13
“I have a surprise for you,” Mother says as she looks up from her tablet. There’s something cold in her voice and not a hint of the smiling girl from the photograph I saw earlier.
“Oh?” My heart thuds irregularly against my rib cage.
“Please, sit.”
My legs wobble as I drop into the chair nearest me. Mother and I sit on opposite sides of her desk, face-to-face. The light catches her eyes and they twinkle. Sparkle, actually. It’s mesmerizing.
“Since you’ve already found household help, I thought it appropriate that you have the house and mate to go with it.”
I blink as I process what she’s telling me. “Excuse me?”
“You didn’t think I’d let your stunt go unpunished, did you?” She taps her finger against the desktop. “You made me look like a fool. I had to stand before the Council. The Council, Lark.” She grinds her teeth. “I had to explain how such a thing could happen. But that isn’t all. No, I had to address our Society and wipe the memories of every single person watching the morning feed.
“Do you know how taxing that was?” she asks. I shake my head. “Let’s just say, the reason I haven’t called you in earlier is because I’ve been indisposed.”
My skin crawls as she glares at me. I slouch in my chair and study my shoes. Mother may be upset about having to address the Society, but my mind’s stuck on the fact she thinks I need a house and a mate.
How can I have a mate when I’m already bound to Beck?
“Are you determined to make my life difficult?” Mother asks.
“No.” My voice comes out strong, not at all nervous, which surprises me.
Mother gives a half-laugh. “The problem is, you don’t think.” She shoves her tablet toward me. “You’re too impulsive. That’s the first thing you need to learn: think before acting. Otherwise, you’ll get into trouble every time.”
A neatly stacked three-story house covers the screen’s surface. “This is your new home. Apparently, that human pet of yours ended up in the wrong round up. She was supposed to be shipped to your home. At least that’s the story I told the council.”
“My house? I’m going to live on my own?” As the words leave my mouth, I realize what’s coming and I recoil. Horror inches up my spine, leaving paralysis in its wake.
Mother snaps her fingers and an image of a boy I’ve never seen before floats before me. “I’m not a monster, so I’ll let you have some say. You can have this one, or this one.” She snaps her fingers again and another boy’s image appears to her left. “Both are from excellent Dark families and both are willing to do whatever it takes to climb the ranks of State. That includes lying about the true nature of your relationship.”
The room sways around me. This can’t be happening. Breathe, Lark. Breathe. “Surely, you’re kidding. I’m bound, remember?” Hysteria creeps into my voice.
“And you remember that it’s to a boy you despise.” Her words cut like a knife.
My heart burns in my chest and I struggle to stay seated as the pain rips through me. “No.”
“Yes. You despise him and everything he stands for.” Mother drums her fingers against her desk. “You will pick one of these boys. Or Kyra and Maz won’t be celebrating their binding, and your human pet will find her way to a work crew in the far north. I guarantee this.”
Pounding fills my ears as my eyes flit between the two images. I can’t be bound to either of these boys. Not when I’m bound to Beck. Not when I love him.
But I promised Kyra I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. That I would protect her from Mother. My eyes glaze over as I realize I don’t have a choice. If Kyra means anything to me, I have to do this.
With my heart in my throat, I study my two choices. Both boys have a similar look: dark floppy hair, strong jaws, slightly oval-shaped brown eyes. The absolute opposite of Beck. They remind me of…Ryker.
A thought bubbles in my mind and even though I try to push it away, it latches on and doesn’t let go.
Maybe…maybe Ryker could be my mate?
Heat floods my body and I shake my head vehemently. No. I can’t ruin his life. It’s not fair.
An image of Ryker in his Enforcer uniform, standing on the front porch of my new home, dances behind my clenched eyes. A smile stretches across his face and my heartbeat slows. Perhaps this will be good for him, and with Mother’s blessing, he’ll advance rapidly.
Yes, I actually think Ryker would benefit greatly from this arrangement. And unlike the two boys Mother has chosen, Ryker knows me. More importantly, I know him, and I believe he’ll respect my wishes.
“I’ll agree to be bound,” I say, narrowing my eyes, “if you let me select him. On my own.”
An amused look crosses Mother’s face. “Why would I allow that? You disobeyed me.”
Either I’m stupid or insane, but I’m definitely desperate. “Because if you don’t, I’ll let it slip I’m already bound to Beck. And if I do that, you’ll have an even bigger mess on your hands, won’t you?”
Mother’s jaw drops open as the air around her shimmers. A blast of magic strikes my skin and I shudder under the pressure.
“Are you threatening me, Lark?”
I curl my fingers, the way I’ve seen Mother do, and wipe my face of all emotion. Honestly, I have no idea what I’m doing, and don’t care. “Threatening?” I say sweetly. “No, Mother. I wouldn’t dare do that.” What I hope is a psychotic smile stretches across my face. “I’m promising.”
Mother presses her hands against her lips and for a moment, I think I’ve stunned her, but then her delighted laugh fills the air around me. “And who would you choose, Love?”
I blurt out, “Ryker Newbold.”
“The boy you ran off with last night?”
I cross my arms and nod.
Mother’s fingers glide across her tablet, pulling up his info. “Hmmm. He is attractive.” She studies the screen. “His parents are both descendants of respectable lines. He’s…oh.” Mother raises her eyebrows. “He’s in Enforcement?”
“Yes. Right now he’s entry level, sorting data sets.”
“Fascinating.” Sarcasm laces her words.
“He’s ambitious,” I counter. “Probably more ambitious than either of the two boys you’ve selected. I’ve heard him say he wants to be head of all security forces.”
“Mmm…” She’s not paying attention to me and instead, scrolls through the information below the first boy’s image.
Anger creeps along my nerves and the familiar tingle of magic pulses in my blood. I slam my palm on Mother’s desk. “I want Ryker.”
With two huge, blue eyes, Mother glares at me. “No.” She waves her finger and my hands go limp at my sides. The burn of my magic disappears, leaving me powerless.
The hope I’d been holding on to, fades. She won’t let me have Ryker and I’m going to bound to a stranger. Some random boy who knows nothing about me.
“Why are you doing this?” I cry. “Ryker and I were raised together. It makes sense. You wouldn’t even have to sell it to the public, it’s so logical.”
Mother jabs her finger at the tablet screen in disapproval. “It says here he was removed from your house for improper contact with a human girl.” She looks up at me. “Lark. You cannot be paired with a boy like that. One who thinks nothing of mixing with them.”
My mind flails for something, anything to counteract her charges. “Did he know who he was when that happened?”
She studies Ryker’s file again. “It appears he was not informed of his status until after…after your last mate left school.”
“So he didn’t know. He’s acceptable.”
Mother mulls this over for all of three seconds. “No. You will pick one of these two boys.” She motions to the images before me again. “And if you don’t, I’ll choose for you.”
“Why? Ryker comes from a good family. He knows me. And we both need mates.” I’m whining, but I don’t care. The whole situation is miserable.
Mother gives a tiny laugh. “Why?” she repeats. “Because this is a punishment. What part of that don’t you understand? You need to grasp the severity of what you’ve done.”
“So I have to be paired off with someone for the rest of my life, and Kyra gets a new house? That isn’t fair!”
“You are not Kyra.” Mother twists her fingers together. “And don’t forget, I gave you a new home, too.”
It’s as if she’s taunting me, begging me to lash out, while knowing that I can’t because she’s done something to keep my hands at my sides. “Why are you obsessed with Kyra? You gave her a house across from Annalise and Callum. And the way you let her speak to you! You give her too much freedom; it’s going to go to her head.”
Mother chuckles. “Someone is jealous.”
“I’m not!”
Mother leans back in her chair. The air before me shimmers, and the image of the boys is replaced with a family tree. The Channing family tree.
The name under Caitlin’s lights up. Her son. “Do you see this?”
“Yes. “
“Follow it down. Through the male line.” Each successive male name lights up until it gets to….Kyra?
“She’s a descendent, Lark. Through the male line. She doesn’t have our powers, but she’s still incredibly strong. Stronger than Callum.” Mother spits out my brother’s name in disappointment.
My mouth hangs open. Kyra and I are…related? Is there anyone in the witch world who isn’t somehow related to me?
“If you fail, Kyra’s our best hope.” The family tree fades away. “And by fail, I mean die or not have children,” she says coolly.
Heat rushes through my head as I try to sort through the past twenty minutes. I have to pick a mate, Kyra’s my relative and Mother’s back-up plan, and I’m supposed to have children.
“Don’t look surprised, Love. How else will our family line continue?”
Maybe it shouldn’t. But I don’t say that.
“You want me to have children…with Beck?” Confusion peppers my words. I know she wants to give me a new mate, but since I’m already bound to Beck, I won’t be able to have children with them. Bethina explained it all to me—witches can only have two children; and our bindings are for life.
Mother shakes her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. You will mate with…” She taps her desk and the boys’ images reappear. “Lochlan or Jax. The choice is yours.”
Of course she’d make it seem like I have a choice. “But we won’t be legitimately bound, so how can we have children?”
Mother’s eyes widen in disbelief. “Bethina never explained it to you?” She places two fingertips over her mouth and looks off to the side of the room. Despite the seriousness of the conversation, I have to repress a laugh. It’s the first time I’ve seen Mother flustered.
After a long minute, she says, “We can only produce two children, but it does not matter if it’s with our mate or not. Perhaps it’s a survival of the species trait, but we do not have to be bound to have children. That’s why we’re strict about our young people not having relations prior to binding. Ideally, to keep bloodlines strong, there would only be mating between suitable mates. Thankfully, we can’t reproduce with humans.”
My stomach roils as I digest this new information. “You want me to have children with one of these boys?”
“It’s your duty.”
Tears sting my eyes. I blink them away and hope Mother doesn’t notice. Maybe it’s for the best I’m not with Ryker. I don’t think I could do what she’s asking with him.
“Don’t cry, Love. You can wait a few years and there are worse things than having to sleep with a man you barely know. Perhaps you’ll find you do, in fact, like him.” The pressure holding my hands to my sides lessens and Mother holds out a lace-trimmed handkerchief. I take it and ball it in my hand. “If not, you can always take a lover.”
This conversation has to end. I don’t want to discuss mates or lovers with my Mother. I don’t care what my duty is to the State or the Dark witches. I just want out.
“You know what you need to do, Love.” Mother sighs as if the conversation taxes her. “For Kyra and your human.”
And there it is: I have to do this. “Can I at least meet them before I decide?”
“There’s no time. I’m announcing your pairing at Kyra’s binding. If it’s still happening. The choice is yours.”
My shoulders sag as I close my eyes. A picture of Ryker flashes through my mind again. This time, he’s playing cards with Maz, and Kyra is curled on a sofa not too far from the boys. It reminds me of how things used to be before Beck disappeared and my life was turned inside out.
If I have to spend the rest of my life with someone, I don’t want it to be a stranger.
“I want Ryker,” I say again. I stand and place both hands on her desk so that we’re staring into each other eyes. A spark of magic leaps from my body and arches through the air. It leaves a shimmering tail in its wake, before hitting Mother. She collapses against her chair, but she smiles.
I study my hands in surprise, and Mother laughs. “Oh, Love. You are my daughter.” She hurries around the desk and pulls me to her. “Very well, you’ve earned it. You can have Ryker.”
As I shuffle back to my friends, I plan how to explain to Ryker that he will now be my mate. Telling him fast seems like the best option. The only question is, do I tell him alone or with Maz and Kyra present?
I mean, how do you tell your friend you quite possibly just ruined his life?
Unfortunately, my decision is made for me when I enter the front room and Maz and Kyra are absent.
Ryker lounges on the couch, his head propped against the arm and his legs scrunched up against the opposite end. He looks up from the book he’s reading. “Kyra said to tell you to be at her parents’ home by nine tomorrow. I think she also said something about candles, but it was hard to hear with her lips locked on Maz’s.”
“She wants me to count the candles. For the ceremony. To make sure she has the appropriate amount,” I say softly. Tomorrow, Kyra and Maz will be bound. Their lives will change forever.
And in a few moments, I’m going to change Ryker’s life. Forever.
“Lucky you.” Ryker swings his legs off the side of the couch and sits up. “I told them I’d wait, to make sure you were okay. Are you?”
I rest my hand against the side of my face. How do I tell him?
“My mother is upset about Miss Tully.”
“Miss Tully?”
“The old woman from last night.” I speak softly. “Do you remember?”
He tugs on the collar of his shirt. “Malin didn’t wipe my memory.”
Just tell him. Get it over with.
I grimace. “Mother gave me my own house. Since I have staff.” At least I think that’s what she said. I’m actually not sure at this point.
“And?” He keeps his arms folded across his chest.
If we’re going to be bound, he needs to know everything. It’s the only way this will work. I nibble the inside of my cheek. “Are you loyal? Can you keep a secret to protect a friend?”
“Absolutely.” He pulls on his left ear, a gesture that means this conversation is just between us. He then slips off his wristlet and shoves it in his pocket. I do the same.
A lump sits in the back of my throat and I swallow hard.
“What is it, Lark?”
“Beck and I are already bound.” The words rush out of me. “But no one other than my mother, Kyra, and Annalise know. It’s important no one else finds out. The Light witches tried to kill me when they saw and I doubt the Dark witches would take it any better.”
Ryker’s face is a mask of calmness as if he already knows. “Why are you telling me?”
I glance at the floor and mumble, “You and I are going to be bound. After my birthday.”
Silence.
I lift my head slowly, expecting to find Ryker enraged or perhaps even in shock.
Instead, his shoulders hunch forward and he nods his head. “I wondered when Malin would tell you.”
Every muscle in my body tenses. “What?”
He recoils slightly. “Didn’t she tell you I knew?”
“No.” The overhead lights flicker. “You knew? And you didn’t tell me? “
I creep closer to Ryker with my fists balled. He takes a step back, but his body is rigid. Like he expects me to attack.
“When did she tell you?” I demand.
“The day they brought you home. Malin called me into her office and explained everything.” His palms are upturned, defensive, and his eyes are fixed on me.
“She knew I would pick you! There never was a choice, was there?” I’m saying this more for my benefit than Ryker’s. Anger swells in me and I rush at him. My fist strikes his chest. “Was it all a lie?”
Ryker catches my hand and yanks my arm over my head. A sharp pain pinches my neck and I wince. He doesn’t let go, even when I kick his shin.
He bends so that his mouth is inches from my ear. “I’m loyal, Lark. Never, ever forget that.”