Ethan and I didn’t talk much before bed last night. After Carlos left, we were too exhausted to think about much of anything. I had questions about what the Mages said in the car, but they could wait. Maybe I was being too lenient, but I was too tired to give a shit.
A knock at the door had me looking up. Maggie smiled warmly, holding a glass of juice. “I decided coffee isn’t good for the babies, so you need things like juice.”
I scowled. “But I like my coffee.”
She nodded. “I know you do, but caffeine is bad for them. You can only drink so much of it. I’m sure you’ll have withdrawals, but I can work with that. I’ll just wean you off slowly.”
I snorted. “I’d rather hear that from my doctor.”
“Oh, didn’t you know?” She beamed. “I went to medical school! I can totally be your doctor.”
Stunned, I stared at her, not sure what to say. “I–”
“Good. I’ll start setting up appointments. I guess you’ll need them more frequently since the pregnancy is progressing at a faster rate.”
I raised my hand to stop her. “I’m not sure how I feel about you being my doctor.”
Maggie’s face fell. “Oh.”
Feeling bad, I forced a smile. “You know what? Let’s do it. Schedule all the necessary appointments.” I’d rather avoid it completely, but I knew that for the sake of the babies, I needed to make sure I got the proper care.
Excited, Maggie smiled brightly again. “Great! You’ll be my first official patient!”
What?
I started to say something, but Ethan walked in with my breakfast. Maggie hurried past him, leaving me in stunned silence. Noticing my expression, Ethan raised an eyebrow.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, setting the food in front of me.
The scent of eggs, hash browns and sausage wafted up at me. I hummed my approval, ignoring his question because I was too hungry to care. Snatching the plastic silverware from him, I opened the packaging.
“This smells fantastic!”
“While you eat, we should probably talk,” Ethan said, pulling a chair up to the desk.
I would not let this stop me from eating. I was starving. The babies kicked around to let me know they totally agreed with my decision. Taking a forkful of hash browns, I started chewing.
“The fairy tale you heard growing up is actually in the book you’re supposed to read. You never finished it, so you missed out on some important information.” Ethan stared at me, as if waiting for me to say something.
“Okay,” I replied around a mouthful of food.
“Do you remember the whole story?”
I shoveled some eggs into my mouth. I moaned, eating some more. Everything was so good. I could do without the conversation. My food deserved silence while I enjoyed it. But Ethan kept talking.
“Sophie, I don’t want you mad at me.”
Sighing, I set down my fork. “From what I remember, the story was about two people who were destined to be together. Their powers combined, making them a rather impressive duo. In the end, the guy dies at the hands of their enemy. The woman was left alone.”
Nodding, Ethan ran a hand through his dark hair. He focused on me. “They got the fairy tale from the book, turning it into their own story that was told to young children.”
“Some story. It’s traumatizing.” I shook my head, grabbing my fork again.
“Well, the true version is even worse. It says you and I are destined for each other. That part you already know. But it also says our powers can combine, making us special among our races. We’ll be admired for being what they call the ‘True Lovers’. As the prophecy continues, it describes a moment in time where I will die by the hands of a demon.”
I started choking on my food. Ethan jumped to his feet, coming around the desk to slap me on the back. His expression went from sad to worried within seconds.
“Here. Drink some juice,” he said, grabbing the glass.
Pushing him away, I got up, coughing. “You asshole!” I choked out. “You knew you would die this whole time and never told me?” Tempted to punch him, I took a step forward. He stayed completely still, giving me the chance to do it. Breathing hard, I stepped away, throwing my hands up. “I can’t believe this!”
“It’s the only way to save you, Sophie. I have to die to prevent your and the children’s deaths.” Ethan came over to me, grabbing my hands. “Look at me.”
I stared down at our hands, tears coming to my eyes. This was something I didn’t expect. I thought he would eventually betray me, like Drake. Instead, he once again tried to put me first.
“Ethan, we can stop this,” I whispered.
“Just like we can stop the demon from taking over Drake?” Ethan pulled me in for a hug.
Squeezing him, I lay my head against his chest. I didn’t want to let him go, almost afraid Drake would come out of nowhere and kill him. Letting him out of my sight was not an option. Both Ethan and Drake were destined for death. Did the Ancestors know this already?
Chapter Eighteen
I watched Carlos and Ethan spar. When Carlos nearly fell on his face as he failed to follow through with a kick, they both laughed. I smiled, glad to see Ethan in a good mood, especially after our conversation earlier that morning. Then I recalled his words about dying at the hands of a demon. Thinking about it again made me want to cry. It didn’t help my hormones were all over the place.
When Ethan glanced in my direction, I smiled, pretending I was in a good mood, despite everything. He turned away, continuing to spar with Carlos. Both were training on how to fight demons, learning the
