Chapter 27

Shay

Anjal opens the door I tapped on. My heavy head wouldn’t let me knock any harder. I knew he’d hear me no matter how soft.

“You look almost as bad as Cill,” he thoughtfully whispers, opening the door wide enough for me to pass.

“Is she up?” I hoarsely ask.

“Sort of. I’m mixing her up some hangover concoctions if you’d like to bring them to her.”

“I didn’t think she drank as much as I did.”

I follow him to their kitchen.

“She got back out of bed after we laid down and finished two more bottles. I found her passed out on the pier in Jamie’s arms.”

“Really. She called Jamie.” I know they’ve been connecting, but why did she call him and not come find me again?

Anjal nods while pushing two glasses of red liquid in my direction, which he’d poured from a blender. I don’t even have to bring it to my nose to smell how awful it is. “What’s in it?”

“You don’t want to know.

I clutch the water bottle, aspirin, and both foul hangover cures he’d made to my chest.

“Do you want some help?” he offers.

“No, I’ll manage.”

I stand outside the door, realizing I don’t have a hand to open it with.

Anjal walks over. With his hand on the knob, he drops his head. “I don’t know what to do. I want to fix this.”

“It’s new for me, too. We’ll be okay. Eventually.”

I step into the dark room he’d opened for me. It’s even darker once he shuts the door behind me.

“Anjal?” Priscilla croaks, with the duvet pulled up over her head.

“It’s me.”

She flips the covers down and cracks an eyelid in my direction. She groans, rolling over to turn the lamp on next to the bed.

“I’ve got aspirin, water, and something that we probably shouldn’t consume. Which do you want first?”

“As bad as I feel—I’ll risk the one not for consumption.”

After she shimmies and slides her body until she’s in the upright position, I hand her the toxin.

I set the water and pills on the nightstand.

“Bottoms up,” I squeak before choking mine down too.

I suppress the urge to vomit the contents back up.

“Ugh, what was in that?” she asks.

“Anjal wouldn’t tell me.”

She nods and pats the bed next to her. I move the blanket and slide in beside her.

“So, Jamie, huh?”

She looks at me and brunches her eyebrows. “He came? I didn’t dream it?”

I grab her hand. “He came.”

She gasps and leans forward as if remembering something.

“What is it, Cill?”

She falls back against the headboard. “It’s nothing. I’m not even sure.”

I let it go for now.

“I guess we should talk about Emjay,” she broaches.

“We have to.” I’d like to forget about her and all the horrors she told us, but I know I can’t.

“Do we forgive her?”

I shake my head. “We forgive, but we don’t have to like her just yet.”

Priscilla chuckles. “Does this mean Damian’s going to be our stepdad?”

I laugh with her.

“Oh, oh. Even better. He’s going to be Anjal and Jayce’s father-in-law.”

I look away, praying the tears don’t come again.

Last night, Jayce held me while we slept for the first time. I didn’t want to be alone. He hasn’t pushed me to share a bed with him. He’s been so patient.

“Shay, are you okay?”

When I look at her again, the tears fall despite my willing them to stay inside. “What am I going to do when his true mate’s clock ticks?”

“What are you talking about? Did he say you’re not his true mate? I’ll kill him.” She tries to climb out of the bed. I grab her before she can.

“You know I hate kids. That hasn’t changed. The Fates would never let someone with my feelings mate someone who needs a son.”

“Posh. Who told you that?”

“This isn’t a fairy tale, Cill. It’s real life.”

“Seems like a fairy tale to me. We’ve got witches, men who shift into bulls with horns, and a maze that keeps humans from finding us.”

“I want to believe he’s mine. I just can’t.”

“What about Tara and Nikolaos?”

“What about them?”

“I have heard nothing about her clock ticking, and they both seem very certain they are true mates. Even if they haven’t officially claimed each other yet.”

“She just turned eighteen. Her clock will eventually tick.”

“I’m going to have a talk with Jayce. He needs to do a better job at explaining to you how true mates work. I refuse to believe someone else is going to steal his heart the way you have.”

“I didn’t come here to talk about Jayce. We’re getting off track.”

“More like avoiding it,” she pushes. I choose to ignore it.

“If my parents ever find out I’m not theirs, what’s it going to do to them—to us?”

“Hopefully, they never find out.”

“We need a plan, Cill. I don’t want to hide forever. I miss my job.”

“A plan? I hadn’t thought of that. Yes. What if we go to them? Or we find a place and bring them to us? Get it over with. Put a stop to their claims.”

Whatever Anjal mixed in that glass seems to have made my sister forget all about her hangover. She’s out of bed and throwing clothes on.

She swings the door open. Anjal stands on the other side, looking like a lost puppy. “We need a plan. We can’t hide forever. Who’s in charge around here?”