Page 75 of Black Hearted
“Good choice,” Adrien chimed in with a grin.
I moved to the next boy. His hair was lighter, closer to my own color, but he had Zander’s striking blue gaze. I loved how I could see a piece of Zander in each of our sons. “Aric,” I said softly, “after my father.”
Tears misted my eyes as I glanced up at Zander. My father had died when I was just a baby. I’d been told he was a great man and that he and my mother had been deeply in love. Losing him had taken a part of her, and I couldn’t help but wonder how different my home might have been if he’d lived.
“Another fine choice,” Zander said as he pulled me into his arms, his voice gentle. Leaning down, he whispered in my ear, “Your father would be proud of you.”
I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat. Zander and the others gave me a moment to collect myself. When I finally did, I cleared my throat, and Zander’s arm dropped from around me to take my hand. He let me stand on my own strength while still letting me know he was there for me. I loved him even more for it.
“And for the girls, I have no idea,” I admitted with a laugh. “Any requests?”
“Izzy and Ari?” Isolde suggested, and everyone burst into laughter.
“I have an idea,” Aribella said, her tone soft. She gazed at her nieces from across the table, then looked up at me and Zander with a warm smile. “Fay and Ethie,” she suggested. “Short for Faerie and Ethereum, which these girls now represent.”
My breath caught. It was perfect.
The baby girls were a beautiful blend of Zander and me, just as their names reflected both of our worlds. Fay, with her bright green eyes and corn-silk hair, was the spitting image of me. Ethie, with her dark brown curls and soulful blue gaze, looked so much like Zander.
“I love that,” I said, my voice full of emotion. Zander nodded in agreement.
“It’s official. Callum, Aric, Fay, and Ethie,” I declared.
But even as I spoke, my thoughts turned elsewhere. “Any word on Lorelei and Zane? If my mother’s here—”
“She had Lorelei’s dagger,” Aribella said, cutting in.
My heart stopped. “Her faestone dagger?” I asked, hoping I’d misunderstood her.
Isolde moved to my side, taking one of my hands in hers. “Yes, which is how we think she was able to get here early. We don’t know everything about the daggers, but if anyone could find a way to use one of them to get to Ethereum before the Spring equinox, it would be your mother.”
“Do you think she harmed Lorelei?” I asked, panic rising. Lorelei was the gentlest of us all. I wanted to believe my mother wouldn’t harm someone so innocent, but the truth was, she would go to any lengths to stop the curse.
Zander stood and took my hand, drawing my attention. “No, we don’t believe she did. Zane wouldn’t allow that. And we know he’s still alive. We’d feel it if he weren’t.”
I stared at my husband in surprise. It was the first time he’d told me that, though I wasn’t shocked. The brothers were connected— I’d seen them use their magic to communicate over long distances. It wasn’t a stretch to think their magic linked them in other ways as well.
Glancing down at my babies, I wondered if they would share the same magical connection.
“So what’s the plan? If my mother is here, it means she’s after one of your hearts,” I said, directing my words at the lords in the room.
A horrible thought struck me, chilling my blood. Did my mother hate this world so much that she’d stoop so low as to harm her own grandchildren because they could one day become lords or ladies of Ethereum?
Dizziness washed over me, and my knees buckled. Zanderreached out, catching me before I fell, his worried gaze filling my vision.
“Get her to bed, Zander,” Isolde said firmly. “We’ll take care of everything else.”
He nodded, scooping me into his arms. I wanted to protest, but I was too weak to even try. I rested my head against his neck as he carried me, hearing the soft creak of the babies’ bassinets being wheeled behind us.
“At least I got food before I fell back asleep,” I murmured, the weight of exhaustion pulling at me.
Zander smiled down at me. “Next time you wake, I’ll have an entire buffet waiting for you.”
I gazed up at him, my heart swelling with love for the man who held me so tenderly. “Zander, my mom’s sick in the head. If you see her, don’t make the mistake of thinking you can reason with her.”
A flash of fear crossed his face, and I frowned. Zander didn’t fear much—he certainly wouldn’t fear my mother.
Then realization hit me. I understood what was troubling him.
