Page 66 of Wicked Ends

“Their child?” Drake looks stricken. “Abigail was carrying Sebastian’s child when she made the deal?”

“It appears so.” I close the diary. “Sebastian believed the Crescent Moon Coven threatened her, forced her into the agreement. Others say she chose it willingly for the protection it offered her family. The truth is likely somewhere in between.”

Soren whistles low. “So Ash is trying to reclaim what his ancestor lost. Rose’s bloodline was meant to be joined with his all along.”

“That’s one interpretation,” I concede reluctantly.

Drake paces the room, agitated. “This doesn’t tell us his intentions now. Whether he actually cares for Rose or is just using her to fulfill some centuries-old vendetta.”

“I’ve seen how he looks at her,” Soren says. “That’s not just ambition.”

I scoff. “You’re an incubus. You see desire everywhere.”

“Yes, and I’m rarely wrong about it.” Soren leans back, crossing his ankles. “Besides, have you noticed how her magic has changed since he started training her?”

Drake stops pacing. “It’s stronger. Much stronger. And she has more control And...” he hesitates, “I’m more able to be here than I’ve ever been. Whatever she’s doing with her magic, it’s working.”

This gives me pause. Rose’s increased magical ability is undeniable, as is Drake’s more permanent manifestation.

“I’ve noticed something else,” Soren adds. “She’s more centered. Before, her emotions were all over the place, understandablegiven everything she’s been through. But lately, even with the threat of Jasmine hanging over all of us, she seems more balanced.”

“You think that’s because of Ash?” I ask skeptically.

“I think it’s because of all of us,” Soren replies. “Each of us gives her something she needs. Safety. Tenderness. Pleasure and diversion.” He grins wickedly at that last part. “And Ash challenges her. Pushes her to be stronger.”

“Or pushes her toward danger,” I counter.

“Has it occurred to either of you,” Drake interjects, “that maybe Ash genuinely cares for her? That this isn’t just about bloodlines and ancient feuds?”

“It’s crossed my mind,” Soren admits. “Though it complicates things considerably.”

I shake my head. “His coven is in tatters. He lost almost everything when Helena staged her coup, and he’s the leader of something that’s now almost powerless. Like a dragon without wings, fangs or fire. Rose is his only remaining connection to power.”

“Or his only remaining connection, period,” Drake argues. “Loss can change people. Make them see what truly matters.”

“Poetic, but completely naïve.”

“Is it?” Drake challenges. “Look at us—a vampire, a ghost, and an incubus—all changed by our connection to one stubborn witch. Are we so different from Ash?”

“We don’t own her blood contract,” I remind him sharply.

Soren holds up his hands. “Gentlemen, let’s not forget the immediate problem. Jasmine is consuming witches. Two people are already missing. Whatever Ash’s motivations, he warned us about that.”

“Convenient timing,” I mutter.

“Or he’s genuinely concerned for Rose’s safety,” Drake counters.

“Both can be true,” Soren points out. “Humans are complex, and Ash is human. A warlock but a human.

I’m about to respond when the door opens without warning. Rose stands in the threshold, her expression shifting from surprise to understanding as she takes in the three of us.

“Well,” she says, crossing her arms. “This looks like a fun little meeting.”

None of us speaks for a moment, caught out like schoolboys planning mischief.

Drake finally breaks the silence. “We were just?—”

“Talking about me?” She steps inside, closing the door behind her. “And Ash, I’m guessing.”