Page 206 of Galaxy Circus Act One

Link sighs. “Queen Tabbris looked at him while Corethea worked on you. She confirmed what Link told us. The toxin is nothing like anything she has seen before, and her magic was not able to remove it.”

My heart sinks, and I feel tears well up in my eyes. “So what now?”

“Well, it’s not all bad news. She was able to tell us about a plant that is found at the bottom of the deepest mine on Rilu. It only blooms once a year on the spring equinox. That flower has the capability to heal any wound or illness. It is also rumored to be able to resurrect the dead if they have been dead less than twelve hours.”

“Holy fuck, why has nobody ever heard of it before?”

“Because there are only a handful of plants, and if everyone was to know, it would soon become extinct. The Celestians are guardians of this knowledge, but because they have the ability to fix most ailments, they don’t have need of the plant,” Link explains, and William sits forward, propping his hands on his knees.

“Because of you, Lila, and the fact that we were able to reunite them with their long-lost son, they were willing to tell us.”

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!” I throw back the sheets and try to swing my legs off the bed, but my body screams in protest, and I can’t stop the groan from slipping out.

“Lila, stop,” Cas demands, pulling the blankets back up. “You can’t get up yet, and we don’t want you coming across another Celestian and changing again.”

I pout. “Is that going to happen every time I come across someone new? Because that could get old really quick.”

Link shakes his head. “No, once the babies are born, everything should stabilize, and you should only change if you will it by picturing it in your mind like Corethea said.”

“Fine, but you should all go without me. Don’t wait.”

William stands up and grabs hold of the foot that Link had been grasping. He smiles and gives it a squeeze.

“No, my beautiful granddaughter. The Celestians have him in a stable stasis, and the spring equinox on Rilu is not for another two months, so we are all going to return to Skarr, and you will have your babies, and then and only then will we go to Rilu and find the cure for John.”

I look between the three remaining men, seeing the seriousness on their faces, and I know I’m outvoted.

Nerves rise up, and my stomach rolls as I nod. “Okay, well, I guess that sounds like a solid plan.”

The three men chuckle, and I roll my eyes at them. I’m not sure what they want me to say. Once again, the decision has been taken out of my hands, and while I can’t wait to meet my children, I feel like fate has fucked me up the ass with a cactus. But hey, I guess what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

It’s with mixed feelings that I start to get out of bed once more, but again, they stop me. “No, Lila, we will stay here tonight. The Celestian royal family wishes to honor us with a dinner.”

“Cool,” I say, but Link shakes his head.

“Unfortunately, you will need to stay here. We can’t risk you changing.”

Okay, that’s it. My already bummed mood just hit rock bottom, and I feel my lip drop in a pout.

“But Caspian and I will stay here and keep you company,” he finishes, and I perk up a bit.

“Yes, we can talk about what needs to happen now to bring the babies out of stasis.” My head swings to my kraken mate, and when I see the heat in his eyes, I know that is going to be a discussion I don’t want to miss. I seem to remember sex will trigger it or something.

“Okay, well, enjoy your dinner then, Will. Oh, and say bye to Susie and Mark for me. Tell her I’ll call her as soon as we get to Skarr. I want to hear all about their reunion.”

“And she wants to hear about the fight. She was beside herself when she found out you had been attacked. She sat by your bed the whole time. We figured it was safe enough because she hasn’t exhibited any of her own abilities yet. Actually, she was a huge comfort to us all because we couldn’t be with you. We will forever be in her debt,” Cas explains, and I grin. Of course my bestie was there for me. We are ride or die, and I would have liked to have seen them try to keep her away.

William stands up and chuckles before coming around and nudging Caspian none too gently out of the way. He leans in and presses a kiss to my head.

“Tonight, you need to rest. When we get home, you can start the process.” He growls the last part to Cas, who quickly nods his agreement, and once again, my lip drops into a pout, but then I think of something.

“But where are we going to live?” I don’t really want to have sex in my grandpas’ house. The ship is different because there’s decent distance between us, not to mention soundproofing and Xavier’s handy barriers, but being in a small house changes everything.

“We have a big estate. One of the wings is yours, and we began renovations when we found you,” he tells me with a wry look on his face. I’m pretty sure he knows why I’m asking, and from the look on his face, he feels the same way. “Your wing has an amazing view of the ocean. I’m sure your krakens will be very happy.”

With that, he gives us a wave and disappears, leaving me alone with my husband and fiancé. I snuggle down and then pat either side of me. The bed I’m in is big enough for the two of them to slide in next to me. They do, and both press a kiss to my head, but I sit up, suddenly remembering something.

“Do either of you know what Astrea said to me during the fight?”