Looking Back

Chapter 67

Avery

Marc and Axel had taken the others to the restaurant to wait for us. I was now lying on a small bed with my nine husbands around me waiting on the doctor. The door soon opened and Dr. Callaghan's small frame appeared. She beamed with pride as she pinched my cheeks, "Oh by the goddess, I'm so happy for ye, m'lady! What a blessed day this is!"

I giggled, "You're almost as excited as we are."

"Aye, the day ye was born I knew. Never dreamed I'd see the day you learned your birthright and now to help bring these babes into the world...that's a privilege I don't take lightly, m'lady," the old woman cackled.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked. "All my life you've just called me Avery."

She took my hands in her withered ones, "I know who ye are, Avery. The day ye was born and I placed you in your mama's arms, the Morrigan marked ye. All the village elders know. True, time has moved on, but we honor the old ways. The Banshee always come from our lines." My eyes widened.

"Wait, are you telling me the whole town knows what she is?" Kota asked, his expression awed.

Dr. Callaghan nodded, then reached for my arm displaying the odd birthmark on my inner arm. "She was marked as a babe. Those who still honor the old ways celebrated the day of your birth for a whole week," she laughed. She looked at Victor, "Maggie was so proud. I think she worried it had left her family after your mama was skipped. Caoimhe would be over the moon to know her vision came to pass."

"My grandmother? What do you mean," he sputtered.

The doctor laughed, "Why my boy, Caoimhe and Maggie were banshee. Sídhe blood runs in both your veins, just as it does in this little girl's," she placed her hand on my stomach and smiled. "Now the boy...hmmm...he's a bit stubborn. Might have to wait and see what his gifts are."

Sean made a choking sound, "Good gods, how do you do that? How can you know without a single piece of equipment?"

The old woman chuckled as she met his gaze, "You tell me, lad." She grabbed his hands and placed them on my stomach. I felt an odd sensation like a heating pad warming my stomach when Sean gasped and almost fell to his knees.

Tears sprang to his eyes when Owen supported him. "I...I can feel them - Victor's daughter and Nate's son."

"My what," Nathan croaked. "I...I'm going to be a father," his voice had a reverent tone as he leaned down, pressing kisses to my head. "Thank you, cariño, mi corazón."

"Damn, guess that just means we need more practice, chaton," Gabriel smirked, "Right Kota?" Kota let out a playful laugh and agreed, along with the rest.

Victor

Nate and I couldn't keep our hands off her, even if it was just a slight touch or caress. We joined the Toma group at a small local pub, the server leading us to a back room. A party of fifteen tends to need a bit of room. Once we were all seated a tall man came in and placed a platter of sweet breads and candied fruits in front of Avery. He bowed his head, "You honor us with your presence, m'Lady. May the Goddess continue to bless your union for many years to come."

Avery looked shocked as she thanked him before he left the room. "I don't know how to handle this," she said hesitantly. "I'm scared about what it all means."

"Means you are a fairy, little fairy," Raven grinned. "In Russia we have Baba Yaga. She too foretells death and has visions. Some fear her, but most revere her knowledge and trust her guidance." I was a bit surprised by his bluntness. I never took Raven for someone who would even know about old mythologies. "You are still you," he grinned, "По-прежнему дерзкий, красивый и крошечный - теперь немного страшнее - мне нравится."

Avery's cheeks flamed as his deep laughter shook his frame.

"Okay then," Kota mumbled. "Love, we are going to have to get back to campus soon. I have to be back next week as my leave is up."

"So how's that gonna work?" Marc asked. "I thought you two had to keep the relationship hush-hush since you're her advisor?

"Shit, you're her advisor!" Brandon gaped.

"Yeah, shocked me too when I walked into that first day and realized the woman of my dreams was my student," Kota grinned. "As for now, well in light of the incident with her classmates, the university is overlooking it. She only needs to present her doctoral thesis, and I have no part in that other than moral support. I'm only her advisor on paper too. She won't need to sign up for classes and her spring grades were submitted before our marriage. The Chancellor's office couldn't object."

"Have you thought any more about what you want after graduation?" Luke asked her.

She shook her head, "I guess I can't really think about it now. I have no idea how this changes things."

"Did you know your grandmother was a banshee?" Silas asked her, "Or Victor's grandmother?"

"Of course not. I didn't even know they were people. I always thought they were more like spirits, you know, sídhe."

He chuckled, "Agape, you're sídhe and so were they. Both of them had normal lives and families, and so will you. Don't let your gift become a reason to hide from your dreams."

She nodded and reached out to squeeze his hand. The door opened and our servers brought in platters of food. We let the conversation fall to family and work as we ate. It was decided that Nate and I would be staying in Dublin with her until we could rent a larger location. Sean had turned in his DWB resignation, and Owen wasn't taking on new cases, instead honing in on a small few. He said he'd look into opening a different location when Avery decided where she wanted to live.

"Holy fuck," Corey muttered, his phone in his hand. Tears began streaming down his face. He looked at Avery and set his phone down, coming to her. He pulled her up and into his arms. "Thank you, angel," he whispered as he clung to her. With a confused look, she hugged him back.

"Corey, what's going on?" she whispered finally. "Are you okay?"

"The ship," he stammered, pulling back and turning to Brandon, "it foundered sometime in the night. Storms pulled it under - no survivors have been found so far." Brandon's face went pale and he looked like he was going to pass out.

"Just like you said," he looked at Silas. "Just like I'd dreamed."

Avery's head snapped to Silas, "You saw it?"

He nodded, "When we got to the dock and Brandon wouldn't believe us, it was like a movie started playing in my head and I knew he'd seen it too." His eyes looked as haunted as Brandon's right now. "I had to make him hear us."

Author's Notes: По-прежнему дерзкий, красивый и крошечный - теперь немного страшнее - мне нравится - Still feisty, beautiful, and tiny - now a bit scarier - I like it.

Author's Notes:  I'll be out of pocket for a couple of days - sorry.

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