Chapter 42

Cole

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, New Orleans, Louisiana

C ole glanced over at Evie, looking serene in the passenger seat on the drive to his uncle’s Mandeville house. Like she hadn’t just turned a woman, apparently an immortal concubine of his ancestor’s, into a mint plant. Hayden, as a member of the Aidoneus family in all but name and a powerful member of their future court, followed behind them, Mina—no, Minthe—buckled in his backseat.

“Are you going to keep staring at me?” Evie finally asked.

“Well, mon ange , you did just turn someone into a plant.” You would think that would alarm him. He had never been one for relationships or the jealousy and drama they brought, but it seemed those concerns didn’t really apply to Evie. In fact, her possessiveness was a huge turn on for him.

“Do you want me to apologize or something?” She frowned, her shoulders going back until she looked every inch the warrior queen she was. “Because that’s not happening. She’s lucky all I did was turn her into an herb. At least she's useful in this form.”

He bit back a grin. This little beauty. Completely unrepentant. “Not looking for apologies, just curious”

“About what?”

“You ever turned someone into a plant before, Angel?” No good way to ask that question so might as well just rip off the band-aid off.

Evie rubbed a hand along her cheek, her haughty expression falling. Suddenly, she looked exhausted, and, when she spoke, nervousness threaded through her words. “I don’t really… know. I have a terrible memory.” Her foot tapped against the floorboards so hard that her leg was bouncing.

“Yeah, that’s probably all of the reversions they put you through.” Cole placed his hand on her thigh, caressing the outside of her jean-covered leg with his thumb. “But you don’t think you have?”

“I—no. No, I don’t think I have.” She bit her lip, turning her head to stare out the window.

Before she did, though, he caught a look of concern in her eyes. That wouldn’t do. He gripped her leg a bit more tightly until she glanced back at him. “What’s going through that complicated head of yours, witchling?”

“I just—” she began. Cut herself off. “Apparently, I killed my biological mother. And there’re stories about me turning a coven sister into dust. Urban legends. At least that's what I think they are. It’s the scary story they tell around the fire. Don’t misbehave or Evie will get you. I don't know if they're true or not and, after the last few days… ”

Fury lanced through him, hot and fast. How fucking dare they? His hand on the wheel clamped down hard, his teeth clenched, but he did his best to keep a neutral expression on his face.

“I don’t think they meant anything by it,” she rushed to clarify. “It was just a joke. I think. But if I hurt someone, I violate the witches’ creed and can be brought on charges before the Council and ejected from the coven.”

He raised a curious eyebrow at her. The Witches Council he knew. They were the decision-making body of witches, overseen by a Judiciary of three when the coven elders couldn’t reach a consensus of their own. Given who sat on the Council Judiciary, though, it was more than a little hypocritical of them to have any hard and fast opinions against violence. “So are you scared because you might be removed from the coven for violence?” That one felt like a knife in his chest. He knew the coven was her family, but the idea of her leaving him to go back to them? Yeah, no. That wasn’t going to happen. She made her choice the night she left the forest with him

“No, I left the coven when I came with you. I made my choice when we left the clearing that night, and I have no regrets.” He almost punched the air in victory at that one, but this wasn’t about him. This was about the woman sitting next to him. Evie was quiet for long enough that he thought she was done talking. He was opening his mouth to say something when she spoke back up. “I’m scared because I don’t care about the consequences of what I just did.”

His head snapped back in surprise.

“I don’t care at all that I turned her into a plant. I would happily do it again if she tried to put her hand or any other body part on you.” Residual rage flared across her face, and her words dripped with scorn. “Reprehensible bottom-dweller that she is. She doesn’t even care that you’re not actually Aidoneus and don’t have any history of your own with her.”

Yeah, he had caught that, too, a weird little delusion from his apparently millennia-old stalker.

“And is it bad that I don’t feel awful that I turned a woman into a plant and would have done so much worse if I knew more about how death magic worked?” Evie’s voice dropped to an almost whisper. “That I just spat in the face of the witches’ creed? Doesn’t that make me more violent and dangerous than others?”

Fuck, those coven elders did a number on her. Cole had never been so glad that the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway finally had emergency shoulders because this conversation couldn’t wait. Without even looking in his side mirrors, he cranked across the outer lane. The Aston Martin he barely missed hitting laid on their horn and flipped him off as he pulled off onto the shoulder at speed, slamming on the brakes hard enough that Evie bounced against her seatbelt.

“Cole, what in the sweet name of Selene are you doing?” Evie demanded, rubbing her chest where the seatbelt had caught her. “I’ve never driven, but even I know that was dangerous.”

He ignored her question and swiveled towards her, gripping the back of her head in his palm and turning her to face him. “Now, listen to me and listen good, Angel.” He paused to make sure he had her attention. “That’s just bullshit.”

“What?” Her eyes darted up to his, confusion clouding them.

Smooth. It’s almost like he didn’t actually talk for a living. But he had so many emotions flowing through him right now—fury at her coven for every time they had made her feel dangerous, intentionally or otherwise, concern about that torn look on her face, a deep need to make sure that she knew that no matter what she did, she was perfect to him—that his words were failing him. “When your coven didn’t understand things about you, the darkest part of your magic that draws from death, they made you feel like your abilities were something to be scared of, right?” A hesitant nod. “And let me guess, every time you did something that made them remember you had that darkness inside of you, they recited the witches’ creed to you.” Another nod, this time slightly less tentative. “ Ouais , so there is absolutely nothing wrong with you besides that you were raised by people who didn’t understand you. You turned Mina into a plant because she thought she was entitled to me, thanks to a relationship she had with my ancestor. You didn’t attack her randomly; she tried to take me from you. Frankly, you behaved better than I would have if somebody tried to do the same to you.” He rested his forehead against hers for a slight moment, her minty breath fanning across his face. “Yeah, you’re dangerous. So fucking what? It’s incredible, not to mention hot as fuck, that you can destroy those who fuck with you and yours.”

“But—"

“No buts, Angel,” he interrupted. “There’s nothing wrong with you. You defended me. You laid your claim to me in front of someone who needed to be put her in place.” His hand gentled in her hair, and he tugged her to him for a quick kiss. “You’re fucking perfect, sweetheart. You hear me?”

She pursed her lips but didn’t respond. Her narrowed, disbelieving gaze told another story though.

Bratty Angel. “I said, do you hear me, Evie?”

His use of her real name had her gaze snapping to his. “Yes. Yes, I hear you.’

“That’s my good girl.” He kissed her again, deeper this time, harder and more possessive. When they separated, Evie’s lids were heavy, her breaths ragged. Tearing himself away from his lusty little witch was more difficult than it should have been. Jesus, he was already hard as rock from just one kiss, which was ridiculous given the sexual marathon they’d had over the last day. He breathed deeply, thinking of case law and old judges who pissed him off. There was no way he was walking into his uncle’s house with the erection from hell. This time was all about Evie and making sure she was comfortable with his family.

Once he pulled his shit together, he steered the car carefully back into the traffic crossing the causeway that connected New Orleans to Mandeville, where his uncle lived. “Are you sure you’re okay meeting my uncle today? We can come back tomorrow or whenever you feel up to it if today has already been too much for you. It’s just a quick call to reschedule.”

“No,” Evie said quietly before clearing her throat and repeating more firmly, “No, I want to meet your family."

He nodded, trusting his witch to know her own mind. “Okay, then now’s as good a time as any to prep you for the madhouse that we’re walking into.”

Evie’s eyebrows skyrocketed up, but she only commented, “Oh?”

“Yeah, oh.” Cole toggled the left turn signal as they exited the causeway following the signs towards Madisonville, which would take them to the west side of Mandeville where Charles lived across from the lake. “You’ve got Charlie, who’s my uncle on my dad’s side. After my parents died, Charlie took me in and raised me. He’s my only living relative besides a distant cousin on my maman 's side who's around my age, but I haven’t seen in almost a decade.” They came to a stop at a red light. “Then you got Hayden, who you already met. And there’s the Moirai: Essi, Cleo, and Addy. They’re the immortal fates who read the past, present, and future using people’s lifelines. Kind of creepy, if I’m being honest.” They took a right onto the main road where the guard manning the gate waved Cole through into the exclusive neighborhood where Charles lived.

Evie perked up as soon as they passed through the main gate, her head swiveling every way, wide eyes taking in everything. Unlike other gated communities in the area, Beau Chêne took great care to balance the wildness and raw beauty of its location bordering the Tchefuncte River with the well-manicured flower beds and lawns expected of a ritzy neighborhood. The effect was stunning and unique, particularly to his little witch. He was having a blast watching her take it all in as they drove further into the neighborhood where his uncle lived on a desirable and remote cul-de-sac.

Cole pulled down the long, hidden driveway that led to the house, passing soaring live oaks and stubby cypress trees covered with moss. Almost as if they could tell Evie was in the passenger seat, the trees swayed towards the moving car, leaning in like they wanted nothing more than to be close to her. He chuckled; he could definitely empathize.

As they drove up to the house, Cole frowned at the line of cars parked around the driveway. There should only be three cars here, maybe four if Essi drove herself. He saw the usual suspects’ cars: Hayden’s low-slung opalescent Porsche, Essi’s Fiat, which bore a crunched-in side panel since she was often distracted by lines of fate while driving, and the small black pickup truck Cleo and Addy shared. Cole knew Charles’ own modest Hyundai was tucked away in the garage. That should have been everybody accounted for.

But no, there were five additional cars sitting in front of Charles’ house. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Fuck. He should have expected this, but he had assumed Charles would want to meet the closest thing he would ever have to a daughter in an intimate gathering. Rookie mistake. Charles was more gung-ho about the prophecy and Cole’s destiny than anyone else, and it looked like he had invited the entire Underworld pantheon that they had accrued over the years to this conversation. “I’m sorry, Angel. I had no idea he would do this.” Should have guessed but didn’t actually know.

“Are they all here to meet me?” Evie’s eyes were wide and slightly panicked. “Cole, I’m not actually that interesting!”

Even in his irritation with his uncle, he couldn’t help but shoot her an amused look. “You are exactly that interesting to me. Probably also to these people too for a wholly different reason.” Her knuckles were white on the edge of the seat. Reaching over to retrieve her hand, he threaded his fingers through hers and brushed a kiss across her soft skin. “It’s going to be okay, though. We’re calling the shots here, sweetheart, since these people are technically our… court, I guess you would call them?” Her back relaxed slightly at his words. “If we want to leave—and, with these people, there’s about a 95% chance that we’ll want to abandon ship in less than ten minutes—we will.” A garbled laugh emerged from Evie, a subtle hint that she was terrified of meeting another family that she thought she might disappoint. “They’re going to love you, though.”

“Thank you, Cole.” She leaned over the dash and kissed him gently. “You are, without a doubt, the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Sitting in his car, staring at the most unexpected and wonderful surprise of his life, he knew he had to say the words before they went into that house full of crazy people and their sky-high expectations. As she tried to open the car door, he tugged her back by the hand he still held.

Her brows knitted together in confusion before she said, “I’m fine to just sit here in the car too, but I think they may notice. This place feels fancy, and I’m pretty sure that people don’t just sit in cars watching houses in this neighborhood. I mean, it had a gate to get in, I’m pretty sure that means they’re always watchi—”

“I love you,” he blurted, interrupting her tangent. She went silent as her mouth fell open. “I’m in love with you. I’ve adored you since I was twelve but knowing you, the real you, made it real. It made me realize that I love you more than anything else in this world. It has nothing to do with the fated reincarnate memory bullshit. I love you , Angel. All the things that make you you.” Leaning towards her, he swept her hair behind her ear with his free hand. “You don’t have to say it back. But I wanted you to know before we go into that house full of powerful lunatics.” Her lip trembled. “Sweetheart, please don’t cry—”

“I love you too.” The grip she had on his hand was painful, but he didn’t give a flying fuck about circulation when his Angel was telling him she loved him. She could rip the damn appendage off for all he cared, and he would probably thank her for it. “Gods, I’m so in love with you, Cole. You are everything to me, and I don’t want to do this or any life without you. Nothing will ever change that. Not our ruling the Underworld, not my coven, and not even your family full of magical idiots.”

Their lips met over the center console, sweet and gentle, almost tame when compared to the night before but no less powerful. This woman was his queen, and he would rule by her fucking side until the world went dark. They had plenty of time for all the unhinged filthy moments they could ever want.