Eternal Envy (The Seven Sin Sisters 2) (14 page)

“I read that there truly is a power exchange during the Pronouncement. It’s even more so than the blood exchange but very little is written about it.” Layla had read everything she could find on the Valendite Breed since mating with Madden and Anton. Before then, she’d had no interest at all and nearly drove their mother crazy in ignoring her Magdalena studies.

“Yes, that’s true. The blood exchange does make it possible for our powers to grow
,
but at the Pronouncement, some of your powers transfer to your mate,” Angelica answered.

“Is there a way to know which ones?” Eloise was incredibly curious.

“It’s usually the gift most strongly evident,” Chiara chimed in. “For example, my gift of being able to transfer emotion from an item someone has left behind is what I shared with you father, Eloise. Tony used it often in his anthropological studies to learn how groups of people viewed their world.”

“He also used it magnificently to help find us,” Angelica leaned across and placed her hand on Chiara’s arm. “Your family has given us so very much.” Both women’s eyes grew teary. No one spoke as they all considered how differently things could’ve turned out.

“Oh, I am weeping again. All I do anymore is cry.” Layla reached for a tissue. Chiara and Adelina looked at one another and grinned.

“Can I help?” Adelina asked her, still grinning. Eloise felt out of the loop somehow. Something had happened that she wasn’t able to follow.

“I don’t see how you can…” Layla’s words were cut off when Adelina placed her hands over Layla’s stomach, closed her eyes and chanted softly.

“Adelina’s gift is in healing. She can speak to the body, as she says,” Chiara explained.

When Adelina opened her eyes and leaned away from Layla, she smiled over to Chiara and nodded her head. “Should we share the wonderful news?” The mothers were beaming.

Layla gasped and touched her stomach where Adelina’s hand had been. “No. How? So soon? Are you sure?”

“Would you really care for us to explain the dynamics?” Adelina joked.

Layla paled and then Eloise understood. She leapt to her feet and shouted excitedly, “Oh my Goddess, Layla
!
Y
ou’re pregnant!”

“Oh my Goddess, I am. I’m going to have a baby.” Layla looked stunned. Then she smiled at the women gathered around her, “I’m happy, truly I am
,
but it’s unexpected. Madden said it can sometimes take years.”

“It is all fated by the Goddess,” Angelica confided. “Men have no idea in these matters.”

“That’s for certain. While the powers of a Valendite Breed are enormous, they cannot control this one thing,” Chiara shrugged, “Our Goddess determines life. She gives it and takes it.”

“And it’s been said the
Tre Adoro
bond enhances your fertility. It’s likely you will have many, many children,” Angelica added. This news had provided such hope to the women sitting
in this room. Eloise wondered how the others would feel. In this time of turmoil, would their concern overshadow their joy? She prayed to the Goddess not.

Layla beamed. Eloise felt her excitement through their bond. “Go,” she encouraged her sister. “You want to be with Madden and Anton. Go. The mothers will help me.”

Layla kissed and hugged everyone and rushed off to be with her mates.

“Okay, Eloise. Where should we begin?” Chiara asked. And with all the attention now firmly on her, the planning was underway.

*
*
*
*

Eloise looked around
contentedly
at her sisters surrounding her. The flames from the fire pit in the center of the stoned patio flickered across their faces, each so beautiful. The mood was more quiet than usual, her sisters more relaxed. Maybe it was the wine they’d been drinking since before dinner. Eloise was just so grateful to all be together. So much had changed in the last few months. She was beyond happy but still needed this connection with her sisters. Tomorrow would be
for
Caedon and
their
Pronouncement but tonight was for her sisters.

“Two down. Five more to go,” Paige spoke into her wine glass but each sister heard the softly spoken words and turned in her direction. She noticed and acted surprised they had heard her. But the sisters
knew
better since near perfect hearing was something they’d each come to live with. “What? You act as if this is such a shock. It’s the prophecy.”

“It’s love,” Gracie insisted.

“Love is a fairytale. We are a prophecy,” Paige quipped back. “We will each take a mate and it won’t be long now. Prophecy says
the seven born to the seventh shall complete the link. And it shall be one after the next in quick succession
.”

“Oh Goddess, Paige, will you stop it,” Amelia untucked her legs from beneath her and sat forward in her chair, her anger rising. “You cannot judge the emotions of others. To each
her
own.”

“
She’s
not judging emotion.
She’s
stating fact and the fact here is that whether we like it or not, we are this prophecy
;
so love or not, we’ll be mated,”
Gemma
explained.

“Ok, Paige
and Gemma
, I’ll give you prophecy but you have to agree that there is a piece of that prophecy that relies on love, a connection, romance…” Layla mused.

“Romance? Are you kidding? Even you tried to fight Madden,” Paige stood then and paced. “You’re going to romanticize this now, aren’t you?”

Layla remained relaxed in her seat while trying to explain, “I was hesitant. I’d never felt many of the desires you take for granted. They were all so overwhelming and I was afraid. But when I opened myself to Madden, and then to Anton, I let them love me.”

“That is so romantic,” Sadie grinned and reached over to touch Layla’s arm.

“Romantic is this chunk of diamond on her finger,”
Paige
added.

From the other side of Layla,
Gemma
reached for
the
diamond ring and moved it so the flames glittered off the many facets and sent
fragmented
light
dancing
through their circle.

“
H
ow he gave it to her was even more romantic,” Eloise tacked on with a wide grin.

“How about you, Eloise?” Layla attempted to get the spotlight off her, “What does Caedon do that’s romantic?”

With a blush that nearly turned Eloise as scarlet as her wrap, she shook her head with a Cheshire grin. “I tell no secrets.”

“What? You were always trying to get the details out of
Layla
and now you clam up when you’ve got something good to share,” Amelia taunted her.

“Let’s just say Caedon doesn’t do romantic. His idea of romance is a text with
xoxo
at the end.”

“Right. Definitely wasn’t romantic how he carried you out of the vineyard when you sprained your ankle,” Gracie teased.

“Or when he growled at Donovan when he touched you to check out your ankle,” added Paige which caused every sister to break out laughing.

“I bet he’s like that in bed
,
too,” Gemma inquired, “What do they say, domineering in the head, dominating in the bed?” Another round of laughter ensued as Eloise blushed. Goddess, she was glad for the low lighting.

Eloise loved her sisters even when she wished they weren’t so intuitive.

*
*
*
*

Caedon stood in the middle of a large circle formed by flower petals in the same grove in the Santucci’s vineyard where Madden, Anton and Layla
had
held their Pronouncement.
His and Eloise’s
families surrounded him. Everyone most important to Eloise was here in this grove filled with the sweet essence of flowers everywhere. Swirls of pink, fuchsia and purple flowers floated from the branches of nearby trees. Tiny white twinkle lights brightened the grove in the early evening glow of twilight, the traditional time for a Valendite wedding.
It couldn’t have been any more perfect.

There was nothing else Eloise wanted that wasn’t before her now. She smiled knowing she would never again envy another person. She had everything she ever wanted. Excitement danced through her veins as she cast her eyes on the scene in front of her. Her powers tingled like electricity as she held herself back from running towards Caedon. She would follow the plan and walk steadily and slowly with her parents.
She grinned knowing she couldn’t possibly walk much faster in the stunning
heels she’
d
chosen for today.

“You are exquisite, my beautiful daughter.” Chiara looked her usual stately self, sheathed in a plum dress with brightly sparkling jewels around her neck. She took Eloise
’s
hand and squeezed gently. Then Eloise looked to her father who stood on the other side. Tony took her hand and rested it in the fold of his arm so that they could walk into the circle as three. Her parents would present her to Caedon.

Eloise
turned
her gaze straight ahead to where her mate stood. He didn’t make a single move as he watched her. Caedon would always take her breath away, no matter what he wore but it was enchanting to see him in the traditional clothing of the Valendite Pronouncement since she
knew he preferred darker tones. His loose-fitting tan trousers and pearl white shirt draped from his body. The collar of his shirt was left purposefully unbuttoned to expose his neck to her as a sign of his willingness to give himself to her. The leather strips gave her ideas she shouldn’t be thinking about now. Later, maybe, she smiled at the direction of her thoughts.

Ca
e
don’s soft brown eyes captured hers. “
What are you thinking in there? That was quite the devilish look.
” He spoke to her through her mind.

“
Definitely not a thought for right now. Later
,” Eloise promised and smiled brighter still. His smile back caused a delightful warmth in her tummy.

She heard her sisters’ giggles. Of course, they were reading her thoughts. Never opting to give anyone privacy, they shared everything
,
and as embarrassing as that exchange might have been, Eloise wouldn’t change her connection to them. “
OMG, you have such a dirty mind
,” quipped Amelia. “
You go, girl
,” laughed Sadie. “
Wow, just wow
,” said Gemma. “
I want details later,
” added Paige. “
Leave her alone
,” admonished Layla. “
Another sister down
,” Gracie sighed. Anton’s grin grew wider and she heard his voice too, “
I caught all of that
.” He winked at her and her blush was scarlet. Her sisters giggled
louder
inside her head.

Then they got serious as Eloise entered the circle and her parents placed her hand in Caedon’s before they moved to the circle’s perimeter with the others. Eloise stood alone with Caedon inside the circle. She took in the significance of this moment. Forevermore, this is how it would be
—t
he two of them surrounded by those who loved them.

Those present from the
Magdalena Circle
called forth a lightly swirling mist to surround Eloise and Caedon. A soft chanting could be heard as Caedon raised his voice to speak for all to hear, “I am so honored to make this Pronouncement
o
n behalf of Eloise and myself.”

Caedon kneeled before her with his head bowed
as
a sign of his respect for her. Eloise followed him down onto her knees, careful not to catch her heels in the ground beneath them
,
and placed her hands in his to form an unbreakable link.

The low chanting from the
gathered
women
rose louder now
. Smoke grew thicker and swirled in colorful patterns around
Eloise and Caedon
; they were alone within the haven created
for them. Caedon used his sharpest teeth first to score his own wrist and then Eloise’s. Each drank from the other as they remained kneeling. They both sipped softly and then
silently
lapped the puncture points closed with their tongues. Caedon and Eloise remained staring at one another as they completed the ceremony. It was a communion of their souls. As the chanting grew louder
still and
the smoke ever more colorful, sparks of electric light burst from the circle. Eloise felt the current rush through her. Her eyes widened and Caedon reached towards her, his hands on either side of her face, and kissed her with every emotion swirling between them, within their veins and in their hearts.