XXVII

S tella snagged a couple of hours of sleep after Raphael left before a persistent knocking at her door tore her from bed. A note awaited her on the other side, handed over by a strung-out dormouse shifter. She read the contents in privacy, paling as she read the note from River.

Urgent—come to the Vranas now. Say NOTHING of where we went.

She changed into something more court-appropriate as quickly as possible and left her apartment without so much as running a brush through her hair. When Stella arrived on the first floor, River was waiting outside for her. She slowed her gait unconsciously. River had showered and changed since she last saw her, but the sight of her newly aged form was still a lot to take in.

"Hi," Stella said as she reached her. "What's going on?"

"I can only give you the bullet points. They're all waiting for us. Mostly everyone." Stella ushered her on. "One, you've been poisoned. Two, Jax found out about the mirror. Three, everyone's found out about the mirror, but not that you went with me."

Shock silenced Stella for several moments. "I'm sorry, did you say I was—"

"Poisoned? Yeah." River grimaced. "I talked with Valdora. She said the hellhounds—the thing that attacked you—are poisonous. However, she's 99% confident the poison won't do you significant harm. It should leave your system all on its own. It happened to Ronan as well. I'm sorry to dump all this on you at the last minute, but we need to get inside. The others are waiting."

River didn't give her a chance to speak, spinning around and opening the door to the Vranas' royal apartment suites. Stella's shoulders slumped as she followed after. Poisoned? Her hand drifted over her stomach. It took all her concentration not to let her pulse skyrocket with worry.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Stella," Jakob greeted as they entered the main sitting room. "Please, take a seat. We have much to discuss."

She smiled weakly in return and chose a seat on the couch next to Deval. He eyed her with a curious expression, leaning over to whisper with amusement in her ear, "What happened to you?"

Stella laughed nervously and shrugged him off. Feeling self-conscious, she patted down her hair and ignored the disapproving once-overs she received from Briar and Sebastian. Valdora, a surprise addition to the group, sent her a small smile from her seat by Nova. She returned it, gut-clenching in anxiety at what was to come.

Jax, she noted, was nowhere in sight.

Jakob cleared his throat and took a seat in the high back chair next to Irina. "Ruby? You called this meeting—"

"More like demanded it," River said under her breath.

"—why don't you begin?"

Ruby sent River a scathing glare as she stood before the coffee table and began to recount what she, Nova, and Jax had discovered upon returning to his lab. The more she talked, the more heated her voice became. The more glares she speared at River. Stella shrank back as she started to address River and River alone, biting her already sore tongue on more than one occasion to stay quiet.

"I don't think you realize the extent of Jax's anger over this—this betrayal!"

River rolled her eyes. "I understand the extent of his anger. We spoke —" which was code for blow-out argument if Ruby's account was accurate "—and he took a walk to cool down."

"He didn't go for a walk. He packed up his things and left! He moved into his lab. Because of you. Because of what you did. All the work we put in this evening to smooth things over with him is ruined." Ruby's small frame trembled. "You wouldn't believe the things he said to me after your discussion ." Shame washed over Stella in cold torrents as Ruby's anger morphed into intense sadness. "We're not on speaking terms at the moment."

Stella's eyes drifted to Nova. She sat at the far end of the couch exuding stress as she watched Ruby. "He just needs a couple of nights to cool down, then you can talk to him again."

"We don't have the luxury of time! Moreover, there is no way I'm going to go talk to him. He needs to apologize to me. To all of us!" Ruby ran a hand through her cropped hair and started to pace. "He said we don't respect him and that we don't trust him. Can you believe that? After everything we've been through as a family?

"He thinks we've abandoned the cause and that we don't care about if the other supernaturals can achieve minor, major, and royal status, least of all the sorcerers! But he knows what we're up against. Centuries of prejudice. Centuries of tradition and vampyric rule."

"And centuries-old vampyrés that could kill him before he could shoot off a spell," Sebastian added with a graveness that unsettled her.

Ruby angled a grateful look at him. " Yes . Thank you, Seb. Jax thinks he's invincible and he's not."

"I think Jax is well aware he's not invincible, Ruby," Nova argued gently. "I think some of this anger has been building in him for a while. It's not just the mirror's second destruction or the siphon that caused his outburst."

"That's not an excuse. He's tougher than that. He infiltrated the Stormrow clan for us, took on the Wselfwulf pack and the Stormrow clan at the same time—"

"And lost his eye, Ruby!" Nova exclaimed, the faintest hint of pink rising to her cheeks as she looked at her girlfriend with incredulity. "His eye ."

"Yes, but we won! Not only did he come out on top but with a patron that's stronger than all his last combined!" Ruby threw her hands up in the air and let them collapse to her side as she stared at Nova with the same incredulous expression.

Nova's shoulders slumped. "You said it yourself, he's not invincible. Just because he came out on top, doesn't mean he didn't get torn down in the process. Cut him some slack, Ruby. Take the high road and reach out to him. He's hurting and we can't abandon him now."

Ruby huffed and began to pace again. She wore an expression chiseled out of granite as her head shook decisively from side to side. She halted and Stella held her breath in tense anticipation. "Irina is going to die if he can't put aside his ego. You were right." Ruby's cheeks pinched in as she sucked on the back of her teeth. "You were right all along. His hunger and need for power have gone to his head. He needs to grow up. I won't baby him any longer."

Nova flinched and the room went silent. The hurt pervading the room made Stella's heart clench until a wave of calm settled around their tight congregation. Stella's gaze flickered to River, as did several others in silent gratitude. Yet, despite her empathic projection defusing the awful tension, a part of Stella remained in turmoil.

She knew the real reason Nova fought so hard on Jax's behalf; why she fought so hard to mend their relationship. She'd seen her fair share of courtiers tying up loose ends and making amends as their deaths loomed from her caoine. Stella clenched her hands in her lap as her heart broke for her friend.

All she wanted was to make Ruby happy.

Fixing her relationship with Jax would undoubtedly do that… and ensure Ruby had someone to lean on when Nova was gone.

Stella's bottom lip trembled, and she quickly ducked her head. Get a grip , she scolded herself. You swore you wouldn't say anything. It was easier said than done when stuck in a room surrounded by all the people that meant the most to Nova.

A nudge from her right pulled Stella's startled gaze toward Deval's worried face. "You okay?"

She hastily nodded. "Conflict isn't my strong suit."

Deval offered her a half-smile of understanding. "We'll get through it together." He patted one of her balled hands. The grounding touch allowed River's empathic projection to spill over her in full effect. Stella instantly relaxed, her worry a distant island.

A throat cleared. Every head turned to Briar. "Nova's right, you need to fix things with Jax." Ruby's body tensed. "The sooner the better. He's a resource we can't afford to lose and a beloved—if not annoying—member of this family. Have patience. Isn't that our credo?"

Ruby scoffed. "I'm not about to take orders from you."

"Ruby," Sebastian's tone was both a plea and a warning. "She has a point, and you were the last to speak with him."

"Nova was there too!" Ruby cast an accusing finger at Nova.

"I'll go with you," Nova offered. She scooted to the edge of the couch and prepared to rise when Ruby's pointed finger changed to a view of her palm.

"No," Ruby said firmly. "You won't."

"It's settled then," Briar declared. "Off you go now. Like you said, we don't have the luxury of time on our side."

Ruby snarled, but it cut off as Jakob called for quiet. "We will not waste another moment on this. Ruby, fix it . Now."

"Fine," Ruby responded stiffly, before zipping out of the apartment with her vampyric speed.

"Must you antagonize her like that?" Irina's icy glare sliced into Briar.

Briar's expression remained neutral. "My intent wasn't to antagonize… although I did hope to expose her hypocrisy some. For all her complaints of Jax acting like a stubborn child—which he is—she's acting equally childish."

Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. "You couldn't have picked a better time to needle her?"

The standoffish front Briar put on melted away as she gazed at Sebastian. "I'm sorry, my love." She pressed a kiss to his cheek and pulled away with a sigh before meeting Irina's cold regard. "My timing was less than ideal. Apologies."

Irina gave a stiff nod, before issuing a heavy sigh of her own. "I suppose we should start putting plan B together in earnest." Irina to Jakob. He dipped his chin in agreement and Irina sent them all a bland smile. "However, before Jakob and I take on that, I believe there are a few more things to discuss."

River cleared her throat. Stella's gaze drifted to where she sat on the couch's arm with her shoulders rolled back and elbows tucked into her sides.

With eyes narrowed like a hissing cat, Irina's focus whipped to her niece. " You are an entirely different mess that I don't even know how to deal with."

River swallowed. "You don't need to worry about me."

Irina's lips parted in affront. "You're my blood, River. What am I going to tell Xander? ‘Oh, hello brother dear, how are you? How's River you ask? She just so happened to magically age herself, give or take a decade !' I was supposed to look out for you. Protect you. I failed him."

"You didn't fail," River said. "What was meant to be simply happened." She delivered the words with a shrug, her intention clearly to convey some sort of nonchalance, but Stella saw through it. A quick glance about the room confirmed that everyone saw through it.

Irina sighed with sad resignation. "You try telling that to your father."

"I will. After I rid you of the curse."

Irina's eyebrows rose. "I beg your pardon?"

"I found answers, Aunt Irina. To your problems and—" Emotion clogged River's voice. She placed a hand on her heart and took a steadying breath. "And mine. It may have cost me a decade, but it was worth the price. Valdora and I have been working around the clock to piece together the information I brought back, and what we have is promising. Really promising."

River looked to Valdora for confirmation.

"It's true," Valdora said with a wide smile. "I'm confident we'll have a working spell and potion for you in a week."

The hope that seemed to surge between Irina and Jakob faltered.

"Cutting it a bit close, aren't you?" Jakob said. "It can't be done any sooner?"

"Unfortunately, midnight on the thirty-first is the soonest we can have everything ready if we keep our pace up and aren't interrupted. If it doesn't, you'll have the remainder of the evening and day to make your escape. There's also the Stella factor."

The weight of the room's attention fell on Stella. "Huh?"

"Our success is dependent on your success."

Her mouth formed a knowing O. "Right. My success."

Irina shifted in her seat, drawing Stella's eye. "How is that going? Your mission?"

"It's going," Stella rushed to say with a hasty nod. "I've completed phase 1 of my plan."

"Does that mean you've—"

"No, but I will. I absolutely will. It's a sure thing." Stella tore her gaze from Irina and let it dance between Valdora and River. "When do you need my portion by?"

"As soon as possible."

"Right," Stella confirmed, head buzzing. She licked her lips and nodded to herself. "I can do that. Not a problem. Phase 1 was the hard part." The room remained silent at Stella's fluctuating tone. Their wariness galvanized her. She locked eyes again with Irina. "I won't let you down. I'll get Valdora and River what they need."

"As soon as possible," Jakob reaffirmed.

"Yes, as soon as possible." Stella held Jakob's intense regard without a flinch. She could get Raphael's blood as soon as tomorrow—maybe they would have another run-in before the night was out if luck was in her favor. Jakob dipped his chin, and the tension drawing Stella's shoulders to a rigid line relaxed.

"There's another Stella factor we should discuss." Stella's head whipped in River's direction. She was already looking at Stella with a gleam in her eye that wound up her nerves all over again. "I think she has the sight."

Stella frowned. She didn't have a clue what River was referring to. Unless she meant... her chest tightened.

"You're not talking about my nightmares, are you?" Stella asked.

River held her gaze as she nodded and then addressed the room. "For weeks now, Stella has been having dreams. I believe they're premonitions of the future."

"Nightmares," Stella corrected under her breath.

"What makes you say that?" Valdora questioned, tucking her hair behind both ears. She let her gaze rest on Stella. "Does the sight run in your family?"

Stella shifted uncomfortably. "I mean, there are plenty of mediums in my family." She paused, hesitant to say more but knowing she couldn't hold back the truth. "There's also a small handful of seers."

"What leads you to believe they're premonitions of the future?" Valdora asked.

"I don't—I mean, River is the one who…" but as Stella came to an abrupt stop, looking to River to continue, her friend gestured for Stella to keep going. Heat forged on the apples of her cheeks and Stella cleared her throat roughly. "When I mentioned I'd been having reoccurring nightmares to River, she asked what they were about. Apparently, what I described was the Otherworld."

Stella kept her eyes on the few items scattered on the coffee table, a discarded newspaper with its pages askew, their raven sculpture, and a pair of used glasses with fresh blood stains. Even though the last sight didn't sit well with her stomach, Stella found it better than enduring the room's attention.

"Is that true, River?" Jakob asked.

"Yes. She described the landscape and the hellhounds perfectly, even though she's never seen them," River said, her voice filled with excitement.

Stella shifted in her seat. She didn't share in River's excitement. "I don't see why this is relevant. It's not like I can control my dreams or nightmares. I can't force a premonition to come if that's even what they are." Valdora caught her eye. "What?"

"You may not be able to force a premonition to come on, but you can put yourself in a state to receive one. As for the matter of controlling your dreams and nightmares, there's always lucid dreaming."

Valdora's calm explanation only served to make Stella feel more uncomfortable and put on the spot. "I've never lucid dreamed before. I can't."

"With practice, you could," Valdora countered.

Stella flushed. "How do you even practice that?"

"I'd be more than happy to help you." There was nothing but kindness in Valdora's offer, but discomfort still sat with Stella. She didn't want more gifts. She certainly didn't want to lucidly explore her nightmares. Stella bit back the waspish refusal teeming on the tip of her tongue. "It's easier than you might think," Valdora went on. "With consistent dream journaling, setting intentions, and practicing reality checks, we can have you lucid dreaming in no time."

Stella said nothing.

"You don't have to make a decision right away, but being able to hone that kind of power in the Dark Court could be a major advantage," River chimed in.

Stella fought not to squirm at River's logic, unable to shake the feeling that if she agreed it would change everything.

"It wouldn't hurt to try, I guess," Stella relented and released a long-winded breath. "Maybe if you can teach me how to lucid dream, my nightmares wouldn't be so bad," she said, trying to find a silver lining.

Valdora smiled brightly at her and lifted a bag from the floor. Stella recognized it as her never-ending toolkit. Valdora set the bag on her lap and opened it. Her arm went in elbow-deep, and a look of concentration fell across her brow. "I might have something with me to start you off and bring you more awareness while you—ah ha!"

Her hand emerged gripping two different stones. Valdora offered them to Stella.

"Nuummite and amethyst," Valdora stated proudly as she passed the stones into Stella's cupped palms. "They're not as concentrated with energy as they should be, but I can work on a new pair for you. In the interim, these will do."

"Thanks," Stella replied mechanically.

"I'm still planning on making you a dream catcher," River said with a note of cheer that faltered in her next words. "It's just been difficult to get ingredients. It might be a while before I can get everything I need together. But I promise you I will."

Stella forced a smile onto her lips . Keep Nova's secret. Get Raphael's blood. Conquer her nightmares and the ability of precognition. It felt like the weight of the world rested on her shoulders.

"Are there any other matters to discuss?" Jakob inquired when a hush settled over the group.

Sebastian coughed discretely. "One."

Stella traced his line of sight to Jakob, who nodded subtly, then to Deval who stiffened beside her. With her pulse drumming softly in her ears, Stella lifted her eyes to Deval's. He wore a concerned expression.

"There's been some talk around court about you acting strangely and smelling of blood on the grand staircase earlier." A dusting of color grazed Deval's cheekbones. News traveled faster than she expected. "Then there was the fact that Raphael was seen carrying you through the halls. It's, er, caused the rumor mill to go a little haywire with speculation about the two of you. Care to explain what happened?"

"With Raphael?" Stella squeaked.

Deval mirrored Stella's discomfort. "That and about the staircase and blood." Deval ducked his head down and whispered, "Sorry to be the Inquisition here, I drew the short straw."

The short straw?

"I—um." Stella's mind went blank. The words coming out of her mouth were both her own and somehow not. All she knew was that she needed to protect River's story. "The thing with Raphael is—is nothing, honestly. I think he was just trying to save me from embarrassment because I was coming off a binge." Stella forced a laugh. When no one joined in, she averted her gaze to the floor and rubbed the back of her neck. "I can't remember much. Rhodiola always makes me do things I normally wouldn't and see—"

The words died on her tongue. The rhodiola…

Oh Gods.

"See what?" Nova prodded.

"Not see, seek. It makes me seek out trouble. I don't remember a lot about being on the staircase, but the blood wasn't mine. Someone died and it was messy. Very messy. It left me more out of sorts than usual. Raphael probably felt the need to intervene and help because of his friendship with Jax."

Stella looked up and scanned the faces of everyone present, starting with Irina and Jakob. She wasn't confident she sold her lie, but when she saw their immediate acceptance of her lie something deflated in her.

Did anyone expect different from her?

Had she ever given them a reason to?

Stella swallowed roughly.

"We thought rhodiola might be involved," he said. Disappointment read in his tone and expression. Stella gulped. "If the assignment you've been given is too much pressure and causing you to—"

"No! No, not at all," Stella interrupted.

Jakob's jaw clenched as he regarded her. "Then if you please, for the remainder of the month, refrain from indulging in your vice of choice. And in the future, do consider finding a new outlet to combat your… vices. Am I clear?"

Stella nodded dumbly, processing the words in what felt like slow motion. "Of course," she said after pinching herself discreetly. "I completely understand. No more rhodiola. It's never done me any favors anyway."

"Good," Jakob said.

She let her hands curl around the stones Valdora gave her. Rhodiola hadn't done her any favors, but it was about to. If only to prove Stella's earlier epiphany right.