As was the bone structure of their faces, and willowy but curvy figure.
“I forgot how beautiful she was,” Ivy murmured, reluctantly handing the photo to Rowena.
Her coven leader studied the photo with a soft smile, her gaze kind as she passed the photo to Astrid. “Except for that red hair, you look just like her.”
“Totally,” Astrid agreed, handing the photo to Juliet, who whistled in appreciation.
One by one, her coven sisters examined the photo, proclaiming Ilsa Greene a stunning woman. Ivy took it from Kerrigan and carefully tucked the photo back in place.
“She met someone, a man,” Ivy reported. “He told her could get her pregnant in one night after every other practitioner and human doctor told her it was impossible. I still haven't found a name yet, but she says she made a deal with this guy, that she gets her baby and he gets his.”
“That sounds... off,” Callie commented gently.
Ivy agreed with a nod, but Kerrigan gave a shrug. “Desperate people do desperate things.”
“She was definitely desperate,” Ivy agreed sadly, turning to the next page. Ivy's mom hadn't made an entry until May 4th.
It worked, I know it did. It's hard to describe the sensation because I hurt so badly, but it's there. I'm pregnant, and I feel... dirty.
A Green Man's magic is neutral, not dark or light, and Beltane is a night of fire and passion, but somehow, I feel like I participated in a black sabbath.
It was just us: him and me alone in the woods. We lit the bonfire together in the space I prepped yesterday for us.
When we made our deal, he said I didn't need anything but him, but I did it anyway. I planted jasmine, figs, and poppies around the circle. I harvested bottlebrush blossoms to sprinkle on the bed of thick red blankets I brought. I even bathed in milk and honey and covered my entire body in primrose oil.
What could it hurt? It made me feel good, made it feel real, and I thought he'd appreciate I was trying to show my gratitude for what he was doing to help me.
He didn’t. He laughed and as soon as the sun went down, he unleashed his magic without a word of warning.
It hit me like a freight train, and I honestly don't remember much of what happened other than to say he was on me, in me, all night.
I woke up sprawled naked in the dirt, covered in scrapes and bruises. There was blood under my fingernails, smeared up and down my arms, and semen all over me. So much semen.
There was enough on my stomach that it was still tacky to the touch, all over my thighs like dry rice paper, on my boobs, my neck, even my face.
I had to crawl to the stream to rinse off on my hands and knees because I was too weak to stand up. When I did finally get up, I was sure I pissed myself, but it was just more sperm coming out of me. It took me what felt like forever to get back to my car, and every step was agony.
I'd been in the woods with him all night and passed out all day, right there on the ground where he left me. He just left me there. Used me and left.
Three days later, and there's not a single part of me that doesn't hurt. Not one place that doesn't feel raw and abused.
But I have my baby. That's all that matters. I'd have suffered ten times over without complaint for this chance.
Confused and frankly appalled, Ivy read the diary entry three times to herself before looking up at her coven, who were all patiently waiting, enjoying their picnic in the sea of wildflowers in comfortable silence.
Rowena asked her what was wrong, and Ivy shook her head, waving her hand at the journal, stumbling to speak, her shock increasing as the reality of what her mother had gone through to have a child started to sink in.
“My father is a monster.”
“What?” Rowena set her glass of pale yellow wine aside in favor of giving Ivy her complete attention. In a trembling voice, Ivy read the entry aloud.
When she finished, Uriah gave a deep, ugly snarl from behind her, lifting his big hairy arm to pull her back against his chest for a protective cuddle.
When Ivy looked up, her coven sisters all wore expressions of shock and outrage, speechless. Juliet was the first to recover, her cheeks flaring red with anger