Chapter 30

CHAPTER 30

" M om?" Paige whispered, trying to hold back tears as her mother lay staring at the ceiling but virtually unresponsive in every other way.

"Reed?" Drucinda said. "Darling, can you hear us?"

Reed's eyes finally shifted to the side, following Drucinda's voice. Her features pinched as she focused on the Valkyrie's face. "Dru?"

Drucinda broke into a teary-eyed smile as she nodded. "It's me, yep."

Reed huffed out a breath, her own eyes turning glassy as she stared at her. "I'm awake. I'm alive."

"Yes, you are both, darling. And it was hard fought." Drucinda sniffled, wiping a tear away quickly.

"Did you rescue me?" Reed asked, her voice shaky.

Paige bit into her lower lip, trying to hold back a sob. Her mother had finally awoken, but she latched immediately on to her best friend. Of course, she had no idea who Paige even was. She had no reason to be excited to see her. She didn't even know her.

She tried to take solace in the fact that her mother was awake, and that she was talking. And also, that she seemed comforted by having her friend, Drucinda, at her side.

Paige took a step back, suddenly wanting to be anywhere but there when Drucinda answered Reed's question.

"No, darling, I didn't. That credit goes to someone very special. Someone I think you'll want to meet."

"Ronnie?" Reed questioned, her eyes searching Drucinda's face.

Drucinda shook her head, motioning toward Paige. "No, darling. Your daughter, Paige."

Reed's gaze shifted, her forehead pinching as she focused on Paige.

Paige pressed her lips together, raising a shaky hand in a wave. "Hi."

Reed's jaw hung open as she stared at her, her features pinching. "Paige? My baby!"

She reached for her, an exclamation of surprise and relief escaping her as she pulled Paige closer, hugging her tightly. "Oh, my little baby."

"Your little baby is all grown up, darling. And she's turned out to be quite a woman. She's not only single-handedly fought off werewolves, but she's also fought so very hard to find you and bring you home."

"And also to find a cure for your twilight trance," Devon added, clapping Paige on the shoulder as she rose and wiped at her wet cheeks.

"Devon?" Reed asked, her eyes wide as she spotted him.

"Hey, Reed. It's really good to see you awake."

Reed shifted in the bed, struggling to sit up.

"What do you need?" Drucinda asked.

"To sit up. And to know what Devon LeBlanc is doing in a library-owned hospital facility." She glanced at Drucinda. "Oh, please don't tell me you married him."

Paige tugged her lips into a wince, her nose wrinkling .

"Not me, darling. I am and always will be a free agent." Drucinda used the buttons to raise the bed before adjusting Reed's pillow.

"Then…"

Devon gave her a dimpled grin. "Mom."

"What?!" Reed's heart rate shout through the roof as she glanced at Paige, slapping a palm against her wrist. "How did this happen? Drucinda, how could you let this happen? You let my child marry Dominic Durand's son!"

"Wow, that ramped up quickly," Dewey said as he landed on Paige's shoulder. "Look, lady, no one made Paige do anything. Devon very cleverly manipulated the entire situation so Paige would marry him but because he's rich, it's okay."

Reed furrowed her brows as she stared at him. "Who are you?"

"Dewey Decimael, Paige's archivist."

"You're a librarian?" Reed asked. "And what do you mean because he's rich, it's okay?"

Dewey slid his eyes sideways. "If he's rich, manipulation is romance. If he's poor, it's a psychological thriller. Everyone knows this."

Reed screwed up her face as the doctor rushed into the room, her eyes wide.

"You're awake."

"Yes, but it seems like I'm too late to have prevented tragedy."

"That's a little much. I really love Paige," Devon said.

"Maybe another time," Paige said to him.

"Definitely another time," the doctor answered. "Would you mind clearing out while we examine her?"

"Must we?" Drucinda asked.

"I'm afraid so. I know it's very hard since she's just woken up, but we really do want to ensure her health and be certain she stays this way."

Paige's lower lip trembled as she considered leaving the room.

"Come on, Paige," Devon said softly, gently tugging her back. "Let's let the doctor's do their work so we can get back in here."

She pressed her lips together, trying to hold back the tears forming as she nodded and allowed him to lead her from the room.

They shuffled into the hall, and Devon wrapped her in his arms, but she remained stiff.

Ronnie approached them, her face questioning.

"She's awake and talking," Drucinda said.

"And disappointed in me," Paige answered with a sob.

"What?" Ronnie asked.

"No, darling. She's just…still trying to get acclimated to what's going on. She's missed over thirty years of your life," Drucinda said with a rub of Paige's shoulder.

"Yeah, she'll totally get over it once she realizes you're a rich princess," Dewey said with a pat on Paige's head.

Paige's features melted, and she covered her face with her hands.

"Reed was a little…surprised at Paige's choice in husband's," Drucinda explained.

"Ohhhh," Ronnie murmured with a lift of her chin. "Things when Reed went missing were really different, Paige. She'll come around."

Paige chewed her lower lip, offering them a bob of her head.

"You have to remember that she's been out of the world for decades. She doesn't know what's happened recently. It will take time."

"She seemed happy to see you," Paige said to Drucinda .

"Of course, she was. We were best friends. She was happier to see you, though. Her little baby that she never got a chance to raise."

"I feel like a disappointment to her."

"No," everyone hurried to say.

"Paige, look at how far you've come. You're a successful librarian. You're a princess. You have the best partner ever. And…you're about to be the main character in a best-selling paranormal romance, so…you've really made it," Dewey said.

Paige laughed a little through her tears. "Yeah, you're right. You're the best part of me."

"Yeah," Dewey said with a nod. "She ought to be proud of you for partnering with me alone."

The doctor exited from Reed's room a moment later, making notes on the chart. "So, everything looks good on the initial exam. We're going to run a battery of tests on her starting with blood work. But for now, you can visit with her. She may nod off a few times, though, don't be alarmed."

Paige sucked in a shaky breath as she nodded. "Okay, thanks for the warning. I'll probably panic the first time she falls asleep."

"I know," the doctor said with a nod. "But her body has been through a lot, and she needs rest. We'll continue to monitor her, though I don't see her slipping back into a coma anytime soon."

"Thanks, doctor," Ronnie said.

"Well, should we all head back in?" Paige asked. "I'm sure she wants to see everyone."

"I'm certain she wants to see you, but I'd like to go in," Drucinda said as Ronnie nodded.

"For a little while, if you don't mind, Paige," Ronnie added.

"Mind? I don't mind at all. I want her to see all of her old friends. I think it will be good for her. Comforting. "

"Paige, I can wait out here if you prefer. I don't want to upset your mom or you."

"That may be…" Paige glanced up at him, her mind racing with all of the details of how he'd helped her find her mother and save her. She'd told him she loved him. Was it fair to exclude him now?

She shook her head. "No. No, you played a big role in my mom being found and recovering. And we're married. She'll have to accept that."

He offered her a soft smile. "Yeah, but she doesn't need it shoved in her face right now. I'm totally fine hanging out in the waiting room."

"Just to be clear," Dewey said, "I am not cool waiting in the waiting room and would like to head inside whether your mom likes it or not. Just because she's been in a magical coma doesn't make her any more special than anyone else."

Paige furrowed her brow. "Uh, okay, yeah, you can go in. And Devon, you can go in, too. Like I said, you were a huge part of finding her, and I think she needs to know that."

Devon's smile broadened as he wrapped his arm around her. "Okay. And thanks. I'd really rather support you than be stuck in the waiting room."

"Okay, with that settled, let's head in. Also, maybe order a snack. Your mom is probably hungry, and so am I."

Paige chuckled as he buzzed toward the door. "Okay, buddy. We'll get you a snack."

They followed Paige to the room. She poked her head in with a tentative smile. "Hi, Mom, how are you feeling?"

"Like a pin cushion," she said as she stared at the bruises on her arms from the blood draws. "But happy to be alive."

"We're very happy about that too," Ronnie said with a tentative grin.

"Ronnie!" Reed answered, breaking into a wide smile as she stretched her arms toward the woman .

Ronnie skirted past Paige to hug Reed. "Oh, it's so good to see you alive and awake."

"I never thought I'd make it back."

"What did happen?" Drucinda asked.

"Maybe we shouldn't push her," Paige said.

Reed glanced at Paige, her eyes falling on Devon's arm around Paige. "It may be best that this be kept in a stricter confidence, but I should give someone a statement before it's too late."

"Too late?" Ronnie asked.

"I hope it's not too late. I really need some breadsticks or something. I'm fading fast," Dewey said.

"We'll get you some food, bud," Paige said.

"I don't think she means too late to eat," Ronnie answered with a frown.

"I don't. There is something big going on, and I don't have all the details but…we need to stop it before it changes the world forever," Reed warned.

"Changes the world forever?" Paige repeated.

Reed's eyes fixed on her before they slid toward Devon. "I can't say now. I can't…"

"Okay, wait. I'm sorry, but…Mom, I feel really bad saying this given that we basically just met but Devon has been a big part of making sure we found you and saved your life. You wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for him stepping up. And I think it's really unfair that you're judging him based on decades-old information."

"Devon LeBlanc comes from a dangerous family who will use whatever methods they can to dominate the supernatural food chain. On top of that, he's a notorious playboy."

"Hey," Devon said with a shake of his head, "I may be popular with the ladies but I'm not a playboy, and I'm definitely true blue to Paige."

"Devon's right, Reed. Plus, a lot has changed since you've been gone. The Durands are still dominating things, but better them than whatever has been going on with Higgins."

Reed shook her head. "Drucinda, you have never understood. Coming from the family you've been born into, your views have always differed from mine."

Drucinda crossed her arms. "With all due respect, friend, you have been out of the game for over thirty years."

"And the Durands haven't morphed into good people."

"The Durands are the only reason you're here," Drucinda shot back. "Devon, whom you are so quick to judge, has protected your daughter at every turn and provided her with the means to find you. Dominic gave her a soul compass when she married Devon."

"Look, Mom–" Devon said.

"Please, don't," Reed answered with a shake of her head. "That's…just Reed is fine. I mean…you delivered my baby on the side of the road, so Mom sounds strange."

Reed's eyes fell to her lap. "And then you married her. Oh…wow."

"We've already had this conversation, Reed," Dewey said. "We even speculated that Devon could be Paige's dad. It got super weird from there, but…since he's not, it's all okay."

Reed wrinkled her nose at him. "And you're Paige's partner, right?"

"That's me. Dewey. Partner extraordinaire. Paige and I have been through some situations, let me tell you." Dewey chuckled as he patted Paige on the head. "And if you think she's awkward now…you should have seen her with her glasses before Eyva fixed her vision."

"Paige was cute in glasses, come on, man," Devon answered.

"Please stop talking," Paige said with a shake of her head.

"I'm sorry," Drucinda interjected. "This conversation has gone well off topic. Can we get back to the whole world- changing bit? You know…the thing we have to stop before it's too late?"

"Right," Paige said, her stomach churning again. "If there's something that's a threat, we should address it. And Devon can be trusted."

"Paige is right," Ronnie said. "Devon's been working with the library. Anything you tell me is probably going to get to his ears anyway. Paige trusts him, Drucinda trusts him, I trust him."

"Dewey also trusts him. Why was Dewey left out of that equation?" Dewey asked.

"Well…she doesn't know you. She knows us."

"She doesn't really know Paige," Dewey argued with a shrug.

Ronnie shot him a wide-eyed glance. "Look, anyway, if there's something happening, we need to know."

Reed's skin turned ashen, fear dancing in her eyes. "Higgins has been amassing artifacts for decades, stealing them from the library. He's…experimented. Joining them together, tearing them apart, you name it. He used my magic to do it–magic I didn't even know I had in me."

Reed raised her glassy eyes to scan over the others in the room. "He's building a new magic system. One that will be undefeatable. One that will end the world as we know it and allow him to be the supreme ruler over everyone."

The words hung heavy in the air as Paige's lips parted, her eyes widening. Had they finally met a problem they couldn't solve?