Chapter 494
“That is my daughter, Jackson,” I say, pointing at Marigold again. “We agreed on this. We’re going to take her to the Goddess, ask her to fully recognize her as such. And as my daughter, she is due all of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of a Princess of Moon Valley. I don’t care if there’s no genetic connection there – I’m not going to approve of any situation in which Marigold is marked as anything different than her sisters. If they’re Princesses, then so is Marigold.”
“Ariel…” Jackson says, hesitating, not sure he can ask that of me.
“If you don’t like it then I’ll step down from my place in the line of succession,” I say, pressing a hand to my heart, meaning every word of it. “But all three of my daughters will be the same. I won’t accept anything else.”
Jackson clenches his jaw and cups my cheek in his hand, I think desperately touched by my passion on this issue, by my defense of our little girl. But he sighs a moment later, looking over to my parents, wanting their guidance. “What do you think?”
“I think the choice is yours,” dad says, looking seriously at us and nodding. “But you should be aware of all the implications. Whatever you decide, I will support you.”
Jackson turns back to me, leaving the answer in my hands.
“This is what I want,” I say, nodding at my parents and then down at our little girl. “Princess Marigold Sinclair, our eldest child and our heir. Equal in every way to her sisters.” I press a hand to my stomach, sending a pulse of warmth and determination down my new twin bonds, wanting them to know – even if they can’t understand it yet – that I’ll fight for them too, no matter what.
“All right, Ariel,” dad says, grave and a little proud. “If that’s what you’ve decided then I support you.”
I look up to give him a steady nod. But when my eyes fall on my mom, whose eyes are shining with happy tears, my face breaks into a smile. She gives me a slow nod, letting me know that she thinks I’ve done right. I sigh, relaxing against Jackson, bolstered by her faith in me. She, after all, was a little orphan girl just like our Goldie.
Her approval in this moment is all I need to know that I’ve done right by my girl.
Before any of us can say another word, the door opens and Jesse and Rafe stroll in, Midnight happily striding between them.
“Excuse me,” Jackson says, turning towards the door with a smirk. “But I was told that it’s customary to knock before entering someone’s house.”
“Oh, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jesse says, grinning and flopping himself into an arm chair before snatching up one of the glasses of whiskey from the tray on the table. “But as it’s your first time in a house, I forgive your innocence.”
“It’s true,” Rafe says, nodding sanguinely as he takes a seat on the floor next to Jesse’s chair. “The rules get bent for family. We can come and go at will.”
Jackson narrows his eyes, not sure he believes this, and Rafe just gives him a handsome smile, clearly telling him he has no choice in the matter. I grin, looking between them, quite pleased to have our entire family feel completely at home here.
Midnight steps to the edge of the couch, smiling around at everyone, about to take the final empty seat next to Jackson when my dad surprises us all by standing up.
“Don’t get so comfortable, young lady,” he says, his eyes on Marigold as he crosses his arms over his chest. “You and I need to have a word.”
Midnight’s eyes go wide as she stares up at dad. “We do?”
“Yes,” he says, nodding gravely and tilting his head towards the door. “Come on.”
Jesse moves to stand up but dad puts a hand out towards him. “If Midnight is mature enough to enroll at this school then she’s got to start to make her own decisions,” dad says.
“Why?” Jesse asks, his brows knitting. “Ariel takes Jackson everywhere for moral support and no one protests. Mids,” he says, fixing his eyes on her. “If you want me there, I’ll come along.”
“No,” she says, her voice wavering a little as she looks between Jesse and dad. “I, um…yes. I’ll come and talk to you. You’re right, I have to start…standing on my own.”
I gulp a little, thinking that Midnight has perhaps stood on her own for far too long. But still, I know dad will be kind to her, so I don’t say anything. Dad nods seriously at Midnight and heads for the door. The young woman follows him outside, her curls bouncing.
When the door shuts we all turn towards the window, watching them talk.
“Mom?” Rafe says, anxious. “What’s this about?”
“He’s telling her there’s been a rule change,” mom says quietly, likewise watching, her face as anxious as the rest of us. “Starting this fall, girls will be allowed to enroll in Alpha Academy if they can rank highly enough as a candidate, the same as any boy.”
I gasp in delight, spinning my head to grin at her.
Mom takes a moment to flash a little smile at me before turning her eyes back to the window. “Yes, we talked about it at length and we believe it’s right. The girls of Moon Valley can offer as much to our military as the boys. But,” she says on a sigh, her tone dropping, “he’s also telling Midnight that while her gender is acceptable, her connection to Darkness is not.”
My heart drops, dread filling me as I realize the meaning behind her words.
Jesse groans, ducking his head into his hands.
“Shit,” Rafe says on a sigh, shaking his head. “Midnight is…not going to like that.”
His words are proved correct an instant later as Midnight bursts into tears. Dad sighs and pulls the girl into a hug, holding her through her difficult emotions, looking through the window towards all of us with a grave expression.
I knock softly on my bedroom door, biting my lip, worried for Midnight. She and Jesse have been in there alone for about an hour now, talking things through. Mom and dad have left, headed back to the Capital on the night train.
Jackson, Marigold, and Rafe watch me from the living room, the remains of dinner spread out over our little coffee table. When no response comes from my knock I shrug at them, not knowing what to do. Rafe waves his fingers at me, clearly telling me to try again.
“Mids?” I call, again knocking softly. “Um, can I come in?”
There’s a pause. “It’s your room, Ariel,” comes a bitter little voice. “You can do whatever you want.”
I sigh and twist the doorknob, pushing open the door and peeking inside.
Jesse and Midnight are both sitting on the bed, her pressed up against the headboard and him seated at the bottom, his legs curled up beneath him. I sigh, seeing the misery and confusion in both of them, and step into the room, leaning back against the door to press it shut.
“What’s going on?” I ask softly, looking between them.
“Jesse’s trying to talk me into giving away all my powers,” Midnight says, glaring at Jesse and pointing an accusing finger at him.
“Oh, I am not,” Jesse says, sighing deeply and raising his eyes to me. “It’s been…contentious.”
I nod, understanding and crossing to the bed, climbing onto it to sit between them. Jesse turns more fully towards me so that we make a neat little triangle.
“What are you thinking, Midnight?” I ask softly, wanting her full opinion.
“I’m thinking that it’s a bad choice either way,” she grumbles, crossing her arms and sinking back into the pillows. “If I let you clear my darkness and take my powers then the nice professor won’t want me to be his spy student anymore, because I’ll be useless. And if I keep them, then King Dominic says I can’t be in the school anyway!” Her voice gets squeaky with grief on the final words and my heart wrenches for her.
“And what I am trying to say,” Jesse says, a bit between his teeth. “Is that she doesn’t even know how many of her powers are tied to her corruption. It’s very likely that she was gifted powers as a child that have nothing to do with it! But she won’t even talk to me about trying to find out –“
“I wont be made useless!” Midnight hisses, leaning forward to glare at Jesse. “I won’t just be some tiny, powerless girl! I won’t do it!”
My heart twists again at the fear that underlies her words, the true vulnerability there. And I understand, instantly, what she means. Midnight’s powers are all that Darkness celebrated her for, as well as her value as Jesse’s mate. Without the powers…she will feel as small and defenseless as Darkness always told her she was.
“So what do we do?” I whisper, looking between them.
“Go talk to your dad,” Midnight snaps, turning her eyes to glare at me as she pulls a pillow onto her lap, hugging it to her chest. “He always does whatever you want.”
I sigh, heaving a shrug. “Unfortunately, I agree with him here, Mids. It’s too dangerous to have you enrolled in school if Darkness has a hold on you.”
“But he’s in that egg!” she bites out, frustrated.
“Is he still?” I ask, turning to Jesse, who just shrugs, clearly exhausted and without information on that.
“Midnight,” I say softly, reaching for her hand. “What if…there was a way to find out which parts of your powers would disappear if we removed the corruption? What it would feel like to have your wolf free of all that muck?”
She pauses, narrowing her eyes at me, suspicious. But when Jesse and I don’t say a word, letting her process the question, she drops her eyes. “If it didn’t do anything permanent,” she murmurs. “I guess…it would be good to have the information.”
“Okay, well,” I say quietly, reaching for Jesse’s hand. “Why don’t we…have a look?”
“What do you mean?” Midnight asks, anxious, leaning away from me as Jesse slips his hand against mine. “What…what are you going to do to me?”
“I’m not going to do anything, Midnight,” I say quietly, holding her gaze steadily with my own. “I promise – not until you ask me. But we could take a look into your soul, perhaps? See what we discover?” I hold my hand out to her too.
“Please, Mids,” Jesse says, leaning towards her, pressing a hand to his heart. “I promise you can trust us. But Ariel’s right – we have to…try to figure out whatever we can.”
Midnight goes very still for a moment before she sighs and reaches out, slipping her palm against my own.
I nod to her once, assuring her I’ll keep my promise, before we all close our eyes and slip mentally down to that soul-deep realm where our wolves live.
