Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 125077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
“I don’t think so. I did in the beginning, but now I wonder. When Gray comes to witness a prophecy being fulfilled, he tends to disappear after what he’s there to see happens. Gray didn’t leave that day. He stayed until a moment that happened the next morning. Shy was scared when Harry wasn’t in control. He had to rest at times. Shy hadn’t seen the supernatural world. Not much of it. The Fae creatures kind of freaked her out until Rhys took her hand and promised to show her around. He made some flowers grow, and she smiled for the first time. And then Gray was gone.”
“That was the important moment?” If that was important enough to pull Gray from Hell, it had to mean there was a prophecy about it.
“I suspect, though all he would be able to tell us was that yes it was important. Not why.”
“So Shy is important. Not Harry. Shy and Rhys.” My mind was playing around with everything I’d learned. Something tickled at the back of my mind. I hadn’t spent much time with them. Less than a day, and I’d slept a lot of it. “She still holds Harry Wharton’s soul, right?”
“Yes. I have no idea what we would have done without Harry the last few years. He’s taught us all about how to steal stuff we need,” Trent admitted. “More than that, he still has spectacular connections and knows who we can and can’t trust. I’m glad he gets to see his daughter again, but you should know I don’t think he’ll be around for long.”
That had me sitting up. “Why? I thought this was something that worked for both of them.”
Trent seemed to think about how to explain. “I think he’s been holding on until Zoey, Daniel, and Dev returned. In the beginning, he did bolster Shy. He found her in a mental hospital. He explained things to her that her mother would have handled had she lived.”
“About her powers.”
“Yes. Imagine being eight and you see your first ghost. Even if you’ve been told it will happen, it has to be terrifying. She was at the mercy of the human health system, and they did not understand how to help her. Harry did. And they’ve needed each other for years, but he thinks he’s holding her back now.”
“Holding her back from…” It hit me. “She and Rhys are a couple.”
“They’re quite bonded, but the inclusion of Harry makes things awkward. Harry thinks she’s ready for a relationship now, so he’s going to leave as soon as he knows his daughter is all right.” Trent reached up and ran his fingers through my hair. “He says there’s a light where he is, and it calls to him. I knew there was a Heaven plane. I guess I never thought it would be for us.”
I couldn’t even contemplate the idea that there was some sort of afterlife. I was too worried about this one. “So you think once Harry is gone, she’ll turn to Rhys?”
“I think she turns to him now, but the romantic aspect will likely be more comfortable for them both. I worry about Rhys. He’s a Green Man. He wasn’t meant to be a virgin at his age, but he refuses to take any woman who is not Shy, and she hasn’t been ready. He’s patient, but we’re all waiting for him to explode. Not literally.”
I couldn’t help but think about what Liv had said. “Magically. All that fertility power needs somewhere to go. Liv told me they have witches who look for big bursts of Fae magic because they want to use Rhys to locate the others.”
“Frelsi is protected, and so is the Under,” Trent assured me. “We also can take him to the Unseelie plane if he needs to let off some steam. I’ve spent the last couple of years balancing the sexual frustrations of teen supernaturals with trying to make sure Lee doesn’t get an STI. I wish I’d known about the whole latent vampire thing. I might have had less anxiety.”
I brushed my hand over his chest, loving the feel of his skin against mine, how warm he was. “You had a lot to deal with. You can’t imagine how amazing I think you are, how comfortable I am having this baby with you. I love Gray but his life is complex, and knowing you’re here…”
I let the words dangle because I didn’t want to say anything harsh against Gray, but I needed Trent to know how I felt about him.
He rolled on top of me, pressing me into the mattress. “No matter what happens with Gray, I’m here for life. I love you, Kelsey. I love him. But Gray and I agreed a long time ago that you are always our highest priority. Our children will be too. I need you to know he won’t allow our kids to descend. Ever.”