Page 18 of Dead End (Crossroads Queen #9)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

I set the table with my best plates, which basically meant the only four plates that matched and weren’t chipped that I purchased at Goran’s favorite thrift store. I was Melinoe—goddess of ghosts, nightmares, and bargain shopping.

“Would you mind skimming the moat when you get a chance? It has a layer of dead bugs.” Thanks to my burgeoning belly, my equilibrium was no longer reliable. With my luck, I’d land facedown in the water and the force of that splash might just relieve the moat of all its water.

From behind me, Kane’s arms slid around my waist to cradle my stomach. “A shame Goran isn’t cursed anymore. We could’ve let him go to town on the moat.”

“I’m pretty sure Goran prefers his new habitat.” The former Slavic vodyanoy was now the proud owner of the Devil’s Playground and was living his best life in Kane’s old lair. He and Alessandro had become best buddies whose favorite pastime was tormenting Josie.

Kane spun me around to face him and planted a kiss on my lips. “And I prefer mine.”

“I’m glad. I thought you might miss the lair. ”

He gave my backside an affectionate squeeze. “I have everything I want right here.”

I patted my stomach. “I think you might have gotten more than you bargained for.”

“Oh, I did. And I still can’t believe my luck.” His kiss didn’t stay tender for long. “My wife has never looked sexier.” He lifted me off the floor like I was weightless and sat me on the table.

“I think you have the wrong spread in mind, husband.”

His lips worked their way to my collarbone. “We can move the plates.”

“Are you trying to get me pregnant again? Because I hate to break the news, but this one is still marinating.”

“We’re a goddess and a demon. Who knows what we’re capable of?”

I eased off the table. “Down, demon. Save the lust for later. My parents will be here any minute, and I don’t think Hades will appreciate a front row seat to his daughter’s sex life.” That simple phrase took my breath away.

My parents. Here.

“You make an excellent point.” Kane kissed me one more time. “Should we ask Claude to skim the moat?”

“Good idea. Any idea where he is?”

“I haven’t seen him in a couple hours.” Kane opened the cupboard. “We’re low on red wine. Should I run to the store for a bottle of Malbec? That seems to be your mother’s favorite.”

“We have a bottle of Syrah behind the whisky.”

“Where? I don’t see it.”

Claude sprang from the edge of the counter to the shelf and squeezed between bottles. He emerged a moment later with the bottle of Syrah.

Kane accepted the wine with a slight nod. “Thank you, Claude. ”

I regarded the revenant. “Would you mind giving the moat a quick skim before my parents arrive? I don’t want to be judged.”

Claude jumped to the floor and skittered out of the kitchen. I didn’t have to ask him twice to do anything. Although I missed the ghosts, it was nice to have Claude around.

“Your parents won’t judge you for a few mosquitoes in your moat,” Kane said. “They’re just thrilled to be in your life.”

And I was equally thrilled I was in theirs.

“At least we have no extra guests this week,” I said.

Kane chuckled. “I don’t think your parents enjoyed last week’s dinner with Cagn.”

“It didn’t help that he decided to shift into a praying mantis in the middle of the meal.”

Kane bit back a smile. “Yes, he should’ve had the decency to wait until dessert.”

Ever since the destruction of The Corporation, the Castle had garnered a reputation as a Home for Wayward Gods. Any deity that required sanctuary or a peaceful space to regroup and rebuild their lives was welcome here. There were rules, of course, and, unlike with Ray and Nana Pratt, I stuck to them. Nobody wanted a rain god using his powers indoors. After all, boundaries don’t exist to keep others out; when done correctly, they enable you to let them in.

I heard the beginning of Heart and Soul as Claude took a detour to the library on his way outside. The baby grand piano had been a wedding gift from Otto. He claimed to have bought it for a song at auction, pun intended. I wasn’t convinced, but I accepted the instrument with gratitude. Claude had taken to the piano like a vodyanoy to pond scum. Kane and I took turns playing, although the demon would be the first to concede that I had more talent in my two pinkies than he had in all his fingers—at least when it came to tickling the ivories.

Our evenings were often filled with singing and dancing. Memories of my grandparents merged with my own. Ray once told me that a person is far more likely to retain a memory when it’s tied to an emotion, which made sense in my experience. Dancing in Kane’s arms as I gazed into his whisky-colored eyes… I knew a core memory when I felt one.

The doorbell rang. I planted a quick kiss on Kane’s lips and ran to greet my parents.

My father stood on the porch, cradling a small dog in his arms. “I believe I have something that belongs to you.”

My hands flew to my hips. “Spedo, where were you?”

“He dug a hole by the fence. I think he’s making another escape attempt.”

“He’s a ball of mischief. We should’ve named him Aite.” I took the dog from him and held him up for inspection. “Muddy paws. Dirt encrusted nose.” I planted a kiss on his head. “Yep. This is our dog.”

Following the dismantling of The Corporation, his Lar had opted to fade to nothingness, leaving Spedo without an anchor. Kami brought him to the Castle ‘for a visit.’ It had yet to end.

I set Spedo on the floor, and he immediately rolled onto his back, expecting a belly rub.

“You’ve spoiled him,” my mother said, giving my cheek a peck. She slipped out of her jacket and hung it on the coatrack.

I looked at the dog with his splayed limbs and lolling tongue. “Impossible,” I said.

My mother held up a glass container. “I brought dessert.”

I peered under the lid. “Is that sticky toffee pudding?”

“I brought cream, too, in case you don’t have any. ”

“I had to go to two stores to find heavy cream,” my father lamented. “Is there some new recipe that’s gone viral?”

“It’s the season,” I said.

“Speaking of which, your azaleas will need pruning soon,” my mother said. “I can help with that if you’d like.”

“I would love that. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

My mother laughed gaily. “Mind? Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed nature? I’m the daughter of Demeter. I’m never happier than when I’m digging in dirt.” She smiled at my father. “Almost never happier,” she amended.

“I didn’t inherit my grandmother’s affinity for the earth,” I said.

My mother sighed, although there was a lightness to it. “Your father’s genes are strong.”

The timer on the microwave clock beeped. “Dinner’s nearly ready.” I hurried to the oven to remove the dish and let it rest.

Kane poured the wine and invited them to sit at the table.

My father noticed the ancient computer on the counter. “You still haven’t moved that contraption?”

“I’ll get around to it eventually.” I wasn’t in a huge rush. Every time I walked into the kitchen, I pictured Ray hunched over the computer.

Kane raised a glass. “Thank you both for coming. Cheers.”

“Cheers.” My father clinked his glass against Kane’s. “It’s Sunday. Where else would we be?”

Regular Sunday dinners with my family. I could’ve wept; it was all so wonderfully ordinary .

“Have you settled on a name yet?” my mother asked, for what had to be the fiftieth time since I announced my pregnancy.

“Sage and West have respectfully asked us to avoid Thaddeus,” I said. The couple was expecting their second child in June, which meant we’d beat them to the punch .

“Phaedra is pushing for Hazel for a girl,” Kane said. “That’s a no for me.”

“That’s very pretty,” my mother said, “but probably better suited to a witch.”

I patted my round belly. “I think Auntie Phaedra has big plans to teach this baby everything she knows.”

“Well, I, for one, am very fond of traditional names,” my father said.

“What’s considered traditional to a god?” Kane asked.

“Rhea for a girl. Atlas for a boy.”

My mother gave his hand a playful smack. “Sweetheart, she can’t name her child after a Titan. What would the rest of the family say?”

“Do you think our grandchild should have a name like Aubrey or Charlee with two ‘e’s?” He sounded outraged by the prospect.

“You’ll be pleased to know neither Aubrey nor Charlee with two ‘e’s are under consideration,” I said.

“Aha!” my mother said. “Then you do have a list of names.”

I tapped my temple. “Up here.”

Kane gave my foot a gentle nudge under the table. My gaze met his. Are you sure? it asked. He nodded.

“We’d like to name the baby after Pops if we have a boy, and Matilda for a girl,” I said, “but we won’t make a final decision until the baby is born.”

Pops would be touched if he knew. Matilda would shrug it off, all the while being secretly pleased. In quieter moments, I already referred to the baby as Matilda because I knew deep in my bones she was a girl. The child with black hair and whisky-colored eyes had haunted my dreams for a long time, ever since the night Kane had broken free from Lucifer. I was convinced that was the pivotal moment this child became—not conceived—but possible .

My mother clapped, giddy with relief. “Those are lovely names. I wholeheartedly approve.”

“I would’ve preferred something stronger for a boy like Magnus or Orion.”

The table bumped as my mother’s foot made swift contact with my father’s leg.

“But your names are nice, too,” my father added quickly.

My mother clutched her chest. “Your father and I feel so fortunate for the opportunity to be both parents and grandparents. You have no idea.”

“I had some idea when I saw your collection of mugs,” I teased. Every single one made reference to being a parent or grandparent. ‘Number 1 Grandma,’ ‘Rad Dad,’ and ‘Mom Life.’ It made me smile every time I thought of it.

“Any interest in taking a hike through Wild Acres later?” my mother asked. “Exercise is good for you and the baby. I used to walk with you every day as part of my routine.”

My head bobbed with enthusiasm. “I’ll need to walk off all the sticky toffee pudding I’m planning to eat.”

“I hope we don’t run into any werewolves,” my father said. “They still seem wary around us.”

“They sense your power, that’s all,” I said. “They’ll get used to you eventually.” These things took time, as I knew firsthand.

“Perhaps we could play a game of Scrabble first, then go for a hike,” my father suggested. “I do enjoy our game nights.”

“If we play Scrabble with you, there won’t be time for a hike,” my mother replied. “You take forever to decide on words.”

“Because there are so many wonderful ones to choose from.” He glanced at his side. “That reminds me, I need to call Otto. We’re supposed to play chess again this week.”

“I’m glad the two of you are getting along. ”

“How can you not appreciate Otto? He’s extremely knowledgeable for a vampire.”

“Maybe leave out the ‘for a vampire’ part next time,” I advised.

My mother swallowed another mouthful of food. “This is delicious, sweetheart. Another one of Nana Pratt’s recipes?”

I nodded. “I’m making my way through the recipes she left.”

My mother sampled the wine. “I’m so glad she was able to be helpful to you when you were all alone.”

“I wasn’t alone, Mom.” Not since the moment I arrived in Fairhaven. It started with allowing Ray and Nana Pratt to stay and snowballed from there. One dent in my armor led to another and then another, until the whole suit collapsed in a heap at my feet.

No regrets.

“I miss Cerberus,” my father said. “Your mother and I have been considering adopting a dog.”

“There’s an animal shelter in town,” I said. “Just say the word.”

“That reminds me, Hestia sent more books for your library,” my mother said.

“Any in English this time?” I asked. Aunt Hestia’s most recent shipment included a story carved in stone.

“I’m not sure. There is one that Kane might find of interest, though. A first edition of Dante’s Inferno .”

I gave her a wry smile. “I don’t think Kane needs to read that particular book.”

“Why not?” my father asked. “I enjoy reading books about Greek mythology when I’m in the mood for a good laugh.”

“I have no interest in reliving the circles of hell, in fiction or in reality,” Kane said.

“You don’t think you’ll ever change your mind?” my father asked. “If Dantalion grows weary of his leadership role, you won’t feel tempted to step in and relieve him?”

“No,” Kane said. There was no mistaking the finality in his tone.

“Do you think you’ll ever want to take the throne again?” I asked my parents.

“Only on a part-time basis and not anytime soon,” my mother replied.

My father sat back in his chair, reflective. “I honestly don’t know.” He joined hands with my mother and me. “Right now, I’m just enjoying dinner with my family.”

I looked around the table and let the overwhelming sense of contentment settle. “Me too.”