Things were so fragile now. Emily couldn’t risk it all just because she wanted her brother to love and cherish her.
“I don’t even know why I came here.” Michael jumped to his feet. He refused to look at her and marched straight for the door.
Emily stood up, too, and called after him just as he opened the door. “Don’t do anything stupid, Michael. You’ll be putting their lives in danger if you do.” Her voice carried a veiled tone of threat in it, which was not a mistake, but by design.
Michael only hissed and left her room, shutting the door behind him.
30
Emily slept in the next day. She supposed everyone else did as well, because when she finally woke up, no one had come to her room to wake her. After she went about her usual morning routine, she opened her closet to choose her outfit and jumped at the sound of a knock on her door.
“Who is it?”
“Breakfast is served,” Dad’s voice came back to her. “Come join us in the anteroom.”
“Okay, Dad.” It could only mean they were going to have breakfast as well as plan out their next order of business all at once.
Emily changed into black leather pants and a tight sweatshirt. She added her usual black leather jacket to her outfit to give her a serious look and wore boots that stretched past her shins. She took a good look at herself in the mirror. She looked stunning as always, but most importantly, she looked like a badass—which was what she was going for. She pulled her hair back in a loose braid, where it wouldn’t get in the way.
The clothes were tight yet stretchy enough she wouldn’t have any trouble when the time came for her to fight. Not that she had even the slightest fighting skills in her human form, but still.
Yeah, today was the day they finally went on the offensive. Emily didn’t bother with much makeup. Aside from a little powder and a lip gloss, she didn’t do anything to her face.
One last check, Emily thought. Selena?
Here, Boss, Selena replied. Her voice was chirpier than usual. Today’s the big day, isn’t it?
I suppose it is. It was indeed the big day. Emily had promised her aunt that as soon as they saved Rina and Joanna, Emily would go through with the Adoption. So two big events were likely to happen in quick succession.
Emily was ambivalent about the Adoption ritual, simply because she felt like they were giving the evil rove exactly what he wanted.
If the vision showed her in her Adopted state, then why were they hell-bent on bringing the vision to pass by setting the stage for just that? Shouldn’t their plan be to keep her as far away from the Adoption as possible?
Aunt Anastacia was so sure they couldn’t win without the Adoption. Emily wasn’t strong enough. She couldn’t go up against the ancient and powerful rove—not as a normal Owl shifter. It was one of those cases where the route to victory was the same as the route to defeat. And she couldn’t opt out. She had to make a decision or the decision could be made for her.
Emily suddenly realized that if she decided she didn’t want to make a decision, and she ran, Gregory Alfred could come for her. And, being a rove, he surely could perform the Adoption ritual himself. He’d perform the ritual without her consent and still gut her like a pig so he could release the apocalypse.
The Adoption was the only way. Emily settled it in her heart. She was going through with it. She’d first make sure her friends were safe. Then she would give herself to the Adoption. If she survived, she would rain hell on the Alfreds and their little band of evil-doers. If she didn’t, then at least the world would be safe for her generation.
That’s a sick way of seeing things, Selena commented.
Whatever. It’s the best way of seeing things, nonetheless. Emily slipped out of her room and made straight for the anteroom. By the time she got there, the others were already there. They were seated at separate parts of the conference table, silent and waiting.
The moment she slipped into the anteroom, they all looked up at her.
Emily blushed. “Sorry for coming late.”
Aunt Anastacia grinned at her. She was sitting at the head of the table close to the large TV screen on the wall. Dad sat very close to the tunnel exit. Michael was slouched close to the door. Plates of breakfast food sat in front of all of them.
Emily found her plate at the other head of the table. Without question, she slid into the chair.
“Nice of you to join us, Emily,” Michael spouted. His voice contained so much venom that it drew annoyed glares from both Aunt and Dad. Emily could only sigh. She refused to respond.
Icy silence followed.
“Okay, so what’s the plan?” asked Dad, breaking the ice.
“First, we eat,” Aunt Anastacia started. “And no talking shop at the dining table.”
“Technically, this isn’t the dining table,” Michael slipped in.
Aunt Anastacia glared at him again. “It is what I say it is, and right now I say it’s the dining table.”
“And what about what we say?” Michael shot back, refusing to back down. It was obvious to Emily that Michael was irritated by everyone and not just Emily. She didn’t know why she felt relieved by the fact. Maybe it had something to do with her feeling that Michael hated her and her alone.
“As long as you’re under my roof, you will do as I say,” Aunt Anastacia said, her fists tightening on the table. She was barely keeping herself calm.
Michael turned away. “Maybe if we all left—”
“That’s enough!” Dad boomed. “Michael, you will obey your aunt.”
“You’re not my dad!” Michael screeched. “You’re just the husband of the woman he fucked
