Page 52 of Vampire's Hearth

Conall tilted his head, a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes. Why would being a dhampir be amusing? “You could say that,” he said, sipping his drink.

I stared down at my cup, fiddling with the handle. The two families were so similar. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I already knew why, but I didn’t want to admit it. There was so much about the O’Cillians that I didn’t understand, and Mac kept so many details from me.

Conall leaned forward, his voice dropping to a soft, steady tone. “One thing about Mac—you can always count on him to protect the people he loves. Give him time.”

The words hit me harder than I expected. Protect the people he loves. Was I one of them? I forced a smile, though I could feel the tension behind it, unsure if I was ready to be one of those people. “Time for what exactly?”

Conall took a sip of his coffee, studying me with a bemused expression—silent—a silence that screamed the answer neither of us would speak.

I shook my head, careful not to acknowledge the truth.

“I’ll remember that,” I said, pushing my chair back so I could stand.

“It’ll all work out,” he replied with a grin.

I nodded before I turned and walked out of the room, passing through the butler’s pantry and into the solarium. I fought a smile as I realized Conall had never bristled at the idea of Mac and me together over the past few days, even if I was a witch.

I entered the solarium, the peacefulness of the room engulfing me. It was a larger version of the drawing room, with floor-to-ceiling windows breaking up the white walls. A large white marble fireplace dominated the wall separating this room from the great hall. The overstuffed cream couches and faint aroma of the harbor gave the room the air of being the waiting room in a high-end spa—an ambience I embraced at the moment.

My stomach twisted as I recalled Mac’s story about the curse on my family. How could we be together if the consequences were so dire? But were they even true? There was only one person I trusted to tell me the truth.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Aunt Amara’s number. After a few rings, her familiar voice greeted me. “Hello?”

“Aunt Amara, it’s me,” I said, the softness of my voice betraying more emotion than I intended.

“Rory! It’s good to hear from you. I take it you made it to Ireland safely?” Her question was more of a statement pointing out I hadn’t called her in a few days.

“I’m sorry, I should have called. Dún Na Farraige is gorgeous. It is an entirely different world from Oak Leaf Hallow.” Our plantation was beautiful, a world of its own, but the manor's grandeur dwarfed our home in almost every way.

Aunt Amara’s small chuckle came through the phone. “How is everythingelsegoing, child?”

I hesitated. It was like she already knew why I called. I bit my lip, changing my mind. “Have you spoken to Lyra? She’s being a bit… difficult.”

Amara’s tone softened. “How so?”

“She keeps insulting our hosts. She doesn’t have to trust them, but she should at least trust me. Don’t I get some authority as the High Priestess Heir?”

“Lyra has her own ways.”

Her words caused my heartbeat to slow down and the anger to dissipate a little. “I know. I know you raised us like sisters, so I should trust her more…”

“It sounds like there’s a ‘but’ coming,” Aunt Amara said. If I were sitting in the room with her, I’m sure I would see her eyebrow rising.

I pulled my knees to my chest as I stared out the window. “But sometimes it feels like she wants to take over the coven, not just support me with it.”

Amara chuckled softly. “She’s nervous, Rory. She doesn’t understand everything that’s happening, and her way to handle it is to take control, but that is never the way.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, as the High Priestess, there will be times when you won’t have all the answers. Your magic will guide you to the path, and you must follow it, regardless of who stands in your way. The true High Priestess guides the coven through any adversity and stands firm in her power.”

My chest tightened. “How can I be certain I know the right path?”

“Uncertainty is part of leadership, and if you can’t navigate that, guiding this coven will be difficult, but you have all of nature and the ancestors to help you.”

I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “Uncertainty seems to be all I have right now.”

“There’s another reason you’re uncertain, isn’t there?” she asked gently.

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