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Sierra fluttered over to me and landed in my lap, carrying a plate full of freshly-baked cookies with her.

“So once Mordon thinks about it and realizes that, he’ll settle for my body,” I continued. “He’s so arrogant, he’ll think he can just snatch Sierra later on, once she’s fully grown. Of course he won’t be doing any snatching later because he’ll be dead.”

“Dead,” Sierra agreed, pounding her fist on the table. “Bad man dead.”

“Ok,” Basanti said slowly. “So let’s say that Mordon does indeed go for it. What if you aren’t able to maintain control over your body?”

“I will,” I told her.

“You are really that confident about your bond to Nero?” Li asked.

“Yes,” I declared, taking Nero’s hand.

Li looked at Harker, his brow furrowing. “Are her plans always this insane?”

“Oh, yes,” Harker said brightly, taking the cookie Sierra had offered him. “Cooking up totally insane plans with no chance of success and yet they always do—that’s kind of Leda’s specialty.”

“Well, when you put it like that,” Li said, frowning, “it doesn’t really inspire much confidence.”

“Guys, listen,” I said, sinking a lot of power into my voice.

Everyone at the very large table stopped talking and looked at me.

Now that I had their attention, I continued, “This isn’t just about me and Nero and our connection. It’s about my connection toallof you. It’s about my bond to each and every one of you. All of the friends and family I’ve picked up along the way during this crazy, magical journey. That’s why I asked you all here, to this dinner table.”

I drew my knife, cutting my wrist. My blood dripped down into the big goblet in front of me.

Ivy gaped at me. “Uh, what are you doing, Leda?”

“I’m reaffirming my connection to all of you,” I said. “And I want you to share my love. I want you to drink with me.”

“That’s, uh…nice,” Drake said, watching my blood drip into the goblet. “So what are we drinking? Besides your blood, I mean. Wine?”

“No, not wine. It’s fruit juice,” I told him.

Aerilyn’s sigh was epic. “How disappointing.”

“Yeah,” Tessa agreed. “I was hoping for something with a little more kick.”

“Yeah, well, too bad because you’re getting fruit juice. Some of you are underage.” I looked at Sierra.

My daughter reached out for the goblet, her face determined. She might have been young, but she was very smart. She knew exactly what I was asking of everyone—and exactly what was at stake.

I passed the goblet to her, then tapped my wrist to heal it. “You’re all connected to me, no matter where I go,” I said as Sierra drank. “So we might as well make it official with a blood bond. But only if you want to. Blood bonds are serious business, so only drink if you’re absolutely sure.”

Sierra carefully passed Zane the cup. “Drink, Uncle Zane,” she said in her cute, commanding voice. It probably helped that her t-shirt read:I’m the boss.

Zane looked at the goblet, then chuckled. “Fruit juice à la Leda. Hey, why not?” He drank, then passed it down the line to Aerilyn.

“I’m in,” my cousin told me. “Let’s just hope you taste better than you look, Leda.” She winked at me. Aerilyn lifted the cup to her lips and drank. Surprise flashed in her eyes. “Whoa, I have to say you taste pretty damn good.” She actually looked reluctant to pass the goblet to Calli, but she did it anyway.

Calli lifted it in the air. “I’m with you, Leda.”

I smiled at her, tears stinging my eyes. “You always have been.”

Calli passed the goblet to General Silverstar. “We are with you to the end,” he declared, then drank.

Damiel came next and then Cadence. And then it was Sunfire’s turn.