I didn’t like Helena, so I was more than happy when my son turned his back to say, “Leave him alone.”
Helena reached for him, and that was when mama bear, me, stepped in. I didn’t need to use a symbol anymore to channel my magic. I just needed to aim it and control it. In this case, slap down Helena’s hand and start bum rushing her to the door.
Her wide eyes slid past me as I waved, “Buh-bye.” The door slammed shut behind her, and I glanced at my house. “Make sure she doesn’t come back, would you?”
The agreement proved instant.
Geoff stared at me. Throat working. “Listen, Mom. I’m—”
“Sorry? Sure, you are. I don’t blame you. I mean I haven’t exactly been the model parent. I blame your dad. Your real dad.”
His eyes widened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You and your sister apparently were conceived by one of the eleven spirits inhabiting human bodies.”
Geoff got stuck on, “Martin’s not my dad?”
“Nope. The name of your father was Berith.” I held up a hand. “Don’t ask me anything else, because I only know his name.”
“The Berith?” Kane exclaimed.
I glanced over. “You know him? Of course, you know him. You were all part of the original magic-stealing assholes.” I glared at him.
He at least had the grace to look sheepish. “Does it help if I say I never thought I’d care for you?”
“You lied to me.”
“I lied to everyone so they wouldn’t know I watched over you. Wouldn’t realize I’d come to care for you.”
“If you care so much, why weren’t you trying to get me to leave like Jace?”
“Because I knew it wouldn’t work. Let me ask, each time he told you to go, what happened?”
“It made me more determined to stay.”
“Exactly.” A wry reply.
“And the fighting between you and Jace? Are you even brothers?” Because I’d not forgotten their animosity.
“Not related by blood but by shared history. Our rivalry began long ago.”
I still didn’t understand so much. “Why didn’t Berith let everyone know he’d found me?”
“Because he probably hoped to control you or the children in the end. Only his perfidy, once discovered, resulted in him losing rank.”
“Okay, since you have an answer for everything explain why the attempts to kill me if you needed me alive?”
“Some of it was because your magic was locked away too tight and it was thought strong emotion would help release it. And then there were those working against the plan in place. Who wanted you out of the way that they might use your children.”
“Like Helena,” I surmised.
He nodded. “She wanted to be the one wielding the power when the planets aligned. Hence why she turned Martin against you.”
“Because with me out of the way, she could use Geoff,” I muttered.
“Had she killed you directly, it would have caused a power struggle.”
As the truth spilled, more questions bubbled. But one rose above the others. “How sorry are you for lying to me?”
He drew me close. “Sweetheart, I—”
The door slammed open and in stalked my daughter. She whirled and shut it. Locked it and glared.
“Where’s Jace?” I asked.
“Not here obviously.”
“I should hope not since you dumped him.”
“Who says I dumped him?” Winnie asked.
“Seems obvious given the whole betrayed you and tried to kill you thing.”
“Kind of the pot calling the kettle something rude, don’t you think?” She eyeballed Kane’s hand on my hip.
“But Kane didn’t go through with it.”
“Neither did Jace!” she huffed.
“Then why are you mad at him?” I exclaimed, utterly confused.
“Would you believe he chose schmoozing with that big thundercloud over victory sex with me?” Which turned out to be the end of his demon, but I only found that out later.
Speaking of victory sex… I glanced at Kane. Did my frustration show?
He winked at me. Then cleared his throat. “Since you appear to be in need of a celebration, then why not assuage it with ice cream? The parlor on Main Street keeps a key under the front mat.”
“Did you just tell me to break into a place?”
He rolled a shoulder. “Technically, I own it. And you are a high acolyte to george.”
Winnie nodded. “It should come with free ice cream. Good thinking.”
“Do you like ice cream?” he suddenly asked.
“Who doesn’t?” I rolled my eyes and then, because it was the kind of thing you asked, “What flavor is your favorite?”
“Vanilla.”
My nose wrinkled. “It’s so plain.”
“I don’t need fancy things to be happy.”
“Did you just call me plain?” I arched a brow.
“Like hell. You are the most complicated woman I’ve met.