“I love you, solnysh…”
I feel myself slip beneath the surface of the water, the weight of impending unconsciousness dragging me toward a black void. But above me, Taryn hasn’t moved. Her body is still tense and upright, and I’m vaguely aware that something’s not right. But I can’t fight through the spell to get back to her…
An explosion detonates inside the chamber, sending a massive shockwave through the water that slams me into the far wall like a fucking canon…
And the world goes dark.
TWENTY-FOURFINNIAN
Sounds of muffled voices filter through the fog in my mind. My eyelids feel like they’re weighed down with sandbags, and my mouth is dry. Why am I so out of it? It’s almost as if I was slipped something to knock me out…
Images of my last moments flood my mind. Trapped in the cavern beneath the Venetian, seconds away from drowning, before Taryn cast a sleep spell on us, then something exploded— Oh, gods, Taryn!
My eyes fly open, and I bolt to my feet, searching frantically for her. The afterlife, if this is it, looks strangely like Tier’s bedroom in the safe house. Glancing down, I notice I’m in a pair of basketball shorts and my brother’s favorite Twilight T-shirt.
“Okay, then. Definitely not Mag Mell. But if I’m not dead, then…” Taryn managed to teleport us at the last second!
Throwing open the bedroom door, I jog down the hall, hoping I’ll find her curled up on the couch with a glass of wine. “Taryn!”
Three heads swivel in my direction, but none of them have flawless brown skin, a riot of dark curls, and fathomless lavender eyes. Instead, I’m surprised to see my brothers and Fiona occupying the couches.
Fiona jumps up and rushes over, giving me a giant hug that I’m slow to return in my confusion. As grateful as I am to see my family, I have to check on Taryn before anything else.
“Where’s Taryn?” Empathy swims in Fiona’s blue eyes, and it feels like my chest implodes, crushing my lungs and preventing any air. “No, she can’t be. What the fuck happened? I need to—”
“Oh, Finn, no! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean for you to think that,” she rushes out. “Taryn’s in your room.”
My relief is so strong my knees almost buckle, but I brace my hands on the back of the couch and manage to stay upright. Fiona places a comforting hand on my back and explains further. “She was just a little worse for wear, you know? And it was obvious she wasn’t comfortable around us without you, so I suggested she grab a hot shower and rest. But other than being shaken up, she's perfectly fine, Finni, I promise.”
I allow myself the first deep breath I've had since being stuck in that cavern. Standing up straight again, I give my sister-in-law a real hug this time. “Thanks, Fi.”
“You, on the other hand,” she says, pulling away and poking her finger in my chest, “if you ever nearly die on us again, I will personally pass a law that makes it illegal for you to leave this Fort Knox penthouse you secretly built. Do you hear me?” She punctuates her threat with a smack on my arm.
Tiernan walks over and wraps an arm around her waist. “What my beautiful wife means is that you scared the shit out of us, baby bro. You're lucky Caiden and Bryn got to you just in time.”
I’m surprised to hear Bryn mentioned because I don’t see her. Concern for her knots my stomach. “Fuck, man, tell me she and the baby are okay.”
Tier claps a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “They’re both good. She’s resting in the other bedroom.”
I sigh with relief, then frown. “Wait. How did you and Bryn find us, or even know we needed help for that matter?”
Caiden hands me a glass of whiskey—which I gratefully accept and down in one shot—and gestures for me to take a seat. I glance over at my bedroom where Taryn is. “She's fine for now, Finn. The water is still running.”
I nod and accept my oldest brother’s gentle command. Once a leader, always a leader. I sit in one of the armchairs and do my best to relax into the cushions even though I don't think I'll be able to relax until I set eyes on her.
“Bryn sensed your distress,” Caiden says. “We know it's another one of the powers the baby is channeling through her, but we're not sure exactly how it works. The best we can surmise is that, as my brother, our child shares your blood. It's possible that created some kind of connection the baby could feel.
“We were relaxing in our living room and suddenly Bryn sat up with an expression of sheer terror that scared the living hell out of me. She said somehow she sensed someone we loved was in trouble and knew she could find them. With the way this pregnancy has gone, I didn’t question her. We left immediately, and the baby led us right to you.”
It sounds outrageous, but like Caiden said, Bryn’s pregnancy has given her all kinds of powers at random times. We never know what to expect she’ll be able to do on any given day. But this new ability is the one I’m most grateful for. I’m buying that kid a pony when it’s born.
“Then how did you get us out of the room?”
Caiden continues. “Bryn used the telekinesis she gets from the baby, sending powerful vibrations through the wall until it fractured. Once that first crack appeared, it only took a few more seconds for it to blow out but using that much power at this stage takes its toll on Bryn, so she’s been resting since we got here.”
I send up a silent prayer to Rhiannon that Bryn and my niece or nephew aren’t harmed. “What about the civilians?”
Tier answers. “Brynnie-Bear’s explosion didn’t go unnoticed, that’s for sure. It registered on the Richter scale, so the media and everyone thinks it was an earthquake. We have to close the Palazzo for repairs, but the good news is that no one was seriously injured.”
“I remember seeing the explosion right before I blacked out from… Hold on,” I say, trying to get my muddled thoughts together. “Her spell. How long has she been awake?”
Everyone exchanges uncomfortable looks, then Caiden answers. “She was never asleep. After the cavern emptied out, she coughed up some water but was otherwise fine. She gave us the highlights about finding Dad’s secret sarcophagus and Edevane trapping you down there and that she’d put a sleep spell on you that would take a few hours to wear off.”
Realization hits me like a wrecking ball to the stomach. “She never had any intention to use the spell on herself, did she?”
“She isn’t able to cast it on herself, Finni.” Fiona, who knows a lot about conjurers’ abilities since she was raised by one, rests a comforting hand on my arm. “She was trying to make things as easy as possible on you. If it wasn’t obvious from the way she kept looking at you when you were unconscious, casting that spell for you alone would tell us how much she cares for you. So don’t be upset with her.”
My heart races, a storm of emotions—anger, guilt, gratitude, and awe—swirling inside me. How could she sacrifice her own comfort for mine? Why didn't I realize it sooner? I feel a profound sense of responsibility, knowing she endured that harrowing experience alone just to protect me. My chest tightens with a mix of admiration and frustration. But I could never be upset with her for that.
“I need to see her.”
“Finn, stop.” Caiden never lost his kingly presence, and when he uses his commander-in-chief tone, it freezes me in place every time. I narrow my eyes at him, but he isn’t fazed one bit. “You need to fill us in on whatever’s happening with Edevane and what you and the princess have been up to,” Caiden says sternly.
Tiernan pipes in. “Yeah, Lucy, you got some ’splaining to do.”
I flip my middle brother off while addressing the oldest one. “Don't call her Princess; she hates it. And I’ll fill you in after I see her with my own fucking eyes and know she's okay.”
“I’m all right, Finn.”
