Page 49 of Havoc's Fox
“Lucky us, the only two ever to be messed with by fate.”
Tempest laughed boisterously. When she finally got herself under control, she grinned at Analise. “Not even close. Remind me to tell you about my family some day.”
“Really? What happened?”
“Well, the short of it is that my grandfather, not my real one, my spiritual one, messed around with his brother’s human mate. The brother got mad and sentenced her to hell, though she wasn’t actually dead. My great aunt, again, not real but spiritual, put her own soul inside the girl to help her survive until she could find a way to get her out of hell. In the meantime, the brother who was betrayed cursed my spiritual grandfather to lose everything he ever loved. His mate was stolen from him, and my mother — his daughter — was cursed to live over and over again never finding happiness until my great aunt decided enough was enough and stepped in to guide her. And my father, was cursed to stand as a tree in one place for so many years they can’t be counted until my mother who had no idea who she was, much less who he was, finally recognized him after many of her lives of wandering near him and not even realizing and freed him and even then it was accidental. So many lives torn apart because of selfishness and jealously and resentment. Fate orchestrated it all, or at least provided the backdrop to sit back and watch it all play out in. Fate is a cruel bitch; I can tell you that for sure.”
“Oh, my God,” Analise said, horrified that a family could do any of that to one another, for generations no less.
“Look, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. But if you don’t make a choice somewhere along the way, you might end up losing something you don’t even know you want. Be strong enough to step up and change the course of your life as opposed to just waiting to see what plays out and adjusting from there. You started to do it with getting your education and moving to Boston. Take control back. Stop hiding. Establish yourself firmly in the here and now and find peace within yourself instead of keeping everyone at a safe distance. Or not. Just my point of view, for what it’s worth. And I’m here, always, no matter what you need. All you have to do is call for me. I’ll hear you, and I’ll be right there as quickly as you can blink.”
“You can do that?” Analise asked.
Tempest winked at Analise and misted to the other side of the room where the stairs were.
“Oh, crap!” Analise exclaimed.
Tempest laughed. “I mean it. Call me if you need me, even if all you want is to talk.”
Analise nodded. “Thank you for coming to talk to me.”
“I had to. You were screaming in agony.”
“I was?”
“Parts of you were. You’ll be alright. Close your eyes and take the leap — in any direction. At least you’ll be moving forward from the one point in your history that has held you prisoner all these years.”
~~~
After a hearty dinner, several desserts, and seconds of dinner, Kaid finally dragged himself up off Bam’s sofa. “Y’all ready?” he asked, intentionally poking his stomach out more than it would normally protrude and rubbing it as he arched his back.
“For?” Delilah asked.
“That bonfire they been building out there,” Kaid answered.
“Yes, indeed,” Vince said. “Let’s get to it. Daniel, you ready?”
Daniel who’d been finishing off another serving of Avaleigh’s bread pudding turned around mid-chew. “Hmm?”
“We’re going to light the fire,” Vince said.
“Alright. Let’s go,” he said, quickly finishing off his third dessert.
Bane held his hand out to Janie. “You ready?”
“I am. I have a stack of blankets by the front door. I just have to go grab them,” Janie answered.
“I’ll get them, Mama.”
“Would you?” Janie asked.
“Of course. I’ll meet you outside,” Daisy said, hurrying outside to run across to their house and get the blankets her mother had gathered for the fire.
“I’ve got some, too,” Everly said. “I’ll get them out of the hall closet.”
“I’ll help, Ever,” Bam said, getting to the closet ahead of her.
As Kaid’s generation made their way outside, Brandt’s generation was just finishing the final touches on the bonfire.