Pemberley bobbed his head. “Despite being the most selfish individual I’ve ever met, you’re a good mother. You’re also a good friend. And the mouthiest pain in the posterior tulip I’ve ever met. Yet you’re basically right about this. In a nutshell, that’s what happened.”
“Then why are you here?” I asked, finding my voice. “If your people fled, why aren’t you with them?”
“Because, slowly, we’ve been crossing back into this world,” he replied. “There is no huge war plaguing the people here. The balance remains. Good and evil fight. Some of us don’t want to fight but merely live. That’s how I am. There are a few other members of my family who are like that. As for you, it’s important to remember that you’re not a full fairy. Children of the Stars were first created when powerful Earth elementals mated with beings from another plane. Those were the first of your kind, and they were powerful.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Over the centuries, inter-mating has happened, but not as much as you might think,” he continued. “I’m guessing you probably assumed you were a witch.”
I nodded.
“But you always knew you were slightly more, right?”
“I ... don’t know that I would say that,” I hedged. “It wasn’t until I was older, met more people with magic, that I realized I was stronger.”
He nodded, thoughtful. “And somehow you found Zoe, the magical mage who can end the world with a snap of her fingers if she wants.”
Zoe glared at him with a dark look. “That is a gross exaggeration.”
“I’ve seen your work.”
“Please. If I could do all that, I would’ve made it so I got the wedding I wanted.”
He snickered. “Still bitter about that? I hate to break it to you, but you did get the wedding you wanted. For the most part. I remember ensuring you had a cake with sharks on it, which made my poor heart want to curl up and die.”
Zoe’s frown curved upward. “That was a pretty sweet cake.”
“I also remember you and Aric taking the entire cake to your bedroom the night of the wedding. Whatever kinky things you did with the cake, I don’t want to know. That’s unfortunately when I realized the man was better suited for you than me.”
“I wouldn’t get too excited. We ate our weight in cake and I told him I was pregnant that night. It wasn’t nearly as much fun as you’re envisioning.”
“Somehow I think it was still one of the best nights either of you ever experienced.” Pemberley’s gaze moved back to me. “As for where you come from, I don’t know. I’ll ask around. Someone must know who you are. As for what you can do, I would say the sky is the limit because I can feel the power radiating off of you.”
I swallowed hard. “What do you need from me?”
“Just the basics. Tell me your story and we’ll go from there. I can’t promise anything, but I will do my best.”
“Thank you for that.”
“You’re more than welcome.”
Twenty-One
I could feel Zoe’s eyes on me for the entire ride back to the cabin. She didn’t say anything but her concern was palpable. It was only when we parked and I killed the engine that I felt the need to fill the silence.
“He wasn’t much help.”
“Give him time.” Her tone was sympathetic. “I think he knows more than he’s letting on. Let him feel out his sources.”
My shoulders involuntarily jolted. “You think he’s lying to us?”
“I didn’t say that,” she cautioned quickly. “I just think he might know a bit more but he has to check with people before he can tell us. Remember that thing I said about shades of gray? We’re all loyal to different people.”
While what she said made sense, I was feeling stubborn. “It would be best if he just told me.”
She chuckled. “You definitely remind me of me.”
At that exact moment, the door to the cabin flew open and Sami stomped out. She didn’t as much as glance at us, storming to the fire pit and unloading a terrific burst of magic that was so bright I had to shield my eyes. By the time she was finished, the remnants in the pit were glowing a hot shade of pink.
“Unfortunately, she reminds me of me, too.” Zoe shoved open her door, resigned, and aimed herself directly at her daughter. “What do you think you’re doing?”
The way Sami jerked up her head told me she hadn’t even noticed us when passing. “Where have you been?” Sami stomped her foot and glared at her mother. “You’re supposed to be doing something about Rafael. Instead you’re running around with her. You don’t even know her.”
The tears choking Sami’s voice had sympathy bubbling up despite her tone. Zoe was the exact opposite.
“Apologize.” There was no give in Zoe’s voice.
“What?” Sami looked bewildered. “I’m not apologizing. I’m not sorry. Not even a little sorry. You don’t know her and yet you’re helping her instead of doing something for Rafael. It’s wrong.”
Slowly, so slowly in fact that she reminded me of a snake about to strike, Zoe drifted toward her daughter. “Apologize.”
The atmosphere between them sparked enough that I worried a fight of a different sort would erupt. When I glanced toward the cabin, I found Aric hurriedly descending the stairs to insert himself between his warring wife and daughter.
“No.” Sami jutted out her lower lip and folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not sorry!”
I had no idea what Zoe was going to do but Aric slid in front of his wife before she could mete out whatever punishment she had in mind. He grabbed Sami around the waist and hoisted her up, tossing her over his shoulder while the teenager loudly professed her fury.
“You’re in timeout,” Aric announced, striding toward an open space in the yard about thirty feet away.
“You can’t put me
