Ari stared at her for a moment, then cursed softly. She knew, as Neva knew, that such an oath was binding to all members of the family. If she walked away to be with Duncan, she'd never be able to talk to her sister again. And that was something she wasn't willing to lose. 'Moons,' Ari commented. 'What a mess.'
'That it is.' And she didn't see a way out of it. Not without putting Savannah in the middle.
I'll never be in the middle of it. The strength of Savannah's mind voice told Neva she was close to the diner. Because I'm on your side, completely and utterly. You finally ready yet to do something about this whole situation? More than ready, Neva replied with a smile. With her twin by her side, all things were possible. The bell above the door chimed as the door opened. Savannah walked in, dragging their mother in behind her. If the look on Nancy's face was anything to go by, she definitely wasn't here by choice. Neva glanced at the clock. No wonder. She was missing her weekly facial. Nancy's scathing glance took them in, then swung back to Savannah. 'What the hell are you doing?'
'What I should have done a month ago.' The scar above her sister's left eye looked as angry as her expression. She thrust their mother into the booth next to Ari. 'You move, Mom, and I swear to the moon, I'll shoot you.' With that she spun and marched toward the kitchen. Ari chuckled softly, a sound she quickly smothered as Nancy glared at her.
'This is your doing, isn't it?'
Ari's eyes were dancing with mirth as she held up her hands. 'Nothing to do with me, honest. But you know, I'm damn glad someone is doing something. You and the boss seemed content to sit back and watch your daughter die of a broken heart.'
'Ari--' Neva warned.
'You're fired,' her mother said over the top of her voice. 'Yeah, right.' Ari sniffed and crossed her arms. Nancy slid out of the booth and pointed an imperious finger at the door. 'Leave now.'
Ari glanced at Neva, a smile playing around her lips. 'Call me. And good luck.'
'I'll probably need it.'
Neva crossed her arms and watched her mother slide back into the booth, but she didn't bother saying anything. Even though she'd been back working at the diner for the last month, she'd barely exchanged a civil word with either of her parents since the night she'd let Duncan walk away. She saw no reason to change that until Savannah came back with their father.
Her mother obviously had no such inhibitions. 'If you've ended up hurt, you have no one to blame but yourself.'
'You're right,' she bit back. 'Because I let him walk away from me rather than having the courage to confront Father's edict with him by my side.'
Her mother blinked. 'Have you lost all the sense we bred into you? Why on earth would you think someone like Duncan Sinclair would ever make a suitable mate?'
'I don't know. Maybe the fact that we're soul mates?'
'Men like him don't have soul mates. They have lovers, and plenty of them. It's the sex that has you hooked, Neva, nothing more.'
'If this is just sex, then I sure as hell can understand why the dance is so popular.' Though her voice was flat, she had to thrust her hands under the table to hide the angry trembling. How dare they not trust her enough to know her own heart?
'Don't be crude,' her mother replied stiffly. 'A man with a past like his is not the sort of man we want--'
'And what of your past, Mother? Or has that been conveniently forgotten?'
Her mother's face went white. 'What are you talking about?'
But the fear in her widening eyes suggested she knew exactly what Neva was talking about. 'Dad doesn't know, does he?' she said, suddenly understanding. 'I don't know what?'
Her father's voice was sharp as he stopped in front of the booth and glared at the two of them. Savannah stood behind him, arms crossed and expression severe. Neva had a feeling she fully intended to stand there like that until this whole mess was sorted out.
'About mother's double standards,' Neva replied. 'About how it's all right for her to be given a second chance, and not Duncan.'
'It all happened a long time ago,' Nancy said, her face white, lips trembling. 'I was only a teenager.'
'So? Duncan wasn't much older. And nothing he has ever done has led to someone's death.'
'What are you talking about?'
She met her father's stony glare and let the anger finally boil over. 'We're talking about double standards. You stood up in front of the council yesterday and supported the Sinclairs right to the moon dance, stating no harm had ever come from it in all the years of it being here in Ripple Creek. Yet in private you state the dance is little more than a festival of whores, and you will not let your family participate.'
'Decent people do not--'
'Decent people do and have. Half of Ripple Creek was up there the night I was there, and I'll wager many of them are on the damn council.'
'That's beside the point--'
'That's exactly the point. You've always told me you should treat people as you find them, not as their past makes them out to be.'
'Duncan Sinclair has a past longer than my arm, and he's not likely to change now.' Her father's voice was a mix of patience and anger. 'Sinclairs don't believe in commitment, Neva. Look at Zeke. A century under his belt and still dancing with every female that comes within range.'
Neva crossed her arms, her fists clenched against her sides. 'If we follow that theory, both Savannah and
I should be drunken louts who run around burning houses and killing innocents.'
Her mother's gasp filled the shocked silence. 'How dare you--'
Neva thrust to her feet and leaned across the table. 'How dare you! How can you look at Duncan's past and judge him unworthy when you have done far worse?' Her father's hand came down on her shoulder.
'You will not talk to your mother like that--' Neva shook off his touch and swung around to face him.
'And how dare you make me choose between the man I love and the family I love.'
'I knew his mother,' Levon said softly. 'She was a good friend. I know the pain she went through watching the man she loved dance with others time and time again. It killed her, Neva. I'm only trying to save you from that.'
'I'm old enough to choose my own destiny.'
'But not old enough to understand the heartbreak to come. He will never commit to you.'
She glanced at Savannah. Saw her sister's slight nod. Knew that her twin would walk when she walked.
'That's where you're wrong, Father. Duncan has already committed. We performed the promising ceremony the night before he was kidnapped.'
His face went as white as her mother's. 'Impossible. The magic can't be raised except on the night of promising.'
'Well, apparently it can, because we did.'
'But…Why didn't you tell us?'
'I told you we were soul mates, and it didn't seem to make one goddamn bit of difference. Why would I think telling you we were promised would?'
'But…You can't. Not to him.'
She sighed. 'You know, I'm sick of arguing. I'm sick of trying to make you see. I've chosen my path. It's up to you to choose yours.'
'And choose wisely,' Savannah intoned. 'Because I'm walking out that door with my sister, and I won't be back until you both come to your senses.'
'This is stupid--'
'No, Father, this is the last straw. I don't want to live my life without Duncan in it, and if you can't accept that, then too bad.'
She glanced at Savannah, and as one they walked out of the diner and down the street to the rangers' office. Neva took a deep breath and puffed it out slowly. 'Well, that went better than I thought it would.' Savannah
