Blood & Wine

27 | Dasher

I had no words besides, "Holy shit."

Fynley and Eden sat in front of me, and they smelled so much like each other, it made me want to gag. I also didn't miss their closeness—or, how when I first walked in, they were laughing at each other, a gentle, friendly kind of laugh that made me feel as if I was eavesdropping on the conversation.

Eden hadn't spoken a word yet, and she didn't look angry with me. Nor did she look upset. She also had dressed down in leggings and a baggy sweater today, and she had on a pair of wolf slippers that seemed too big for her feet. She only studied me with an intensity that made my skin itch.

I hadn't had a chance to give her a full apology. I had gone to hug her, and Iris's hand had tightened on mine, and Fynley had given me a look that had stopped me dead in my tracks. So I had told her I'm sorry quietly and quickly, and she had shrugged and said nothing else. I noticed she didn't have make-up on either, and the bruises under her eyes were deep and dark enough to make me worry.

Fynley nodded. "That about sums it up. Did I miss anything?" He directed this to Eden.

Those two had talked. I hadn't even known they were together. Even last night when he arrived, her scent hadn't been on him. They had known this for an entire night, and no one had told me until this afternoon. Fynley has started—but he got up, made a call, and suddenly Eden shuffled in, yawning, Calla not far behind her.

Calla—who looked more shocked than I did, her jaw slack.

Eden shook her head. "That was your story to tell."

"Your mom was in it," he pointed out.

Calla's mouth opened even wider. "Aunty was in that story?"

"The witch that prevented him from ever doing a blood bond," Eden explained.

I stared. "Your aunt wanted to sacrifice you?" I demanded. "That's wrong."

Iris did her short, quiet not-amused laugh. "Your father was born evil, killed his seven year old triplet sister, wants to take over the world, and now wants to kill you. I think that's more wrong than a baby sacrifice."

"Ehhh... It's what and what," Calla remarked. She laid down on the floor. "This is a lot to deal with."

It was more than a lot. My mom had cheated on my dad. No, she had cheated on the man that raised me. They were together years before I was born and married two years before I got here. She cheated on him with a psychopath. Did she love my real father? Did she just think he was handsome? Why did she do it?

Nobody knew who Kris was, or that he existed—and that was going to stay secret for a few more months at least—and it was going to be to my benefit. Nobody would move immediately to hurt me. If it protected Iris... I was okay with whatever they did.

"Oh, there's more," Eden said, and she straightened up—her time to speak. "We're having a party Friday in Club Lust to announce the ending of La Luna Coven, and the beginning of a new Coven—La Estrella."

A new Coven?

Calla shot up. "You're disbanding the Coven?" she demanded. "You didn't discuss this with anyone."

"I discussed it with Fynley."

"He killed the Coven—and I know they were evil and did it to protect his family, which I can't be mad about at all, but he still spent months mocking you. He's not even a part of this Coven. You didn't share this with us," Calla protested.