Chapter 151

Violet’s POV

“Wait – you have seven aunts?” Theo exclaimed. We had settled on the far side of the middle table next to a bowl of boren mushrooms that my husband was favoring. I tucked that little preference into my mind for future use.

“Six aunts,” I chuckled at his incredulity as I corrected him. “Mom was the seventh sister.”

“And I thought one brother was one too many,” he muttered, then stiffened as he realized people had heard him.

Marcy laughed. “I’m glad you said it! In your case, I think you’re right.”

Theo’s shoulders loosened, but his discomfort was palpable – especially with my senses heightened by the magic.

“Marcy’s mom, Alythe, is the oldest. She’s over there by the cake,” I pointed to my aunt with white hair.

Turning in my seat, I motioned behind us to my aunt whose hair was more salt and pepper. “Followed by Aunt Prynne…”

I turned forward to the two aunts we’d been conversing with for the better part of an hour. “Aunt Morraine, Aunt Belnik, then the High Priestess, who you know.”

I took a heavy breath. This next part never got easier.

“The twins were the youngest: Mom and Aunt Enya. They were the only two to move into our borders.” I forced a smile that Theo saw right through.

He softened his tone as he asked, “Your mom’s twin passed, too?”

I gave a short nod as everyone who could hear us paused in remembrance. “They went together. Executed for their magic.”

Theo’s brows furrowed. “Executed? But the Unlawful Magic Charter states magic wielders will be punished with expulsion across the border.”

Marcy leaned forward, the weight of her words leaning the table toward her. “And what does your bloody charter list as the consequence for citizens who decide to punish magic wielders as they see fit before they can flee back to the safety of Henosis?”

Theo’s face drew pale in understanding as he turned my way, but his eyes twisted with rage at the injustice. “You said your mother was killed by rogues.”

“Rogues on your side of the border,” Marcy emphasized. “It does not matter that your territories rejected them. They are within your borders, so they are your responsibility.”

“They are King Owen’s responsibility,” I corrected as I placed a hand on my mate’s thigh. “Theo is not the enemy, Mar.”

“No,” Theo took my hand on his thigh, “she’s right. My entire life, I’ve been trying to convince my brother that I didn’t want to take the crown from him. It never occurred to me what atrocities leaving him in power made me an accomplice to.”

Theo’s eyes closed briefly in defeat. When he opened them, his gaze set on mine was full of determination. “It’s time I change that.”

Marcy slapped a hand on the table with a grin, sloshing every drink in a four-person radius. “I’ll drink to that!”

Of course, my raucous family cheered all around the barn even though most of them had no idea what they were cheering for. Marcy reached for a carafe of wine, refilling every glass she could reach, including mine.

“Don’t give wine to Violet, Marcy!” Aunt Belnik chided.

“Why not?” I asked. Of course I couldn’t drink since I was pregnant, but no one knew that, and I couldn’t imagine why else I shouldn’t be included.

Marcy immediately stiffened, sending an apologetic look toward Aunt Belnik, who in turn back-pedaled poorly. “Oh, no, of course you can have wine. So, Theo, do you have any siblings?”

The awful attempt at a change in topic fell flat since everyone already knew the answer to her question. She realized it quickly and hid her face in her hands.

I couldn’t believe it.

Auntie strolled behind them, and I took advantage of the timing to chastise her – lovingly of course. “You told them I’m pregnant?” My damn family couldn’t keep a secret to save their lives.

Auntie stopped in her tracks to give me a bemused smile. “No, but I think you just did.”

I widened my eyes at Marcy and my aunts across the table from me.

“By the Goddess, Violet,” Marcy bellowed, “we could smell it on ya the second you got out of the car!”

I sighed in defeat as they erupted in laughter.

See what I mean? I shared through my bond with Theo. Heightened senses for everything.

He tucked me into his shoulder with a smile as he responded in my mind. That could make it hard to keep secrets from enemies. I wonder if that’s why my father outlawed magic.

I happened to agree with Theo’s theory.

After that, word spread pretty quickly that the cat was out of the bag, and every family member found their way over to congratulate us on the baby. It was a relief and a gift, and it wasn’t long before I was tearing up.

I hadn’t realized how torturous it had been not to celebrate such a joyful thing openly with people I cared about. Theo kissed my forehead where the band was shattered but still glowed, and he gently caressed my belly where the promise of our future quietly beat within me. We shared a glance, and I could tell how much he needed this celebration, too.

Eventually, Theo and I made our way around the entire building. I made him at least smell every food item being offered.

We could not possibly have tasted all of them. Even one bite of every dish would have amounted to several meals.

Theo moaned in gastronomic pleasure. “I have all of these exact same ingredients at home thanks to Bennett’s deliveries, but it never tastes this good.” I laughed, delighted by how much he was enjoying himself.

He swallowed another bite, despite having protested that he was “too full” several times already. I wiped a crumb from the corner of his mouth.

“So the High Priestess,” he wrapped an arm around my waist, “what’s her name?”

I kissed his chin. “There is only one High Priest and High Priestess at a time, none of whom are held in higher esteem than the last. They are stripped of their names upon their appointment.”

“So that’s why you all just call her ‘Auntie’?” I nodded in confirmation. “And you said Aunt Alythe is Marcy’s mom, but Marcy looks identical to the High Priestess.”

I smiled sweetly. This was a part of our family history that I loved sharing.

“Aunt Alythe was born unable to conceive, and Auntie had always wanted the experience of being pregnant but knew she couldn’t have children and follow her calling to the temple. She birthed Marcy in service of her sister before committing herself to the Goddess.”

Theo’s eyes glassed at my story, and he tucked me closer to him to kiss the top of my head. “You take care of each other,” he concluded.

I nodded into his chest.

“I’d like to be part of a family that takes care of each other,” he whispered in my ear.

I pulled back to look in his eyes. My heart broke for his pain of having never known family like that, then it swelled at the gratitude shining from him that we were already creating that family of our own.

Laughter behind me pulled Theo’s attention over my shoulder, and movement in front of me called mine.

Theo chuckled at whatever he was witnessing, but I froze in confusion and fear at the sight of my father.