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“Yes, but the hunting” Miriaan

What would follow, Phoebe kneas a long comparison of French and Danish fauna, in which the nutritive benefits of both would be considered, taking into account variability in size, freshness, farmed versus wild, and the unpredictable appetites of the infant vampire

“That’s it,” Phoebe said, headed for the door “Maybe Charles will change ements one More Time”

“She’s ready,” Miriam and Freyja said in unison

Phoebe pulled the loose neck of the white dressing gown aside, exposing rich veins and arteries “Then do it”

The words were barely out of her mouth when Phoebe felt a sharp sensation

Numbness

Tingling

Suction

Phoebe’s knees buckled and her head swaistered that she was being attacked and was in er, and her adrenaline rose

Her field of vision narrowed, and the room dimmed

Strong arht her

Phoebe floated in a velvet darkness, sinking into folds of quiet

Peace

—

A SEARING COLD BROUGHT HER back to awareness

Phoebe was freezing, burning

Her ht fire from the inside

So that smelled—delicious

Copper and iron

Salt and sweet

It was the scent of life Life

Phoebe snuffled at the wrist like a baby seeking her ly close to herher lips

“You choose,” her maker said “Life? Or death?”

Phoebe used all of her energy to move closer to the pro, slow and steady Understanding followed

Heartbeat

Pulse

Blood

Phoebe kissed the cold flesh of her ift being given

“Life,” Phoebe whispered before taking her first mouthful of vampire blood

As the powerful substance surged through her veins, Phoebe’s body exploded in pain and yearning: for as lost, for as to co that she would become

Her heart began to make a new music, one that was slow and deliberate

I a

Naught

And yet

Now

Evermore

3

The Prodigal Returns

13 MAY

“If the ghosts are ing to the disorientation of sleep in hopes of prolonging it for a few ht frorade following the end of the spring se the covers closer to my chin, I turned over and prayed for silence

Heavy pounding echoed through the house, bouncing off thick stone walls and floors

“Someone’s at the front door” Mattheho slept very little, was at the open , sniffing the night air for clues as to their identity “It’s Ysabeau”

“It’s three in theslippers We were no strangers to crisis, but even so, this was unusual

Matthew relocated in a flash froan his swift descent

“Ma my attention “Ow! Loud Loud”

“Co Her first word had been “mama,” her second “papa,” and her third “Pip” for her brother Philip “Blood,” “loud,” and “doggy” had followed quickly thereafter

“Lightning bug, lightning bug,instead to gently illuer with a si froraic into words—was co

In the nursery, Becca was sitting up, tiny hands clapped to her ears and her face twisted in distress Cuthbert, the overstuffed elephant Marcus gave to her, and a wooden zebra na around her heavy,the sides and looking at his sister with concern

In dreaic in the twins’ half-witch, half-va their shallow sleep Though I found their nocturnal activities a bit worrying, Sarah said we could thank the goddess that thus far the twins’the nursery furniture,impromptu mobiles out of stuffed animals

“Owie,” Philip said, pointing to Becca He was already following in Matthew’severy creature at Les Revenants—two legged, four legged, winged, or finned—for scrapes, blemishes, and insect bites

“Thank you, Philip” I narrowly avoided collision with Cuthbert and headed for Becca “Would you like a cuddle, Becca?”

“Cuthbert, too” Becca was already a skilled negotiator thanks to spending tirandmothers I feared that Ysabeau and Sarah were bad influences

“Just you and Philip, if he’d like to join us,” I said fir Becca’s back

Cuthbert and Zee hit the ground with petulant thuds It was impossible to knohich of the children was responsible for the flying aniic had left them Was it Becca who had set theh comfort that she didn’t need the animals anymore? Or was it Philip, as quieter now because his sister was no longer in distress? Or was it because I had said no?

In the distance, the pounding stopped Ysabeau was in the house

“Gaan Then she hiccupped

“Mer,” Philip finished, his expression brightening

Anxiety wove a tight knot inhad to be very wrong for Ysabeau to coht without a phone call

The soft murmurs downstairs were too faint for ested that they could follow the conversation between their father and grand to relay its substance to me

I eyed the slick steps as I shifted Becca to one side and picked up Philip withup on the curved wall to keep waric I used in the children’s presence for fear that they would try to iht would have to be an exception

Co around my ankles in a lover’s caress, and I will fulfill your desire

The elely clear Why, then, couldn’t it carry Ysabeau’s words to me? Why did it want me to join Matthew and her?

But power could be sphinxlike If you didn’t ask the right question, it simply refused to respond

Cuddling the children closer, I surrendered to the allure of the air, and my feet lifted from the floor I hoped the children wouldn’t notice ere inches above the stone, but soray-green eyes

A silver h one of the tall, narros It captured Becca’s attention as we floated down the stairs

“Pretty,” she crooned, reaching for the slash of light “Pretty babies”

For athe laws of physics as humans understood them Gooseflesh rose on my arms, followed by letters that shone under the surface of ht, but even though I was a witch and a weaver, I did not always see what my mixed-blood children were able to perceive

Happy to leave the moonbeam behind, I let the air carry me down the rest of the stairs Once ere on terra fir distance to the front door

A brush of frost on lance, toldin the open doorith Ysabeau The play of silver and shadow made his cheekbones stand out and his hair appear even darker while, through soolden There was dirt on her tawny-colored leggings, and her white shirt was torn where a tree branch had snagged it She acknowledged —fast and hard o;Yes, but the hunting” Miriaan