Keltie chuckled and shrugged. “I suppose we have to be thankful Saffie is a strong woman who goes after what she wants.”
I groaned and buried my face in Riah’s arm. “It was Dr. Troy’s idea to go out to the hot tub. Not my fault she tricked me into finding him.”
“Dr. Troy, the dead psychologist,” Gigi said with a chuckle.
“I didn’t know she was dead!”
My mother’s eyebrows rose. She smiled and shook her head. “My, my, it does seem you’ve had quite the adventure. I would love to hear every detail but perhaps you can focus on the part that explains how Zachariah is here? I mean, I understand he’s Seelie and that explains his being alive—”
“It’s just Riah, Mom. That’s what he prefers.” I squeezed his hand, remembering the story about his brother who died. “And he was already three hundred years old when we met him”
“Two hundred and ninety-two.” Riah grinned.
“Oh, my…” Mom frowned. “And where have you been this whole time?”
“Mom…” I bit my lip. “There’s a whole complicated story that goes with that.”
She rocked back on her heels and nodded. “I’m listening.”
So I told her. Everything.
I told her everything Riah had explained to me. Prince Thorne and Princess Sage’s true allegiance. His mother’s visions as a seer. His and Malachi’s purpose for being born. Their work with The Coven in the war against Lilith. Their plan. My curse. The breaking of my curse and being sent back to Salem. My memory. Everything. I told her everything.
Well, except for the details a mother didn’t want to hear and no one else needed to know.
The private moments.
“He didn’t know we were soulmates because for fae it does not show until first kiss…and since he’s been so strict with his duty it wasn’t until I kissed him that it revealed itself – but not until we were in the tunnels.” I smiled remembering the way that moment had gone down and how crazy it all was in hindsight. “My memory came back before — wait, how did my memory come back? I thought I had to go into Seelie for it to be reversed and I only made it to the tunnels. Wait, did you tell me this already? My brain hurts. Tell me again?”
Riah smirked. “In 1692, I watched Tegan here give all of you a spell for duplicating your memories in case any fae demanded you sacrifice them…and then Cooper here suggested you perform it on yourself. So, I simply had you recite the spell to unlock your memories.”
“HA!” Tegan cackled and clapped her hands.
“…in your apartment,” I heard myself whisper.
He nodded. “I was trying to give it time to work but then Thorne called for me and I had to take you.”
“That’s why I remembered Emersyn’s face in New York.” I looked over my shoulder to her as that memory came rushing back. “Thank you.”
She grinned. “You’re very welcome.”
“That’s why seeing us with the polar bears triggered your memory—”
“Just like Elizabeth said!” Savannah squealed. When everyone looked to her she shrugged. “Elizabeth Bishop, in the medium reading told Safferella the Star would guide her, the Empress would save her, and the Emperor and High Priestess would bring her memory back.”
My jaw dropped. “Holy shit.”
“I should say. This is a lot of new information to process.” My mother turned to Uncle Leyka and Keltie. “What do you know of this?”
Keltie beamed at us. “Riah speaks the truth. He has been on our side longer than any of you have been alive. I watched him in the war and since…he’s done a wonderful job. The people of this realm are forever indebted to him, and his brother, for the sacrifices they’ve made.”
Riah’s eyes glistened. “Thank you,” he said with a rough voice.
“You knew? Oh, of course you did—” Mom gasped, her eyes widened. “Olli?”
Olli howled and lunged out of Chutney’s arms and sprinted to her.
Mom crouched down and caught him, then stood back up, her eyes brimming with tears. She looked to me. “I knew you found him, I’ve looked at your letter almost daily…but still…”
Tears spilled onto my cheeks. I wrapped my arms around both my mother and Olli and hugged them tight. “Thank you, Mom. For sending Pierre. For giving me Olli.”
Deacon cleared his throat. “So, Leyka…did you know about all this?”
I stepped back in time to see Uncle Leyka grin. “I know everything.”
Tegan cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. “Speaking of knowing