Page 5 of Edge of Stars

Her nod is purposefully slow. A steady show of deep approval. “But you’ve been doing that for yourself, at Terranea.”

I jog up my chin. “Effectively enough that even you’re still convinced.”

She rears back again. “Huh?”

I pull up my whole posture now. “Maximus and I haven’t spent a single night at Terranea. Well, not yet. I really hope that can happen soon. I’ve stretched out enough on that casita bed to know I’d really love a whole night’s sleep…”

Her huff breaks in on me. “Can you talk thread counts and mattress quality later? Because right now—” And then even cuts herself off, making room for another confused sound. “So where have you two been—”

“We’ve actually been staying at Rerek’s.”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t be mad.”

“Mad?” she snaps. “Why would I be mad, darling? Ohhh, you mean why would I stop there, right? Why stay at mad when one can absorb the announcement that their sister has been voluntarily sleeping at the same place they were held hostage for a couple of days? You’re right. Why would I settle for merely mad right now?”

She’s winding up to fling more, but she’s paused to see if that’s enough to knock me down a few pegs. She doesn’t realize I’m not the same sister she knew even a couple of months ago. That her wry rants, even in the lowkey style that’s nearly her trademark, won’t hit bullseye on my guilt reflex anymore. I love her, still so much and still so intensely, but I can’t keep showing it in the same ways. I can’t keep taking care of her—or even Jaden—as I once did.

We’ve all grown up so much. Our worlds have gotten bigger. In a very short time, my own body will symbolize that. Now my heart and spirit have to, as well. I just have to find the right way to tell her that.

“Hey. You’re not the only one who got screwed over by Rerek’s wrong decisions.” I’m justified about parking my hands on my hips to emphasize that, confirmed by my sister’s sullen face. “That villa is where I got snatched away by Hades. Needless to say, I don’t go anywhere near the formal living room.”

“Oof. You’re really right,” she mutters before pushing out a breath.

“But you know what? Our ordeals combined would have been days at the playground compared to the captivity my child would endure under Hecate’s thumb, meaning Maximus and I had to make some tough decisions. We remembered Rerek being so eager to help us all when he showed up at the EmStar Awards. We realized that since he had to maintain the hex across his villa for so long, the magic was probably still strong there. We were right. After I patched the hole that I created when breaking you and Jaden out, and then adding a spell of my own on top of it, the place turned into a fortress. Jaden’s been a huge help in teleporting us back and forth from Terranea when we need it, but we only show up after the media’s been alerted that we’re going somewhere.”

“And Hecate doesn’t dare touch you while so much of the human realm is looking on,” Kell supplies.

I’m nodding before she finishes. “If she is aware of the baby by now, she doesn’t dare come right out and kill me to get what she wants.”

After an extended pause, she sighs. “I wish I could tell you that no part of that makes sense. But it’s solid thinking.”

There’s heartfelt stuff beneath her cynicism, compelling me to step over and pull her into a hug.

“I wanted to tell you,” I admit. “So many times. But you and Jaden have already been through so much because of my journey with Maximus. And lately, there’s been more for you to deal with. If Veronica had her way, we’d be planning this occasion into next year.”

“Oh, far beyond that. You know she’d be wanting Sprout in the ceremony, so that would’ve meant waiting for the cute thing to become a toddler.”

“And who’s being disgustingly logical now?” I push away by half a step, letting her see the determination that’s likely glommed on to my every blood cell by now. “But delaying this wasn’t ever an option, for reasons far beyond the sapling’s arrival date.”

Kell cocks her head. “Why do I feel like there’s a lot more to this story?”

Her query is all I need for approval on another lengthy disclosure. This one contains the surprise meet-up that Maximus and I had with Persephone back at Oread, without missing a single word of what the goddess of fertility told us. I especially emphasize what Persephone exhorted—begged?—to us to do, in terms of today.

The task that feels more daunting than ever.

Which is why I’m ready to tear up before I even step foot down the aisle.

“Well, soonish Mrs. Kane, it sounds like you and your groom are going to need some significant help here. Like from a sister who’s offering to do whatever it takes to pull this thing off?”

CHAPTER TWO

MAXIMUS

I’ve always pushed off superstitions as nonsense. Tools for the schoolkids who branded me a monster or crutches for uninspired horror writers.

Today, they’re the bullshit I can push aside while stepping into the storage closet to wait for Kara. I even do it with a giant chunk of gratitude, glad for this chance to hold her before we’re nothing but the main attraction for today’s big event.