25. Not a Happily Ever After

TWENTY-FIVE

not a happily ever after

Several minutes pass before the room calms down enough that I'm able to release my hold on Brayden and move toward my only friend, Luna—or what's left of her. Her face looks as angelic as always. Her normally vibrant bright green eyes are open, and her pupils are fixed and dilated. Her heartbeat stopped quickly, and she died instantly. Even being armed with that information doesn't help the sorrow I feel toward the young lycanthrope. "I'm so sorry, my friend." I can't hold in the tears.

A cold hand lands on my shoulder. "She was a warrior," Thorne says, squeezing my skin gently.

"Yeah, she was." I watch as he gently lifts what's left of her into his arms, cradling her to his chest. I follow them downstairs and to the dining room table where he lays her body.

Fran and Celeste move to my side, and the three of us stand in awe of the tiny woman. "She died for nothing," I whisper. "Marnie took the girls, anyway."

"The girls will be okay for a short while. Luna is our priority right now." Celeste's words sound much older than she appears. "She will be honored by the lycan community here in her hometown. She deserves that."

"Aye, she does." Thorne wipes a tear.

Topher and Amelia join our group. He's weak and moving slowly, but it's clear he's healing. "She will be held in the highest honors," he says, wiping a tear.

Micah appears from nowhere. Like Topher, he's weak and looks exhausted. "My sweet Luna," he whispers, bending down and kissing her on her perfect cheek. "I never got the chance to make you my mate." Chill bumps cover my skin at his words. I'd seen cute interactions between them, but never realized they were at the mate part.

"I'm sorry, Micah. I feel responsible for this. If I would've…"

"No," Amelia interrupts. "You can't take responsibility for this. Luna knew what the dangers were. She made the decision to try to help the girls. That was heroic. She was no match for Marnie, but she tried." She looks at me. "You don't get to own this."

Her words strike a chord, and I nod. "How can we help?" I ask Topher, her Alpha. He doesn't respond. Instead, he gathers her into his arms as the lycan leave the house full of vampires.

Amelia wraps an arm around my waist. "Lycan have strict burial traditions that vampires are not allowed to attend."

"I understand." I don't want to understand, but I do.

We spend the next few hours cleaning up what's left of the house. Every window is shattered, and glass is everywhere, but with vampire speed, the five of us make decent time. I took Brayden upstairs immediately after he released us from the bubble, locking him inside the room with his parents. Whatever compulsion Fran used on them is magically still working. With the insanity of what happened downstairs, I don't know how.

"I'll get the windows replaced tomorrow," Fran announces as Thorne drags the last trash bag to the road. "Such a shame. Some of these windows were as old as the city."

"What's next?" I ask once every task is completed.

"We find the children and kill Marnie and Eudora," Thorne announces.

"Why do I get the feeling that's going to be easier said than done?" I lower my head into my hands.

……

Fran works her magic, compelling Brayden's parents into forgetting everything that's happened after meeting us on Bourbon Street. She doesn't bother trying to wipe Brayden's memory. His ability would prevent it.

After leaving the "bed-and-breakfast" they booked, the three of them set off on their way home, completely oblivious to the shattered windows and insanity of our lives.

"Do you think Marnie and Eudora will go after him?" I ask, nodding toward the Uber leaving the house.

"Yes," the rest of the vampires answer in unison.

"He's more powerful than all of them," Amelia adds.

……

Thorne and I wait a few days before heading to what is now known as home—Charleston. The events of the past few weeks play through my mind in rapid succession.

With Kragen gone, the thing I've spent my life running from is gone. The irony of the situation is, I don't know who I am without him in my life. What kind of fuckery is that?

"What are you thinking?" Thorne asks as we sit on the porch of a colonial-style home, right in the center of downtown.

"I'm thinking I have to save them."

"Yeah. We will."

My phone rings, startling me back to reality. "Hello? "

"Elsie, it's Amelia."

I don't respond. God, I suck at dealing with trauma.

"There was an accident with Brayden's family," she continues.

I slide forward in the rocking chair I've been sitting in for hours. "What happened?"

"Car wreck. His parents are dead, and he's in the hospital. It's only a matter of time until he dies as well."

"What…what does that mean?"

"It means he's going to die," she answers simply.

"I hate to say it, but maybe that's for the best." I instantly feel horrible about my words. He's just a kid. He doesn't deserve to die.

"Yeah. We have another idea."

"No," I answer before giving her a chance to explain. "His choice will be taken away. You can't do that to him." My stomach knots, thinking about Brayden becoming a vampire.

"I know. I swore never to do that to someone. It's Celeste's idea. She thinks he's the only link to find the children."

Tears fill my eyes. She's right. Without him, we'll never locate Eudora, Marnie, or the immortal children. Brayden's powers will be limitless. We need him, but at what cost? "You're talking about taking a child's life to find other children who shouldn't exist."

"You're preaching to the choir, Elsie. Fran, Celeste, and I have spent the past few hours discussing the pros and cons, each time ending in a stalemate. "

I laugh. "It's all cons. There are no fucking pros to this whatsoever."

The phone makes a strange sound, and a different voice comes online. "Elsie, it's Celeste. I know how horrible it sounds, but after everything's done and Alex and the girls are found, I'll make sure they go to the same people I did. They'll spend the rest of their immortal life as adults."

"Brayden never had the chance to be a kid."

"He's going to die, Elsie. He won't have that chance, anyway. Why not save him and use his powers to save the others?"

I don't know what to say. There is no logical argument against what they're about to do. Yes, he might help us save the others but at what cost? "It's already done, isn't it?"

Celeste is quiet for a few minutes. "Tonight. We've got a plan to get him out of the hospital and back here."

"If you've already made the decision, why call me?"

"You deserved to know," Amelia answers for the two of them.

I hang up without responding and wipe the tears from my cheeks. "I'm sorry, acushla. I think they're right. It's the only way to find the others." Thorne stands, pulls me to his front, and wraps his arms around my waist. We stand, wrapped in each other's arms for longer than necessary.

"Excuse me," a voice says from the front gate. We pull away from each other, expecting to see a tourist hoping for a quick tour of the historic home .

"Can I help you?" Thorne asks, straightening his now-wrinkled shirt.

"I have a certified letter for a Miss Elsbeth Abernathy." He holds a sealed letter where I can see it. "Are you Elsbeth?" he asks, staring at me.

"Aye, I am."

He holds the letter through the wrought iron gate. "If you'll sign saying you received it, I'll be on my way."

I scribble my signature, thanking the deliverer. "Who's it from?" Thorne asks once we're back on the piazza.

"The law firm where you settled Francis's estate." I open the envelope, finding a single tri-folded piece of paper, and read the words aloud.

Miss Abernathy,

My name is Abigail Orcutt. We had the pleasure of meeting while you were settling the estate of Francis Hawthorne. As part of my internship, I spent quite a bit of time in the archives of our firm. Reading through old client files has proven helpful in several situations, one of them being yours. I took the liberty of researching the connection between you and Aaron Abernathy further after our meeting and discovered information that could be vital for you and your lifestyle.

I pull the letter away from my face. My lifestyle? Does this woman know that I'm a vampire?

"What is it?" Thorne asks.

"I'm not sure," I answer truthfully before continuing.

Aaron Abernathy left a book and specific instructions for it to be delivered to his sister, Elsbeth Abernathy, should she ever be found. The book was safely bound and has been hidden in the basement of the city library ever since, with no hope of locating her…until now.

Aaron was one of New Orleans's most powerful warlocks, and the book left for you is his grimoire. One that can only be uncovered and used by you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Abigail Orcutt

"Holy shit." I set the letter on a table nearby. Thorne stares at me expectantly. I huff a laugh, not sure what to think of the newest development in the shit show of my life.

"What does that mean?" he asks, looking as confused as I feel.

"My family has vampires, lycan, and now witches."

"Oh, my," he whispers, making me laugh. "What's a grimoire? I've never been around witches or warlocks."

"His book of spells, along with instructions."

"This could help us find the children." Thorne takes the words out of my mouth.

"And helping us defeat Eudora and Marnie," I add.

He offers me his arm, leading me through the courtyard and onto the busy street. Together we walk at a human pace toward downtown Charleston, and what, hopefully, are the answers we need.

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Stay tuned for the final installment, " Voyage of Magic and Malice " coming spring of 2025.