Page 53 of Vampire's Hearth

I chuckled, but the sound was hollow. “Have you been talking to your daughter?”

“Maybe,” she teased. “So what is it?”

“Mac told me a story the other night… about a witch in our coven who fell in love with a vampire. Is that true?”

There was a long pause on the other end. “Yes, child. It’s true.”

My voice tightened as my heart fell. “So… witches and vampires can’t be together?”

“I didn’t say that. I said the story was true. It’s something you would have learned in your training.”

“Why did it happen?” I asked, fear tingeing my words. Was I headed down the same path?

“The balance was thrown off, favoring the vampires. The curse was the punishment, reminding each High Priestess that the balance must come first.”

“How can I…” I stopped just shy of admitting my feelings for Mac. I didn’t even want to admit them to myself.

It didn’t matter. Aunt Amara knew. She always did. “Rory, there is no sign that you are anywhere but where you should be. You need to follow your heart.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, forcing my voice to be just louder than a whisper, a small glimmer of hope mixed with the darkness of uncertainty in my stomach.

“Do you think I haven’t been watching? That I haven’t been keeping an eye on your future, making sure you’re on the right path.”

My shoulders relaxed. Of course Aunt Amara had been keeping a supernatural eye on me. I wasn’t just her niece but alsothe future of the coven, part of her legacy. “So what do you see?” I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer.

“The future isn’t laid out clearly before me, but I know this. You are where you’re supposed to be, and you’re with who you’re supposed to be with.”

“So are you saying that Mac and I…” A wave of relief washed over me, loosening the knot of fear twisting inside me. Was I free to follow my own heart?

“But what if I choose not to?” I asked, the old uncertainty creeping back in.

“Not to what, dear?”

I sighed. “Not to follow my heart.”

Aunt Amara’s voice softened. “Then that’s something you’ll have to work through. Whatever truth you need to see, let your heart guide you. It knows where you need to be—and who you need to be with. The spirits will guide you and your friend.”

“And what about the coven?” I asked, baring my last fear to her.

“The coven will always support you. You are our High Priestess Heir. There is no one more important to us than you. Find the path you are being led to and walk it.”

I gazed out the window at the harbor, watching the waves roll in, a sense of calm settling over me. The desire to pull Mac into my arms, feel his lips on mine, and never part from him accompanied it. Could I really have the family I had always dreamed of and lead my coven with a vampire at my side?

A small smile spread across my lips. “Thank you, Aunt Amara,” I breathed. “I’ll do my best to make you proud.”

“You always do that, child,” she said with a smile in her voice matching my own and a hint of wistful nostalgia. “This is your moment.”

The call ended, but her words lingered in my mind. It was up to me. Nothing stopped a vampire and a witch from being together except for me.

Aurora

As I hung up the phone with Aunt Amara, Isla stepped into the solarium, carrying a cup of tea, the aroma of chamomile and mint mixing with the scent of the harbor. Her smile was warm as she gestured to the seat across from me, the afternoon sun filtering through the windows.

“Do you mind if I join you?” she asked, her voice light but curious.

“Not at all,” I replied. She settled into the corner of the sofa, tucking her legs beneath her and placing the tea and a tablet and pen on the table.

“How are you enjoying your stay at Dún Na Farraige?” Isla asked, the vampire mate’s eyes gleaming with the sort of secret knowledge I still felt so far from uncovering.

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