by her approach. She’d taken the plunge, despite her fear.
Tamara gave her a soft half-smile. “You look stunning, my child.”
“And you’re a timeless hottie, as usual,” Eva shot back.
This was going much better than I’d anticipated. Suddenly, I lacked purpose in this conversation. What was I even doing here, anymore? Tamara looked at me for a moment. “I suppose congratulations are in order, first and foremost,” she said, handing me the gift box. “This is for you, to get you started in your new life together.”
“Thank you, Mother,” Eva said, staring at the box. She knew what was in it, and she was blushing redder than poor Eira during the awards ceremony that Derek and Sofia had organized in our honor.
“What’s in it?” I asked her.
Her eyes widened, while Tamara chuckled. “It’s a… Um, it’s a…” Eva didn’t manage to say much, but her mother beat her to it anyway.
“It’s a love stone,” the Lady of the Lamias said.
“A love stone,” I repeated after her. “What’s a love stone?”
“Oh, we use these when we mate,” Tamara explained. “You put it in the fire, and it releases a pleasant smell. It stimulates arousal, it makes it—”
“Thank you, Mom!” Eva said, a little too loudly, stopping Tamara from going into too much detail. I’d almost forgotten how passionate and volatile the Lamias were, by nature. No wonder they employed methods such as this love stone to make their bedroom experiences more… amplified. I, for one, was already looking forward to trying it out.
“Thank you,” I added. “And I must say, it’s an honor you decided to join us.”
Tamara sighed, lowering her gaze for a second. “I should have come to see you both sooner,” she said. “I’ve let my pride and stubbornness poison me for too long.”
Eva was speechless. “Mother…”
“I hope you can forgive me, Eva,” Tamara replied. “You are my only child, and for me to push you away like this… it wasn’t fair. We do not choose whom we love, or who we are, and I should’ve never forced my views on you the way I did. After the ritual, I wanted to see you, to make sure you were all right, but… I was afraid, Eva. I was afraid because you’d gone through so much, already. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
A single tear fell from her eye, and Eva took her hands, squeezing tightly. “Mother, please. It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re here tonight. It’s a big moment for me. For us.”
“Can you ever forgive me?” Tamara asked.
Eva hugged her. “I forgive you.”
Now I was the one tearing up. I had to glance at the mason jars overhead just to stop myself from weeping like a little girl, as the rest of the Death Crew got up and joined us.
“Momma Lamia! Welcome to the party!” Herakles cheered, handing Tamara a glass of spiced rose water. Eva laughed, wiping tears of her own.
Tamara gawked at Herakles, then at the glass, before she chugged it like a professional sorority girl. She handed him the empty flute, raising an eyebrow at him. “Got something stronger?”
Laughter was stifled as Herakles thought about it for a moment, his gaze never leaving Tamara’s. “The Manticores brought in some pitchers of their signature black honey nectar,” he said. “Would that work?”
“By all means,” Tamara replied.
Seconds later, Herakles was back with an entire pitcher, which he used to fill Tamara’s glass, and gave it back to her. “There you go, Momma Lamia.”
“It’s Tamara, please. ‘Momma’ makes me sound so old,” she said, smiling at the entire crew. “I must say, it’s an honor to meet you all. Word about you has spread all over Eritopia. Legends are being spun around campfires along the River Pyro, stories of your bravery. I’m humbled to be in your presence.”
“No, ma’am, we’re the ones honored,” Raphael replied. “Eva has told us great things about you.”
Tamara glanced at Eva, who, in turn, giggled. “She has?”
“She loves you,” Amelia replied. “And she’s very proud to be your daughter.”
“I’m the one who’s proud to have a child like her,” Tamara said. “Eva, much like you all, represents the future. And although it may not be the future I’d want or hope for, I’ve learned to accept that it will be a beautiful future, nonetheless. A better future than anything I might’ve been able to give her.”
“I never told you, but I am sorry I didn’t turn out the way you wanted,” Eva replied. “That being said, I’m definitely not sorry for who I’ve