Chapter 497
Chapter 497- Bonded Power E
I give Ariel onest kiss for luck and exhale a deep breath, focusing my eyes on Henry as I lean back
against my mate, who wraps a supportive arm around me.
“Actually, E,” Cora says, and my eyes dart to her. She smiles and me from across the couch, her
arms wrapped around her baby on herp. ” I’m the one who has news first.”
“Oh,” I say, my eyes going wide as I shift a little to direct my attention to her now. “I’m sorry, I didn’t
know – ”
She shakes her head, dismissing my apology as Rogeres to perch on the arm of the couch behind
her. She reaches up a hand and he takes it, giving her a little squeeze.
“Um, we contacted mom this morning,” she says quietly, apology all over her face. “To…to ask about
what the Dark God could have possibly been up to. I’m sorry we did it without you – I know you would
have wanted to be there -”
“No,” I breathe, even though I am a little disappointed. “I mean, I wouldn’t have been able to see her
anyway, right?”
“Yeah,” she says, cocking her head to the side. “Unless we go to the temple, it is sort of a…one-on-one
experience, isn’t it?”
“But we can go,” Sinir murmurs behind me, supportive, “if we don’t get the answers you need – ”
“It’s okay,” I say, nodding to everyone around the room. “I get it – you don’t need to be so gentle with
me. I waspletely knocked out from giving birth and we needed information fast. It’s okay. So…” I
flick my fingers at my sister, smiling at her. “Please, divulge. I’m dying to know.”
“Well,” Cora says,ughing a little and ncing up at Roger. “Mom was not happy to hear that her
boyfriend visited you.”
“Really?” I gasp, a little delighted at the immortal gossip.
“Really,” Cora confirms, her eyes going wide as a grin overtakes her face. “She figured that he knew
about you, but she had no idea that he’d go so far as to bestow a gift on the baby behind her back.”
“Behind her back,” I repeat, shaking my head. “Wow. So? Did she say it was… dangerous?”
“She said that he didn’t have the balls to go that far,” Cora says,ughing and giving a little shrug. “Or,
well, those weren’t her precise words – but that was the sentiment. That he’s just trying to get her
attention and let her know that he’s pissed – but that he knows better than to truly mess with her
lineage.”
“So,” I say, looking down at little Ariel whoys cuddled in my arms, drowsy but idly kicking her little
feet. “It really was a gift?”
“Mom doesn’t know what it was,” Cora says, shaking her head. “But she… she said she can’t make him
take it back, Ells. That immortal gifts they’re not like…presents you can return or regift. They be
part of us.”
“That makes sense,” I sigh, hoisting my baby up closer. “Well, at least we know it’s not…bad.”
“Which doesn’t mean it’s good,” Sinir grumbles behind me. Clearly, he wanted better news.
“There is some precedence,” Henry says, leaning forward in his chair and studying the baby as best he
can. “The texts are old, but there are some that report on gifts given by both the Goddess and the Dark
Lord. What is interesting is that they seem to be reliable – there is one text in particr that speaks of a
Goddess-given gift of healing that sounds quite a bit like yours, E,” he says, raising his eyebrows at
me.
“Oh,” I say, perking up a little. “Well, that’s interesting. Would I be able to read that?”
“I’ll have it tranted,” Henry says nodding, “and sent to you as soon as possible.”
“And what were some of the ‘gifts’ the Dark God has given?” Sinir asks, his voice heavy and dubious
on the word ” gift.”
“He doesn’t give everyday gifts like the Goddess does – her interests have always been more
domestic, forck of a better word. She deals with the heart and the home – assigning mates, healing
the body, changing the weather to ensure good crops.” He nods to Cora and I as he lists our gifts and I
turn my head, because he’s right – while Cora and I have used them in much different ways, they do
seem to be gifts that could be used to build a family and keep it safe in hard times.
“And the dark god?” Sinir presses, his voice a little annoyed in his anxiety now.
“He,” Henry says, shifting his eyes to his son now, “prefers…more sweeping magics. Not things that
can or should be used every day. Things that…change the world.”
A shiver runs through me at this and I find myself holding my breath as I look down at my little girl.
“Change the world?” Sinir asks, going tense behind me.
“The text reports that he once gave a man the gift of eclipse, allowing him to hold the moon’s shadow
before the sun for days on end, only relenting when his enemies copsed to his demands.”
We all go silent and still at this.
After a long moment, only Roger is bold enough to break the quiet of the room.
“What the hell, Ariel,” he breathes, leaning forward to stare at his niece.
A ridiculous littleugh bursts at me from this, and I shake my head as Cora and Sinir and then
Henry start tough as well. I shake my head at my brother-inw, so grateful for him and his strange
sense of humor, which revealed itself sote in the game.
“Seriously,” Roger says, sitting up straight and running his hand through his hair, looking at his niece
with wide eyes. “She’s the littlest of all of us but it sounds like she’s going to have some serious power.”
“Well, we don’t know it’s going to be something like that,” I sigh, rolling my eyes and trying to shake the
tension out of my shoulders. “It could be… something smaller. Maybe he’s just trying to get under
mom’s skin.”
“Or up her skirt,” Roger murmurs, and I grin as Cora turns to smack him for speaking such sphemy
about our mother and a deity. Roger just wrinkles his nose at Cora as he grins and grabs his arm
where she hit him, pretending that the blow stung when it clearly did not.
“So, Ariel is clearly the most powerful wolf amongst us,” I say with a sigh, propping her up a little in my
arms so she can look around at the family. “So, she is the Alpha now.” Ariel, betraying my confidence,
just gives a sleepy little mew, her eyelids fluttering shut as she snuggles back into my arm.
Coraughs and I feel a little pulse of pride and pleasure down my bond with Sinir.
“At least it means she’ll be able to stand up to her brother and her cousin,” Roger says, looking
between the boys – Rafe toddling around on the floor and Jesse in Cora’s arms. “Though …none of
them are very impressive just yet.”
“Do you think?” I ask, looking around at the group. “Does it…I mean, they all have gifts from mom,
right? But will her being strong make the boys strong – through their bonds or something?”
“I don’t know,” Henry says, tilting his head and considering his grandchildren with interest.
“But,” Sinir says, clearly thinking it through as he talks, “that’s not how bonds work, right? I mean,
Cora and E are blessed with Goddess gifts, but Roger and I aren’t any stronger for it.”
I click my tongue, offended, and turn to re at my mate over my shoulder. ” Excuse me, Dominic, but
you have benefited many times from my gift – ”
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“Yes, darling,” he says, rolling his eyes a little and shaking his head, “but you know what I mean. We
aren’t physically stronger, or gifted ourselves.”
“True,” Cora says, looking between the two of them. “But…both of us did bond to extremely powerful
Alpha wolves who just happen to be brothers “Baby,” Roger says, interrupting and beaming down at
her, pressing a hand to his heart. “That is…the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me -”
“It’s just a fact, Roger,” she sighs, rolling her eyes, making meugh.
“You think I’m powerful, and tough,” he whispers, sliding down the couch’s arm to squeeze in behind
her, wrapping his arms around her and Jesse both, rocking them back and forth. Jesse squeaks and
laughs as Cora tries to hold her ownughter back. “You’re amazed with me
“Oh god,” she sighs, even though her grin. “I take it back – ”
“Never, I’ll treasure this moment my whole life – ”
I’m shaking withughter even as Sinir raises his voice to cut through it.
“As amazing as this breakthrough is for the two of you,” he says, his voice not without humor, “what’s
your point, Cora?”
“I don’t know,” she sighs, leaning contentedly back against Roger, who sweetly presses a kiss to her
neck. “Just that perhaps there’s more to these bonds than just raw power being passed between them.
I mean, I don’t think it’s really a chance that E and I figured out we’re sisters and ended up with
brothers. We’re…kind of a powerful foursome, when we put our minds to it.”
I nod, considering that maybe Cora is right. That perhaps it’s less about the bonds themselves and
instead what they create inbination.
“And those three,” Cora continues, gesturing between the children, ” they’re already bonded to each
other, each with a goddess gift. And then Ariel with a Dark gift as well?” She shrugs. “I think, in
combination, they could be… formidable.”
“Future of our nation, right here,” I say quietly, leaning to again kiss my little girl and reach out a hand to
my son, who I suddenly want quite close. ” Whatever gifts they have, I hope they can be convinced to
use them to protect themselves first, and then our people after that.”
Quietly, my family nods as we look around at each other. Because our familyes first – but our
nation?
These children are going to have a huge role in it. I hold my breath a little, praying inwardly that we can
raise them to be strong enough to use their gifts for good.
“Actually,” Henry says, making us all turn to him in surprise. “There’s some precedence there as well.”
And my eyebrows nearly shoot into my hairline. More news today?
I settle back against my mate, ready again to listen.