Page 60 of The Arcane God

She smiled. “Oh, it did. I just…worried I might wake up to find it was all a dream,” she said, seeming contemplative. “You know, in the nine years we were apart, I used to have this recurring dream about you.”

“You did? What would happen?” he asked, saddened by how much time they had lost during those years of separation.

“I went with you over the Chasm Mountains to find your home in Yalta. We would be hiking through the deep snow, struggling up the mountainside, and I would get stuck, or fall down. I would call back to you for help, only when I turned around, you were gone, and I was lost and alone in the wilderness.”

Ty didn’t even know what to say to that. It broke his heart that even in a dream, he couldn’t always be there for her—that he hadn’t been there for her. And it wasn’t because he didn’t want to, but it seemed like, even in real life, there were always circumstances beyond his control. In that moment, he’d never been more acutely aware of the fact that he was just a man and could no more choose his fate than anyone else.

“Kind of prophetic, I guess,” he said sadly.

“Yes, I was thinking the same thing,” she said, snuggling deeper into him. “But you found me again.”

“I did,” he said, stroking her long hair down her back. “I always will.”

Suddenly, in the raised bump of her abdomen between them, he felt a tiny movement. Almost too shocked to speak, he looked down between their bodies. “Was that…what I think it was?” he asked in awe.

Ena laughed, the sound of it joyful, though not quite carefree. “Yes,” she said. “That’s your child in there.”

Ty’s heart swelled more than he ever thought possible at those words, and at the tiny flutter of movement he’d felt. “That’s incredible,” he said, placing his hands on her stomach in reverence. It felt like an absolute miracle beyond comprehension, and he was in awe of her. “How are you feeling this morning? With the cravings?” he asked, needing to be there for her while she grew him this gift.

“Good,” she said. “Wonderful, actually. I haven’t felt this satisfied in months. I guess…it really is true. I am part stryx, and you’re my bloodmatch. Your blood was what I needed.”

The way she said it made him think that she wasn’t entirely happy about that fact. He understood, of course—it was a lot to find out so late in life that you are something different than you’d always thought you were.

“Does that mean that you can Change, too?” Ty asked cautiously.

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it. I was so focused on getting rid of the bloodlust that I didn’t even consider what else being part stryx could mean,” she said.

“If it’s possible, do you think you would want to?” he asked. In his mind, having another power, especially one like that, would be an asset. Not to mention, it was cool as fuck.

“I…I don’t know,” Ena admitted quietly.

“Maybe you should talk to one of them about it,” he suggested. “So you can see if it’s even possible.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” she responded reluctantly. “I could talk to Max. He was the one who helped me realize what the bloodlust was in the first place. Him and…Kaya.”

Ty’s stomach seized. He’d known, theoretically, that his mother was here, but he’d intentionally avoided thinking about meeting her. He’d been so focused on reuniting with Ena—that had been his number one goal, eclipsing all other thoughts—but now…

His mother was here—out there, somewhere—right now. And he could go talk to her. The idea was so foreign to him, he didn’t even know how he felt about it. Did he want to talk to her?

No. The answer was loud and automatic in his mind. He didn’t want to talk to her. He didn’t want to look at her. The thought of looking at her made him angry, and, if he were being honest, it hurt.

“Hey,” Ena said, sitting up to look at him. Evidently, he hadn’t done a good job of hiding his discomfort. “I know it will be hard for you to meet her, but…from what I’ve seen so far, she seems like a good person. You should give her a chance. An opportunity to explain, maybe…”

An opportunity to explain what? Why she’d left him as a baby? How she’d come to the decision to leave him in a society of daemons where he would have to hide half of himself? Where he’d been pressured to take on responsibility he never asked for, never wanted?

He wasn’t sure any explanation, no matter how compelling, would make any of that any better.

“You should have seen her, Ty,” Ena continued. “When we told her you were lost. She looked…devastated. Just like Turner and I were. No matter the circumstances of her leaving, it’s clear she has a mother’s love for you. Whether you want to receive it is up to you, of course, but…I don’t want to see you push this away forever just because you’re hurt.”

Fuck, she was right. He knew she was. He should give Kaya a chance, if for no other reason than because it was likely what his father would have wanted. He’d been close with his dad before he’d died, and the man had never spoken ill of Kaya. He hadn’t talked about her often, but when he had, it had been painfully clear that he was still in love with her. His dad probably would have wanted a relationship between them, if it had been possible.

He looked up at Ena—his witch, carrying his child—and realized that the apple didn’t fall very far from the tree. Only, his parents’ situation had ended very differently than his, and he still wasn’t exactly sure why. Maybe he owed it to himself to get those answers. And yet…the idea of doing so seemed like an invitation for more pain. Truth be told, he wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted where Kaya was concerned.

“I hate it when you’re right,” Ty groaned, changing the subject by teasing her. He really didn’t want to think about this anymore.

“No, you don’t. You love it,” she said with an innocent smile.

Emerging from their cozy furs, the two of them got dressed and made their way out of the privacy of their tent.