Page 15 of The Magic of Revenge
“No, I’m human. But her father... He had that affinity.” Her face pinched as she thought of that piece of shit.
“He had?” Khol pressed.
“Haven’t seen him since Annie was two years old. I have no idea where he is or how to contact him. Of course, my daughter would end up getting his power and he wouldn’t be here to help her master it,” Miranda gritted out angrily.
“Annie will be okay. She has a whole community of support. You don’t need him,” I reminded her, hoping that my pep talk would help.
“If she draws anything else, maybe you could let us take a look at it?” Bram asked as he shifted in his chair.
“Yeah, of course.” Miranda stood, stretching her arms over her head and letting out a sigh. “Well, I better go. Mom has a meeting in a little bit so I have to pick up Annie. Saige, I’ll text you later tonight. I know I’m not a part of the magical community, but sometimes it helps to have an extra person in the circle to think outside the box. If you need help with anything at all, you better call me.” She bent down and we hugged each other tightly.
“You’re the best. Thanks for everything and sorry for scaring the shit out of you,” I apologized.
“Forgiven. I’ll see you soon.” She walked out of the living room, waving at Bram and Khol as she went.
The door opened and closed, signaling her departure, and I let out a shaky breath. I was fucking exhausted. Khol groaned and I looked over to where he was sitting. Bram was eyeing him with a smirk on his face and Khol looked exasperated. I didn’t know what it was about, and I didn’t have the energy to try and sort through their demon male bullshit. It was still difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that the two of them had known each other for years and years. The ease with which they interacted showed that level of familiarity, but it just made it weird that one of them was my father and the other, my fated mate.
“Where’s Gran?” I asked, surprised that she wasn’t here.
“She went into town to run your store today. She’ll be back later this evening. I can see your eyelids getting heavy, Goldie. Do you want a bath now or after your nap?” Bram questioned, concern shining in his eyes.
“I’ll take a quick shower,” I sighed, standing up. I felt like there was something else I needed to tell them, but I couldn’t figure it out. My brain felt like soup.
“Come on, princess.”
“Get some rest, wild one. I’ll be here when you wake up,” Khol told me, dropping a kiss on the top of my head. My heart warmed and I hated my mother just a tiny bit more for keeping this man from me my entire life. “Sweet dreams.”
Dreams.Oh shit!
“Hey! Wait. I remembered something. Before I woke up, I had this dream or vision, or something. Baggie was there and he showed me what happened in the woods that night. Laurie planned the entire thing. She made Fischer erase the guy’s memories of everything that happened while they were here—they have no recollection of Emerald Lakes at all. My ex was there. They threatened to drown the others if Fischer didn’t comply. Baggie bailed when he realized what was happening and that there was no way to stop it. But listen... it was like I was in some kind of void, there was nothing there. A voice started talking about a new prophecy.” I sucked in a deep breath after rattling all that information off. Bram and Khol were staring at me, clearly working through it all in their minds.
“We can probably use Bagheera to find them. He’ll be able to go back and forth between you and Kai. If he can show Kai the truth, then this will change everything. By now Kaito must be suffering from the separation—he may realize he’s been mated. How are you holding up, Saige?” My dad asked, rubbing a hand over my shoulder.
My hand came up and rubbed against my sternum, the pain in my heart amplifying as I thought about my Alpha. “It’s like my whole body aches for him,” I admitted with a wince.
“I know, Goldie. We’ll get them back,” Bram promised.
“I don’t want to send Baggie back until we have a more solid plan. I think this gives us a leg up and I don’t want to take it for granted. Laurie is a sneaky bitch and we need to be smart. Will you catch Gran up on this when she returns? I’ll probably be asleep,” I said through a yawn.
“Of course I will,” my dad replied, and I believed him. It was crazy to me how quickly I trusted him. But I did. I trusted him with my life.
Bram lifted me and we made our way upstairs to my en suite bathroom where he sat me down softly on the counter and turned on the shower. I watched his muscles ripple underneath the thin material of his t-shirt as he tested the temperature and adjusted the dial.How did I get so lucky? This man completely fucking adores me. Every single thing he’s done since we met has been in my best interest.
“What are you grinning at, Goldie girl?” Bram asked, lifting a brow.
“You.”
“What about me?”
“You’re just so thoughtful. I’m lucky to have you,” I admitted and his smile grew.
He was standing between my thighs in a heartbeat, his honey-colored eyes flashing with heat. My hands gripped his shoulders and I pulled him to me.
“Princess,” he breathed. “I assure you, I’m the one who is lucky. The stars showed me favor when they fated us to be together. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. You have the biggest heart, the most caring soul, and the most deliciously curvy ass,” he growled and I laughed, but that didn’t prevent heat from flooding to my core.
“Thank you, Bram. For taking care of me. For protecting me...”
“You’re mine, Goldie girl. I’d slay a thousand dragons with demon riders before allowing one burning ember to touch your porcelain skin. Anything you desire will be yours. And if that means I have to share you with four other men who love you as fiercely as I do, then I accept that completely. I’d yank the fucking moon from the sky and personally deliver it to your hands if you wanted it.” Bram’s lips were brushing against mine as he made his declaration, his words like a caress, meant to show me just how deeply this crazy, wonderful man cared for me.
