71. Second Chances

[Mercy]

"I've been waiting, searching for the perfect moment, but there never seems to be one. If I keep waiting for a time I think is right, it will never come. Mercy Krysanthe Roberts, will you marry me?" Alaric asked, kneeling on the grass outside of the car, his gray eyes locked onto mine, searching mine as he spoke.

"Yes, of course!" I gasped, jumping out of the car and into his arms, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as he lifted me up and spun me around. I giggled when he set me down, pulling him to lean down so I could kiss him. "I love you so much. You know that?"

"I love you more, kitten." He said with a grin, then sighed as he motioned for me to sit back in the passenger seat, crossing around to sit in the driver's seat so we could continue forward. "I suppose I could have waited until we were on the jet. Now I'm restless, so much so, that sitting down is pure torture."

"I don't think the jet is going to be much better, babe. You're still stuck in one place until we land."

"Yes, I'm aware," He growled softly, then pulled out his phone as it buzzed, telling him he had a new message. "We will not be alone; it seems. Rather than having the jet make three trips, William and Bartholomew will meet us at the airfield."

"I was curious about that. What are you doing with your company in London? Are you giving it to William and Bartholomew and taking over... Huh, I have no idea what Bartholomew does." I said, smiling with a shake of my head when I realized that I'd never asked, and he'd never said.

"Bartholomew owns an import and export company, but yes, in a sense. I am passing my company onto William, who will work side-by-side with Bartholomew to run it. I've read up on Bartholomew's company since we began conversing about switching continents, and his partner should have no issues with showing me my way around."

"His partner? The lieutenant?"

"No, his business partner. I told him that I wouldn't accept his second but would be choosing my own. If his second is anything like Vladimir, I will need to keep a very close eye on her." Alaric said with a sigh as we pulled into the hangar where Bartholomew was holding William close, leaning against his car in a very heated embrace that made my cheeks flush red when I saw it. I turned my head to the side as Alaric cleared his throat to get their attention. "Are your things in the jet?" he asked them as he stepped out of the car and opened my door.

"Yes, we've been waiting for you two," Bartholomew said in a growl as he reluctantly released William, making it very clear that we were interrupting, and he did not appreciate it in the slightest. *'Believe me, I know how you feel about being interrupted at all the worst times.'*

"I apologize. We left as soon as I received the message from the pilot," Alaric said as he walked to the side of the jet, then held his hand out to me, waiting for me to catch up before helping me up the steps.

"Are you excited for this, Mercy?" William grinned as he and Bartholomew sat in the seats across from Alaric and me.

"A little nervous, but nothing is keeping me in London, and now that I really only have my sisters, it will be nice to live close-by," I said, returning his smile as I settled back, getting ready for the four-hour flight that lay ahead.

"What about your family in London? The only one you had was your mother?" Bartholomew asked as he stood to readjust his suit jacket, then settled back in, loosening his tie, casting a quick wink at William before looking back at me.

"Yeah, it was always just my mom and me. I didn't realize why that was until recently," I responded with a shrug, waiting until the jet had evened out before standing and walking to the mini bar, grabbing a bottle of scotch and four glasses.

"You've taught her well, making a proper vampire of her, haven't you?" Bartholomew chuckled, nodding approvingly to the bottle of scotch when he saw it, thanking me when I handed a glass to him after passing one to Alaric.

"Why, because I got the drinks for you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes as I watched him, searching his face as his chocolate brown eyes widened in shock and offense.

"No! Mercy, lord no. I didn't mean because you got the drinks. I meant because of what you picked. I know there is a fully stocked bar on this jet, and because this is a business trip, picking the scotch you picked is perfect for the occasion." He said, shaking his head with a soft scoff. "I could have phrased that better. I apologize."

"No, it's my fault for the misunderstanding, sorry," I responded, then gave him an apologetic smile before taking a big drink, chuckling when I realized that I was welcoming the burn, unlike before I met Alaric and didn't drink. "I just realized you're right. I change my drinks based on the setting I'm in, thanks to Alaric."

"I can only imagine how she would have taken it if you said proper woman, rather than a proper vampire. He didn't mean it in any way, only saying that you know what spirits to pick for what occasion." William commented, watching me with a smirk of amusement, then narrowing his eyes as he glanced at Alaric, his smirk turning into a grin as he looked back and forth between us. "You asked her? I thought you were waiting until after we finished our move?"

"I did, yes. I was tired of convincing myself of when the right time was or wasn't. Though, yes, there are a million more ways I could have asked." Alaric nodded, but I could see in his eyes that he wasn't upset as his words suggested, but he was ecstatic instead.

"You didn't bring the ring?" William asked, furrowing his brows after looking down at my ringless finger, then closed his eyes with a sharp inhale. "Sorry, I didn't think before I spoke."

"Clearly." Alaric snapped, shaking his head with a sigh before looking down at me with a slight smile. "I didn't. Perhaps you'd care to tell her of other things I've planned for her since you seem so keen on it?"

"What other things do you have planned? Should I be nervous? I'm nervous." I gasped, looking back and forth between William and Alaric with a giggle, then refilled our glasses before saying anything more. "It must be hard for the two of you, having to say your goodbyes after being side by side for... a long time, right?"

"Two centuries we've been together since Alaric turned me and took me under his wing," William responded with a nod, raising his glass to Alaric with a smile, cheering him before they both took a drink.

"I don't know that much about your time together, but I know that's because vampires don't like talking about their past lives. I've always been curious how you could get so wealthy but still be able to live so long without anyone catching on, even before I knew vampires were real."

"It wasn't until the last few decades when technology has made such major leaps that it became a problem for us. Yes, there were paintings, pictures, and history on us throughout the centuries. That is what the vampire king does. We are in charge of making sure vampires do not go on killing sprees, using our power and wealth to hide the news and circumstances of certain mass-deaths. That is not all we do, of course, as we also arrange the new identities and erase proof of the old identities of vampires who've outlived their current ones." Bartholomew commented, his smile getting more prominent as he watched me go through an arrangement of emotions until finally landing on a mixture of awe and bewilderment.

"You will learn what the full duties of an elder are so I can promise you a world of adventure. Knowing Alaric, he will prefer to be on the ground in America until he learns the lay of the land, and at that point, he will appoint some beneath him to do it instead."

"During that time where he's learning the lay of the land, you will be testing just the atrocious deeds you can bear to see, as you will be seeing some very repugnant sights that man does not hear of. The reason they will never hear of it, of course, because it will be your job to erase it," William added, a low and guttural growl coming from his depths, shaking his head in disgust as he reached for the bottle and refilled his glass.

"Oh, god," I gasped when I saw his reaction, looking back and forth between the three men. At first, I thought William might have been toying with me. However, when I saw that neither Bartholomew nor Alaric laughed or disagreed, the look of horrified disgust shared between the three of them, I realized that they were entirely sincere. "I've seen dead bodies before, like seeing what Sinclair did to Edward, but the looks on your faces tell me that it's nothing compared to what I'm going to see?"

"William, are you trying to frighten her into stepping away from being by my side?" Alaric asked him, cutting him off just as he was starting to speak.

"No, I am only trying to tell her what to expect. Not to say that in Europe, we don't have our own mortifying sights, but I must say, I've seen my fair share at Bartholomew's side. Though, I've heard nothing but horror from Greggory's continent as well."

"Now I'm definitely confused about what an elder does. I understand that we might have to visit the scene of a mass killing, but none of you seem to be talking about something vampires do. That's not what you're referring to, is it?" I hesitantly asked, as the more I watched their reactions, the more confusing it was. *'Vampire's bite, and maybe when they're mad, they'll claw. Yeah, I can thank Sinclair for that mental image, but whatever they are thinking about sounds multitudes worse.'*

"Keeping a ratio of vampires to humans is not the correct way to describe it. We must keep a ratio of creatures to humans, as there is no shortage of beings in our world. Vampires are one of the smallest groups, Mercy. Recreants have officially surpassed us in bodies after rising from the shadows. The biggest percentage is unknown, but estimated in the hundreds of thousands." Bartholomew commented, raising an eyebrow at me, his solemn glare telling me just how serious he was being.

"So, vampires, recreants, mimics, witches, elementals, and fae are, what, nothing?"

"Compared to what lays in the shadows? Yes, what you have seen is nothing, not to mention, you have no met an untamed vampire or recreant." Alaric agreed, taking my hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand before kissing the same spot. "I was going to tell you all of this when we settled in, and you could decide definitively whether you wish to stay by my side or not."

"This doesn't make me want to stay out of it at all. To be honest, you guys are exciting me about this. Not because I want to see horrible things, but because I want to see what's in this world. I know most of it might be terrifying, but you have to remember that this is all still very new to me. I've done all of my travelings at Alaric's side, and this is the longest I have been away from home in a strange new world, meeting all of these different things in a matter of months." I gasped, unable to stop my grin from widening in excitement. "That must sound terrible."

"Not at all, you're right. I believe we have forgotten that." Bartholomew chuckled softly.

"Have you ever wondered why Octavia would want to have a pack of mimics so large when you could only think of one fight that lay ahead?" Alaric asked me curiously, nodding his understanding when I shook my head no. "The fight against Edward was nothing, compared to the fights Octavia and her pack might need to ward off. If a pack of werewolves decides that they wish to take her town as their own, she will need a large number in her warrior ranks to fend them off. As they stand now, I cannot say that she could fend them off, were they to come tomorrow."

"Werewolves are to mimics, as recreants are to vampires. In a sense, of course. They are not of the same species as recreants and vampires are, but they are of the same kind." William said, then laughed when he saw my growing confusion. "Mimics are called mimics because that is what they do, unlike Kara, whose body breaks and distorts into the shape. So, when I say they are alike, I mean only because they turn into wolves."

"Okay, but it would have to be a big pack of werewolves to defeat hers, right?"

"Because of the power difference, which can be likened to the difference between vampires and recreants. They may have some of the same abilities and may have the same dietary needs, but one is essentially more powerful than the other, in terms of speed, strength, and brute force."

"What he's saying is yes. At her current pack size, Octavia would lose the fight if a pack of werewolves attack. She may have over a hundred in her warrior ranks, but because of the size of her town and civilians, a pack of maybe twenty to thirty werewolves could wipe her out." Alaric said, holding up his hand to stop William from continuing.

"Okay, I understand why she wants to keep growing her pack now," I said with a nod of understanding as I refilled our glasses. *'I didn't think Octavia's pack was that small or weak compared to a few dozen werewolves. Jesus Christ.'*

"I don't think you've considered the target we put on our backs, ridding our world of your father and his relentless tyranny," Bartholomew said suddenly, pulling my attention out of my thoughts and to him. "He has been terrorizing our world for centuries. Killing because he wanted to. Slaughtering by the hundreds for a fucking dick sizing contest." He added with a laugh of amusement.

"Your father made sure all of us knew he was the most powerful being in our world and made sure we never forgot it. Before Bast and Octavia united the three species, we would never have considered mounting an attack against him individually, as we would've had a snowball's chance in hell." William added with a roll of his eyes.

"Because the world knows that the vampires, newly freed recreants, and a big pack of mimics took down the tyrannical king of kings. That's what he's known throughout our world as we believe other species will be targetting us, as a power grab, of sorts." Alaric finished, then stood to grab another bottle from the bar.

The four of us remained silent for a long few minutes while we sipped the newly opened bottle of scotch, all of us lost in our own thoughts as we thought about what was just said. After trying to make sure I understood correctly, I finally broke the silence when I felt it had been long enough to ask the question. "The king of kings? I'm guessing because Damien is known as the king of vampires, and Edward was like the king over the king?"

"Lucifer is not the only king, but only the king over vampires. If we were to gather the rulers over the species, be they king, queen, or only a ruler such as Octavia, it would outweigh the convening of the vampire elders and their lieutenants." Bartholomew explained with a nod, holding his glass up as a cheer to me before taking another drink.

"You're saying there are more than fifteen rulers? Oh, shit. You're saying there are more than fifteen species that have a ruler? That's not including the people like Maeve, or the witches, who don't have leaders!" I gasped as I finally understood what they were trying to explain to me. *'They weren't trying to tell me that creatures do gross things to humans, but they are trying to tell me that compared to what I think I know, and to what this world actually holds, is nothing. Holy shit, I can barely imagine what's out there! All I know is they are trying to tell me that I should get used to using my abilities, as we've basically ignited a war in our world, and I'll need to be able to fight for my life.'*

"The fight we thought we were going to have is like a family dispute, compared to what we have invoked upon our hand in bringing down the king of kings. It does not matter if a vampire was present, but because the vampire council had a hand in the fight, every vampire is going to be targeted by whatever species tries to make a power grab. That could be witches, hidden elementals, or one of the hundreds of things hiding in the shadows."

"That's terrifying, but I guess I should have expected that. I knew that everyone knew of Edward and was scared of his power, but I kind of forgot that vampires are not the only things out there. Not to mention, it seems pretty obvious now that you've said it that other people might want to take his place by taking out the people who took out the Elemental king. Does that mean that recreants, vampires, and Octavia's pack took his place?" I asked, surprised by how much I liked the idea of sitting on a throne above every other species. *'It's fucked up to be prideful about this? Right? Well, if I can't blame my recreant half, I can blame who my father is for it. No matter which one I blame, they are both a part of me so that it could be either or both.'*

"No, we could be considered nothing more than pawns of his downfall, but not players," Alaric said, shaking his head. "Maeve took Edward out, not us. It will not take long before someone lets that word out, hoping that it would save them from death, as a plea bargain of sorts. They will tell whoever is torturing them that we were there but had no major part in taking Edward out. Five people will be singled out of our group. As much as I hate to say it, but it will not take long for that word to get out."

"Five people? Oh my god, Maeve would be targeted first because she took him out. Ciaran and Azeneth next because they helped her hide some of her power. And Damien and Bast, because they are the parents of the twins." I gasped out, shaking my head in disbelief. "Oh my god, was this worth taking him out? Painting a target on two children's backs? Not to mention Maeve, because she did it to help us, not because she was after his power!"

"We did not only save your lives but the lives of the children he would have had after taking your power. Not to mention releasing his rule over our world. There will be those who praise us for what we've done, and there will be those plotting against us, trying to take that power from us."

"How long do we have before people start attacking vampires, recreants, and Octavia's pack?" I asked with a gulp, feeling my heart welling up at the thought. *'From the way they're talking about it, it's not the nearby future, but the quickly escalating present.'*

"It's already begun, Mercy. There is a three percent spike in vampire deaths in Europe, only eight days after Edward was brought down. Three percent may not seem like much, but when you consider the number of vampires in Europe, that is, thousands of vampires suddenly killed the days following Edward's demise. The world already knows of Edwards's three daughters, one of which is the girlfriend to the elder of Europe." Bartholomew said, locking his intense gaze onto me, waiting for me to understand what he was saying.

"That's why we're moving to America, because they are already attacking Europe, knowing that one of the daughters is with the elder. You're moving us to America to delay the inevitable attacks that will be made on my life? Wow, I guess I really am living the billionaire lifestyle. People after me because of who I'm with, and who I'm related to, trying to take me out to, and take our power for themselves."

________

[Bast]

"I will get started on dinner, as it's getting a bit late," Sinclair suddenly said as he stood and walked into the kitchen, breaking the silence in the library as the four of us were lost in our own reading, enjoying the silence in the room.

It wasn't until he spoke that I realized it was almost five pm, and we'd been at Sinclair's house for about six hours. "Wow, I didn't realize we'd been here this long!" I said, standing to go and check on Azeneth and Ciaran, who'd been exploring Sinclair's seemingly endless treasure trove of a house for the last few hours. "Where are you two?" I called after not finding them in the sitting room or in the back room where Sinclair kept most of his relics, like a trophy room of sorts.

"We're down here, mommy!" Ciaran called from what sounded like a hallway to my left. I looked around curiously, following the sound of his voice until I found a spot in the wall where a painting was pulled to the side, revealing a passageway behind it.

"Are you kidding me? Of course, his house has hidden passageways." I mumbled with a scoff of amusement as I walked into the passageway, tapping into my vampire abilities so I could see clearly in the otherwise dark tunnel, stepping forward for what seemed to be a few hundred feet until I saw a dim flickering light to my left. "What are the two of you doing back here?" I asked them when I saw that there was nothing much in the room, but two tunnels on either side and a small circular space in the center where we were standing.

"We were explorers of the tunnels!" Azeneth gasped, opening her clasped hands to show me the things she'd found on her exploration. There were a very old penny and an old yellowed page that used to be a poster.

"Yeah? That's really cool stuff you found. Wow, do you know what kind of penny that is?" I gasped as I took the penny out of her hand to inspect it better. I didn't know what the penny was called, but I knew it was from the late 1800s, and it had a design that I could only remember seeing in books. After giving the penny a once over, I looked down each of the tunnels, trying to suppress a growl I felt crawling up from my depths when I felt like something was staring back at me. "I bet Sinclair and daddy know. Why don't we go to show them?" I asked them, ushering them forward, trying to make sure they didn't see the worry in my eyes or hear the waver in my voice. I didn't know what it was, but something about the tunnels makes my stomach churn, my heart pounding in worry as I peered down into the unknown. I had a feeling like something was lurking in the shadows, somewhere deep in the tunnels waiting to pounce on us if given a moment of chance.

"Daddy, Sinclair, we found a really old penny!" Ciaran and Azeneth said as they ran out past the painting, then walked into the library, looking around curiously as no one was in there. The second I cleared the doorway, I couldn't slam the painting back into place hard or fast enough. I wasn't sure if I was overreacting or imagining things, but I'd rather be doing both of those than not being worried enough about my children.

"We're in the kitchen," Damien said as he walked around the staircases, furrowing his brows as he looked at me in question, kneeling in front of the kids to see what they were trying to show him. "My god, you've found an 1873 Indian head penny!" He gasped, grinning as he looked back and forth between the twins. "Come, let's go and show him."

"Okay," The twins agreed and ran past Damien to go and show Sinclair.

"What's wrong? You look as if you've seen a ghost." Damien said, taking my face between his hands as he leaned down to kiss me, then took my hand, leading me into the kitchen where Maeve and Sinclair were busy cooking over a wood-burning stove.

"I don't know, babe, something about those tunnels. Shook me to my fucking core." I growled softly as I sat down at the kitchen table, unable to shake the pit in my stomach loose. Though I was nowhere near the tunnels anymore, I couldn't get it out of my head. It was like that looming feeling had attached itself to me and had no intentions of letting me go.

"Are you alright, Bastet?" Sinclair asked, setting down a mug of cider in front of me before walking back to the stove where he and Maeve were chopping vegetables.

"I'm okay, yeah. What are you guys making?" I asked, taking a hesitant sip of the cider. Though I'd never liked cider, fresh homemade cider couldn't be compared to any I'd ever had before.

"An old meal consisting of pork, beans, corn, and bread," Sinclair responded, motioning for the kids to sit at the table, setting mugs at their places. He sighed and shook his head as the kids started to whine, saying they didn't want that for dinner. "You enjoy visiting the past? What better way to do it than to eat in the same way we did? Everything we are eating is either grown or killed in the back yard."

"Azeneth, Ciaran, do not whine. Sinclair has invited us into his house, and we are his guests, do not misbehave now." Damien said in a scolding, yet soft tone, thanking them when they agreed and settled down. "You were exploring for several hours. Is that tunnel the only place you saw?"

"No, we were trying to find all of the secret tunnels and entrances, but we only found three," Azeneth said with a shrug before taking a hesitant sip of her cider, grinning after tasting it. "Yummy!"

"I don't know what it is about that tunnel that we found, but it was fascinating," Ciaran commented, furrowing his brows in thought as he looked at me over the brim of his cup. "You felt it too?"

"Felt what?" I asked, trying to act as if I didn't know what he was referring to. "You didn't say that out loud, did you?" I added with a sigh, noticing that everyone had paused what they were doing to watch me curiously.

"I didn't, and in case you were wondering, I'm not saying this out loud either. You felt like there was something in those tunnels, just like I did. I tried to get Azeneth to leave, but she didn't want to, and I couldn't leave her alone to inform you and daddy. I'm not sure if she didn't feel it, or if she simply wasn't afraid of it, but I feel like there is something down there."

"You and Azeneth should have the same power level. You think she didn't feel the same thing we did?" I responded as I stood to help Maeve and Sinclair with dinner, as I was too restless to sit still.

"No, I think she felt it but simply wasn't afraid or worried in the slightest. Her sense of adventure and curiosity far outweighs her sense of danger. She's much like you are, mommy. She's terrified but too curious to let that dictate her choices." Ciaran responded, shooting me a glare that I couldn't ignore. *'I get it. My child is scolding me for being adventurous, and quite frankly, too stupid to know when to be scared. For passing it onto my daughter. Jesus. My son is scolding me, and he's less than a year old.'*

"What are the two of you conversing about?" Damien asked after watching us for a few minutes in silence, looking back and forth between us curiously.

"Their adventures of Sinclair's house," I said with a smile, stepping to the side so that Maeve could get a serving spoon out of the drawer. *'Well, it wasn't a lie. But, it wasn't exactly the truth either. I'll tell him what happened later when it won't seem like I'm trying to yell at them for being children. Well, Ciaran already knows that I'm not upset with them, as I love when they are able to be nothing more than children. Still, I have to tell them about the tunnels, Damien and Sinclair. Maybe Maeve, but she's not really a fighter, so I don't see a point in her going into a situation that could be dangerous.'* I thought, then watched Maeve as she carried the pots to the counter, then cut the bread out onto our plates. *'I guess it's pretty dumb to assume that she can't protect herself if need be. I mean, she does look pretty fit. Shit, saying she looks pretty fit is like saying she's the prettiest woman you've ever seen. It's pretty damn obvious. Either way, she looks like she spends at least four days a week in a gym. I won't bet against her if she needs to make a quick getaway.'*

"Dinner is made," Maeve said, handing me plates and silverware for me to set the table. "Don't worry. You'll love it." She said with a grin as she began serving the kids, noticing their hesitant glances at the food.

"This meal is much like the things your father and I ate during our human years. Food was not what it was, so while it may not be the most exciting thing, it's basic in the best sense of the word." Sinclair said as he tried to take the pot from Maeve, who shooed him away, motioning for him to sit so she could serve him.

"I want to make Irish stew for you soon. I think you'll really like it." Maeve said with a grin as she sat down, tearing a piece off of her bread, leaning back in her chair, playing with her bread rather than eating it as she gazed far off in the distance. "Every Sunday, me da, deartháir, and I would make it. It was a tradition in our family."

"What does that word mean?" I asked her, taking a bite of my corn.

"Brother, sorry."

"I've never been to Ireland, but I've heard nothing short of great things," Sinclair commented, rubbing her back softly before sighing. "You must really miss it. I know you came here to try and find your family. Have you heard anything more?"

"No, but after my visits to the faeverse, I don't know which world I should be looking in." She responded with a sigh, then gave a soft, defeated shrug before taking a bite of her corn. When she looked up and noticed that I was watching her curiously, she smiled softly up at me, her beautiful blue-green eyes filling me with a sense of warmth, and comfort, almost like she was healing me.

I'd felt the same kind of fuzzy glow when I'd absorbed her blood as if I could feel it reinforcing my being at a cellular level. *'She tries. I have to give her that. I almost can't see that passion hidden deep inside, just begging for her to let it out. Something about that look in her eyes scares me, as I can't tell if it's a passion for something positive or destructive. All I know is the power I know she has, is fucking terrifying. Huh, I wonder if that's the dark fae showing itself?'* I thought, then pulled out my phone as it rang, telling me I'd received a new message. "Mercy and Alaric are back in the states."

"Already? I thought they'd at least spent some time in Europe, saying their goodbyes and whatnot." Damien asked, then shook his head with a chuckle. "When that man sets his mind to something, he is not one to shuffle about in doing it."

"Mercy is the same way. She's too impatient, overall." Sinclair agreed with the nod, then turned his attention to Azeneth, watching she played with her food, pushing it around the plate rather than eating it. "If you will not eat, I could make you something different? I cannot very well allow you to starve."

"No, she will not starve because she will eat what she was given," I said with a shake of my head after sending a message to Mercy. "You know that daddy and I don't tell you what you can and can't do, as you're well behaved on your own, but it's rude and ungrateful by refusing even to taste what Sinclair and Maeve made for you."

"But, mommy-" Azeneth started to whine, cut off by the clearing of Damien's throat as we watched her.

"How do you know you don't like it if you won't try it? We aren't going to force you to eat something you don't like, and you know this. We are only telling you to at least try it and respectfully decline it if you don't like it."

"I like it," Ciaran added with a shrug, then took a big bite of his beans as if to prove it to her. He waited until after he'd finished chewing to clean his hands, then took Azeneth's plate, cutting a tiny piece off of her pork. He put a bit of everything on her fork, then held it up to her mouth, growling at her when she started to refuse. "I know you like the stuff that mommy and daddy make, but we're on an adventure to the past, Azzie! We get to see real-life stuff from when daddy was a human, and we even get to eat the same food that daddy used to eat!"

"Oh, yeah! It's like a real-life visit to the past!" Azeneth agreed, then took her fork from Ciaran as she scooted forward on her chair, eating her food as if it was the best thing she'd ever tasted.

"Are we sure we had twins?" Damien asked me after a few moments of silence, causing Maeve to choke on her cider with a laugh.

"Can we explore outside after dinner?" Azeneth asked in between sips of her drink.

"It's getting late, Azzie. I think we'll need to be heading home soon."

"But mommy said we could explore outside later!" Azeneth huffed, her green eyes going wide in shock as she looked back and forth between Damien and me.

"You're right, I did say that, and I'm sorry, but time passed much quicker than I thought it had. Daddy and I are okay with you exploring, but you have to remember that this is Sinclair's house. We can't invite ourselves to stay for however long we want. Eventually, we need to go home and sleep, and Maeve needs to sleep at some point too."

"I do not mind it in the slightest. I knew you wouldn't want to leave so easily, and I welcome you into my home. If your mother and father do not mind staying, I do not mind it either." Sinclair said with a soft chuckle as he tried to stand and clear the table but was stopped by Maeve, who put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, then kissed his cheek as she stood and took their plates to the sink. "Are Mercy and Alaric returning to your house?"

"Yeah, I told them we were at your house, and they said they'd spend a last night in the guest house so that they could be there when Octavia and Kerr returned," I said, thanking Maeve as she took my plate, then Damien's.

"Okay, we want to explore now!" Azeneth said as she tried to jump up from the table but stopped as Maeve snapped and pointed to her chair, telling her to sit back down. "What?" She gasped but sat back down nonetheless.

"There's still food on your plate, that's what." Maeve snorted, raising an eyebrow when Azeneth tried to argue. I looked back and forth between the two of them curiously as they watched each other for a long few moments, neither of them saying or doing anything, lost in a battle of wills, trying to see who would break first. I was taken aback when I saw that Azeneth was the loser, sighing as she nodded and started eating again. "I win, eat up."

"You shouldn't rub your victory in my face, you know. It's mean." Azeneth mumbled between bites, casting a glare at Ciaran, who was trying and failing to hide his chuckle of amusement.

"If you do not wish to lose, don't," Maeve responded as she sat back at the table, then seemed to notice the way Sinclair, Damien, and I were all watching her. "Oh, sorry. I overstepped?"

"I'm not sure, as I'm not entirely sure what just happened," Damien said as he continued to look back and forth between the two curiously.

"I've been wondering why the twins have taken such a liking to you, someone they've never met before, but I get it now." Sinclair chuckled, nodding his understanding before looking over to me. "Only limitless potential can truly understand limitless potential."

"You get a kick out of making things more difficult to understand, don't you?" I asked him, as his words didn't make a shred of sense to me, not at first, anyway. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made, but I still found myself confused in the long run.

"Tell me what the children are capable of, either of you. As a matter of fact, anyone at this table, tell me what the two of them are capable of." Sinclair said, then leaned back in his chair, waiting for something he knew none of us had the answer to. "No one can, not even the twins themselves know, as they are still learning themselves. Now, tell me what Maeve is capable of. Yet again, no one can because no one knows. There is no soul we have met that knows what a fae is truly capable of, light or dark. What I'm saying is, Maeve and the twins are two sides of the same coin. They get along so well because, as I said, only limitless potential can truly understand limitless potential. In other words, the twins feel automatically better being around someone like Maeve, as she understands them much better than any of us ever could. Remember how much they liked being around Mercy? Well, it's the same way with Maeve, but much stronger. It's a kinsmanship that they feel, being with someone that has as much power that they do, and possibly even more now that she's not just a light fae anymore. Maeve can understand it much better than the rest of us can. The only one who knows what it's like to have limitless potential, as the twins do."