue to as well. Maybe someday, they would disappear altogether. Wouldn’t that be something? And what would Vesta’s response be then?
A car pulled up outside, ending that line of thought.
He was glad they’d come to the foyer. Maybe it wasn’t proper etiquette, but it felt too impersonal for Elswood alone to greet their guests.
Elswood was at the ready, however, to answer the door.
Theo glanced at Robin, her smile a little tight. She was clearly nervous. “They’re here.”
“They are.” He smiled back at her. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look, my love?”
He’d never seen a woman who captivated him more. He could see some of Caralynne in Theo. Mostly the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed.
If he were capable of it, he would have used his power to bring Theo’s mother back. It was obvious that Theo missed her dearly.
The bell rang, and Elswood opened the door. “Good evening, Ms. Marchand and guests. Welcome to Gallow House.”
“Thank you for having us,” Amelia responded. She found Robin immediately and handed him a bottle of wine tied with a purple bow. “A little something for you.”
“You didn’t have to do that.” Robin took the bottle, nodded in appreciation, then handed it off to Elswood.
“I couldn’t come empty-handed.” She smiled at him. “Don’t you look nice, Robin. And, Theodora, that dress is very becoming.”
“Thank you,” Theo said shyly.
Robin put his hand on Theo’s back. Amelia’s caftan was an explosion of peacock colors. A few actual feathers decorated her turban. “You look beautiful, as always, Amelia.”
With a smile, she touched the arm of the dark-haired young woman who’d followed her in. “This is my niece, Emeranth. Em, this is Robin Gallow and his companion, Theodora. Robin, you know Deacon, but I’m not sure you’ve met his sister, Grace.”
“I haven’t. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Grace.” He shook both of their hands.
“Thank you for inviting us to your beautiful home. Call me Gracie, please. Everyone does.”
Robin nodded. “Thank you for coming. I realize venturing into the Dark Acres isn’t everyone’s idea of a good way to spend their evening.”
The pretty blonde laughed. “I wouldn’t have missed it.”
He introduced Theo. “As Amelia mentioned, this is my companion, Theodora Middlebright.”
Theo nodded and shook their hands as well. “Please call me Theo.”
Emeranth smiled. “Theo it is. And you have to call me Em. Your hair is just too gorgeous.”
“It is,” Grace agreed. “You have to tell us what you use to get it to shine like that.”
Theo laughed. “That’s a goblin thing, I’m afraid. See Robin’s hair? He has it, too.” She nodded at the butler. “So