Page 3 of Kiss the Dawn
“Yes.”
“One moment please while I place you on hold.”
The silence stretched, no hold music or beeps of any kind that usually indicated being put on hold, and I was beginning to wonder if we’d been cut off when she came back on.
“I have been advised, in light of this new information, to be candid with you. We believed Miss Lighthart to be dead, not taken, but we were lucky enough to have two potentials producing heirs, and another seventh daughter was born a few months later. We proceeded with betrothals with the appropriate covens, and Eliza was handfasted to her mates two years ago. However, she has been unable to get pregnant. All tests were run, and it is not a medical issue. With the covens’ help, we determined that the problem was mystical. There is an ancient blood and magic contract between the covens and the houses of Bloodmere and Rathmore that infuses each seventh daughter with the ability to procreate with a pure-blood witch.”
I scrambled to process what she was saying. “Wait, are you saying that witches can’t normally do that?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. This ancient blessing we have is vital to the continuation of our ability to pass the immunity on to the witch bloodlines because any offspring born of a human and witch union is a pure-blood witch. The human element iseradicated, leaving only the prized gene. But I’m sure you aren’t interested in the science of it.”
“That doesn’t sound like science to me.”
“That’s because the science you know isn’t touched by magic.”
“Please continue with the story,” Lorenzo said, shooting me a stern look that made me feel like a kid in the schoolroom.
“Yes, well. The covens’ investigation led to the conclusion that Miss Lighthart was alive.”
“What kind of investigation?” Lorenzo asked.
“That’s irrelevant,” she said curtly. “Whatisrelevant is that fact that Miss Lighthart’s existence is preventing Eliza from having children. The contract ensures that the ability to produce heirs passes in line from one seventh daughter to the next. There can only be one active at a time, and you, Miss Lighthart, are still…active.”
It took a moment to see where she was going with this, and realization brought a surge of indignant heat to my blood. “You were going to kill me.”
“There is a war going on here. One that has waged for centuries. One that we will lose without witches and hunters to fight it.”
“So that’s a yes, then.”
“You would have been given a choice of taking your place in the household and handfasting to the chosen coven witches.”
Lorenzo exhaled through his nose. “Like Iexplained, Miss Lighthart is essential to keeping Loviator locked away.”
“Which leaves us in a dangerous situation,” the woman continued. “This not only affects Eliza buteveryseventh daughter to come. Wecannotproduce immune witches without the blessing.”
“Can’t you make another blessing?” Merry asked.
There was a deep silence before Daphne spoke again. “Mr. Lorenzo, the Loviator problem is highly classified. I can understand Miss Lighthart knowing, considering our circumstances, but who is this other person in the room?”
“I assure you that everyone in this room is authorized,” Lorenzo said. “So please answer the question. Can you make another blessing?”
“No.”
My heart sank.
“There has to be another way,” Lorenzo said.
“If there is, then we don’t know of it. I’ll be candid with you once more. The order for execution will be put on hold now that we know Miss Lighthart is the curse breaker; however, once the Loviator situation is resolved, we will have no choice but to send our hunters to find her. There are only two options here—take your rightful place as the next seventh daughter and produce the heirs required or die so the mantle can pass to Eliza.” Her tone hardened. “You may be the curse breaker, Miss Lighthart, and you may be key to stopping Loviator, but you’re also key to preventing thedeath of magic as we know it. Once you have served your purpose on the mainland, the hunterswillcome, and I cannot guarantee that the people whom you love will be safe.”
She was threatening me, and the hard look on Lorenzo’s face said he heard it too.
“Threats serve no purpose here,” Lorenzo said. “I suggest we work together to find an alternate solution. Every mystical or magical binding has some loophole if you search hard enough.”
“Are you implying that the witches haven’t done so?” she snapped.
“I’m saying that maybe they’re not as motivated to find it as they should be,” Lorenzo replied in an icy tone. “Especially if the problem can be solved with a simple execution.”
Another beat of silence was followed by a soft sigh. “What doyousuggest, then?”
