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“You still are close,” said Valentina, handing me the salad. “You just need to reach out to her.”

I concentrated on moving some salad to my plate to ignore the emptiness in my heart. “It isn’t the same as waking up with a mother to make me breakfast. It is more like making a supernatural phone call. I don’t even know if her voice is real or the one I’ve made up for her in my head.”

“Whichever it is, I’m sure it’s beautiful, just like your mama was.” Valentina laid her hand on my forearm and gave it a tiny squeeze.

I looked at her with a small smile and placed my hand over hers, struggling to hold back tears. My mother never would have made it to today, even if I hadn’t killed her. She would have died years ago during the birth of my sister. I clenched my eyes shut, took a deep breath, and returned Valentina’s squeeze, grateful for her presence. She was like the grandmother I never had, either. Life as the High Priestess Heir of the coven of the Blood was lonely.

“Excuse me, miss. Drinks.” The tuxedoed server stood to my left between Valentina and me, carrying a tray of drinks. His eyes squinted, focusing on the glasses as he set champagne and wine in front of me with a sigh.

“Thank you, Jason,” I said with a slight bow of my head. I dropped my eyes to my plate so I didn’t stare at his broad shoulders. He moved to Jade with her drinks and continued down the table. My eyes followed his ass as he made his way around. I smiled into my glass, admitting to myself how badlyI needed a man again, but as the plantation owner, I was technically his employer, so I would have to look elsewhere. I had gone to bed alone for too long as well.

Aunt Amara rose as the servers made their way to the kitchen, her champagne glass catching the dim light, her voice carrying the weight of centuries. “I would like to propose a toast—to Rory, who is leaving us tomorrow to complete the next leg of our coven’s journey. We don’t even know if restoring the balance is possible, but we must pray to the goddess it is. The longer the unkillable vampire walks the earth, destroying the hunters whom we have allied with, the more our loves and our fathers are in danger.” Willow and Ruby bristled beside me as Amara continued, her eyes softening. “We did not know taking a stand against the vampires would unleash a terrible curse on our coven and cause the untimely death of our High Priestess for generations to come, but today, as our High Priestess Heir sets out on this journey, we know we are one step closer to achieving our goals. Rory, we know you will return to us because our coven would be lost without you, and our mission would have failed. Return soon, my child.”

Heat rose in my cheeks as I stood, thankful for the low lighting. “If that isn’t a charge for me to follow, I don’t know what is.” I chuckled while trying to think of what to say, beyond embarrassed. “I leave you all with my love and light. Until we meet again.” I raised my glass a little higher, and the rest of the table followed.

The tension unwound from my muscles as breath trickled from my lips, though the shadows of our fate lingered, pressing against the edges of my consciousness. I wondered if the others were as tired as I was as I shoveled forkfuls of salad into my mouth. Laughter erupted from the other end of the table, drawing my attention.But my aunt only smiled at me with a slight nod, leaving me curious.

The rest of dinner went by in waves. A delicate vegetable soup and bread were the precursors to a sumptuous chicken entrée with steamed broccoli flavored with a white wine sauce. Knowing me well after working together, Jason brought me a plate with only a small serving of chicken since it was good but not my favorite. After finishing my strawberry shortcake, I set my fork on the table, my stomach stretched to capacity.

Aunt Amara glanced around the table and stood again. I clenched my jaw as she spoke, ready to retreat to the main house and my bed after such a long day. “Ladies, as always, I hope you enjoyed the feast, and I will see you at the next ritual. Blessed be.”

“Blessed be,” I muttered, relieved as our meal ended.

Everyone was welcome to stay as long as they liked—Auntie even had a few spending the night at the house. If Scarlett didn’t stop drinking like she was, she would stay whether she wanted to or not. I wouldn’t be surprised if Belladonna produced her tarot deck soon and asked who wanted to play cards. I wasn’t in the mood to stick around for the festivities tonight. I wanted to spend the time with my friend instead.

“Jade, should we go for a walk?”

She nodded, finishing her drink. “What about our bags?”

“I’ll ask Auntie if she can take them with her.” I walked to the head of the table, where Aunt Amara was talking with Lyra and Eloise. “Excuse me, Aunt Amara. Would you be able to get Jade’s and my bags? We’ll walk back to the house if that’s okay.”

Lyra’s eyes narrowed. “Do we look like we’re here to serve you?”

“Lyra, don’t speak to your future High Priestess that way,” her mother chastised her. Lyra turned away from me before Amara continued. “Certainly, dear. Just be sure you’re ready to leave in the morning.”

I kissed her cheek. “I will be. Thank you.”

“She isn’t High Priestess yet,” muttered Lyra under her breath as I turned my back on her mother. I could envision Aunt Amara shaking her head and giving Lyra the side-eye. I touched the silver disk hanging around my neck. Lyra was right that I was not the High Priestess, but I smiled at the fact she never would be. At least, not as long as I eventually produced an heir.

I reached Jade, standing on the dance floor, and smiled. “All set?”

She nodded and headed out the front door. As I followed her, stepping into the night air, the summer humidity hit me, so thick my lungs burned like I inhaled the ghost of steam from a quenched fire. The woody smell of the trees, carried on the droplets of moisture, clung to my skin. I glanced at the starlit sky one last time before lacing my arm through Jade’s and stepping with her onto the dirt path lined with trees, the Spanish moss sparkling under the night sky.

I hugged Jade a little closer as we walked over the soft path of fallen leaves. “What am I going to do without you?”

Her laughter echoed through the forest. “You’ll be fine. It’s not like I won’t call you.” She leaned her shoulder on mine. “Just be careful. I don’t want the next time I see you to be in a coffin.”

Aurora

Istretched as wide as I could. Everything around me took on a blue hue as faint rays of light filtered through the nylon of my zipped hammock. I adjusted to sit up and located my shoes tucked at the end of my sleeping bag. It was far from my usual accommodations, but being among the elements could only help me.

Yesterday was a blur of activity. I had woken up early enough to walk around the plantation, my heart content. Bits of dew dotted the grass around the historic house as I spent a few minutes feeling the air flow in and out of my lungs, hoping I didn’t screw this up.

At the appointed time, Auntie drove me to the airport. “You have your ring?” I held up my right hand. “Don’t take that off; it will protect you. Blood is the best protection there is.”

I chuckled. “You’ll have to explain that sometime since that is what they thrive off of.”

“It is what we thrive off, too, just in a different way,” she said, stoic. “It is where our magic comes from.” We drove in silence until we reached the airport curb. I alighted from the vehicle and grabbed my backpack from the back seat. It was the only thing I would have with me, but I needed very little for the surgical strike. Get in. Find the object. Get out.