Nobledark Academy 3: Chosen Hearts

by Laney Powell

  I told Mom and Dad and Iliana about it, and all three agreed to be there. While I was glad to have their company, the part of me that desperately wanted some alone time with my guys was just withering on the vine. Even with all this quality time, there wouldn’t be time for us to just be together.

  At the end of the week, I heard from Caspian. He said that his parents were not pleased, but that they’d agreed to withhold judgement until meeting us. They wanted us to come to their home, in the fae realm, whatever that meant. He told me that the other guys were invited as well.

  They also want to meet your parents. All three of them, he texted.

  That seems to be the common thought, I texted back.

  They do seem pleased that all the other parents want to meet all of us. I don’t know why they weren’t expecting that, he texted.

  I wasn’t, I texted. I feel like a traveling circus.

  LOL was his response.

  I remembered that he was the one who had someone that was already in line for him to marry. Are you all right? How did they take this? I texted.

  I am as well as can be expected. I miss you, and it’s difficult to face their disappointment. I wish you were here with me.

  I don’t know if that would make things better, I texted.

  I would feel better was his reply.

  Which made me laugh.

  The various dinners—or inspections, as I thought of them—were scheduled over the next two weeks. I thought I’d be bored, waiting for things to happen, but Iliana threw that idea on its head.

  “I want you to meet my family, your family,” she said abruptly at the end of the week.

  “What?” I was reading, and hadn’t been paying attention.

  “My mother and father, your grandparents, are getting older, and haven’t seen you since you were an infant. I’ve been quiet about this because I wanted to get to know you better, to allow you to feel more comfortable, but I would like to ask you if you would spend a few days with me, in Greece, so that you could meet them, and see your ancestral home.”

  “Is this on Capri? Where you met Mom?” I asked, thinking of my mother’s story of how she and Iliana met.

  Mána smiled. “No. Capri is in Italy. The Grotto Azzurra is where we were supposedly born. It’s a special place. My home is on Kythira, a small, remote island in Greece. As for your mom, yes. I can remember it clearly—I was so irritated this human woman, for I thought she was human then—had spotted me, and followed me. I was debating which spell to use to fog her memory when she did something that made me stop. As we talked, and she asked outright if I were a siren, or a mermaid, I knew that she was a supernatural of some sort.”

  “Why? Humans have the myths of both sirens and mermaids,” I said.

  “Yes, but humans don’t ask in a serious manner.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal, but it told me that it was probably going to be all right. And at the time, I didn’t know how right it would be.”

  We were sitting out on the deck, enjoying the sunshine.

  “I’d like you to be able to swim, as a siren, in the Grotto Azzurra, and at my home, in Kythira,” Iliana added.

  “That actually sounds cool. But aren’t there tons of tourists there?”

  “There are. Not all day, however. And we will be able to swim in when they are not there. Don’t worry. That is one of the places that is ours, no matter what the rest of the world thinks.”

  I nodded, not reassured. If I was spotted by a human, and goddess forbid, they got a picture, I’d have a lot more problems than if the Concilium found out about me.

  “Any luck with Violet?”

  She shook her head. “No. I’ve been talking to everyone I’ve ever known who works for, or worked for, the Concilium. As far as they know, I’m looking for any sirens who have been found. And wouldn’t you know,” she slid a side glance at me, “They did not tell me of Raven, of how an undocumented siren was discovered recently.”

  I sat up. “That is shady as hell.”

  “My thoughts exactly.” Iliana got up. “I must go. But let’s plan on going to Kythira soon. My parents want to meet you,” she smiled, looking very young. “I’m excited for them to see what a wonderful woman you’ve become.”

  “Hey,” I stopped her, putting my hand on her arm. “What was with trying to scare the hell out of the guys over dinner?” I’d been wanting to talk to her, but hadn’t gotten the chance until now.

  She inhaled. “It’s important that anyone you are with knows the responsibility that comes with being with one of the Trinity families. Not only does it keep them from being unpleasantly surprised, it helps to keep you safe, Olivia. And that is my main concern.”

  I nodded, and got up to hug her. “I love you, Mána,” I said without thinking.

  Iliana pulled back. Tears fell down her cheeks. “And I love you, mikros,” she said.

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “What? Oh, mikros? It means ‘little one’, which is how I think of you, no matter how grown you are.”

  We hugged again and then she disappeared into the greenhouse to portal to who knew where. My parents told her that she was free to come and go, and use our place as a home base, which she did. When she stayed overnight, she slept on a small bed in my room.

  I liked it. It felt nice, having all my family together.

  Now I just had to meet all of the in-laws.

  No pressure at all.

  Chapter Four

  Silas

  I checked my watch. Olivia said they would be here at six, and it was three minutes to six. I’d been pacing for the last hour, impatient to see her. That impatience warred with my desire for my family to accept her, to make her one of ours, one of the Tomberles, even as I would need to become a Karidias.

  That had been the only thing my dad balked at. “But you’re a Tomberle!” he said loudly.

  “I’m always going to be a Tomberle,” I said. “But I also need to be a Karidias.”

  “What’s the mother like?” Dad asked. “The siren mother, not the witch.”

  “Both of them are very strong,” I said. “Patty, the witch, is more low key than Iliana. And I think Iliana was hyping up the danger, although it makes sense.”

  “Why?” Dad asked.

  “She is trying to protect Olivia. What better way to assess her daughter’s potential partner than to show them the challenges, and see what happens?”

  “And the Washingtons were all good with this?” he asked, referring to Olivia’s parents.

  I nodded. “Iliana is one of their best friends. They’re a family,” I said.

  Now it was his turn to nod. “All right. I’m glad that you’re part of a pack. I always think a pack is stronger. It’s a shame you’re the only wolf, but I suppose that can’t be helped?” He looked at me with raised eyebrows.

  “Nope,” I said. “This is a done deal.” And it was. I had no desire to find anyone else, and I not only cared for Olivia, I cared for the three other men who were part of this with me. Even Caspian, who wasn’t the warmest of guys.

  “Well, then let’s get them here for dinner. It will be just your mother and I. I don’t want to bring your brothers into this,” he added.

  “Thank you,” I said gratefully, and I meant it.

  So now, with less than a minute to go, I was nervous. I wanted my parents to like Olivia, the other guys, her parents. Matty, Jake, and Caspian were already here, out on the veranda, talking with my parents. They both, my dad in particular, were sizing them up. I wasn’t worried on that score.

  I hadn’t been this nervous ever. But then, I hadn’t had this much on the line before, either.

  The portal flashed, and the Washingtons came through, followed by Olivia and Iliana.

  I reached for Olivia, to hug her, needing to feel her. It was tough not being able to spend time with her, to be naked with her. I found that I missed it, even as I was glad to be free from the confines of school.

  “So glad you’re
here,” I whispered into her ear. Then, taking her hand, I brought her into the house.

  Jake, Caspian, and Matty all jumped up from where they sat when we came in, all of them hugging Olivia, and greeting her parents.

  I saw my parents watching this. My mom had been reserved when I told her, and she was reserved still.

  “Olivia, these are my parents, Jefferson and Morag Tomberle.”

  Olivia shook their hands, her smile bright.

  As I made the rest of the introductions, I felt like I needed more than one pair of eyes to try and keep track of all the people. I let my wolf flow through me, using hearing and smell to observe how the various parties were getting along.

  My mother was… reserved.

  Dad was pleased.

  Iliana was reserved as well.

  The Washingtons were pleased.

  I supposed that was as well as could be expected, given the weirdness.

  “Why don’t we go into the dining room?” My mother asked. “Dinner is nearly ready.”

  Once everyone was seated, and dinner was served, I began to relax.

  But then Mom spoke up. “So, I’m not sure who to address this to,” she said, looking pleasantly at all three of Olivia’s parents.

  Oh, shit. I knew that tone. Something was coming. I braced myself.

  “Why is it that Silas must give up his family name to be with Olivia?”

  “Mom—” I began.

  My dad held up his hand. “It’s a reasonable question.”

  I saw Iliana exchange a look with Patty and Roger; it was a ‘I got this’ sort of look. They really were a team, these three.

  Iliana pasted on a smile and addressed my mother. “I am part of one of the oldest families of sirens. We were tasked, by the gods, with great responsibility. Because of that, all of our direct line must carry the Karidias name. If I had sisters, who weren’t the heir, that wouldn’t be necessary. But I am the heir, and Olivia the heir after me. So she must remain a Karidias.”

  “What is this responsibility you carry?” My dad asked, his brow furrowed as he placed his crossed arms on the table.

  “That I cannot say,” Iliana shook her head. “It would be as if I asked you to discuss the pack’s leadership councils with me, a non-wolf and non-pack member.”

  Iliana could not have hit on a more salient point. The discussions of the pack’s leadership councils were private. And pack business was not discussed with outsiders.

  “Is Silas aware of this responsibility?” Mom asked.

  Olivia answered her before Iliana could. “Yes. I have been honest with Silas, and with all of them,” she glanced around at all four of us, a tiny smile on her face, “Because I don’t believe in letting people go on blindly.”

  I looked away so I wouldn’t laugh at her. She had been honest, but it had been like pulling teeth, initially. Now, there were no secrets between the five of us. It was a hard-won honesty. I was glad that it was Olivia who answered. My parents needed to see her for the strong woman that she was.

  “How did this come about?” It was interesting that Mom was the one who was doing all the asking of questions. Normally this was my dad’s place. She must have told him she wanted to be the one.

  “I don’t know,” Olivia said, one of her shoulders coming up in a shrug. “I wish I did, but I really don’t. After my siren side woke up, I noticed all four of them,” she smiled at each of us individually, “in a way I hadn’t before. It was strange, and very confusing. I didn’t even think about it until I talked with Mána and my half-sister, who is also part of a partnership like this. That’s when I learned that this happens with the women in my family at times. And I decided that if the guys were good with it, I was good with it.”

  “And all of you are?” Mom looked to Caspian, Jake and Matty.

  All three of them nodded.

  “There is no coercion here,” Olivia said, sounding very firm. “They are with me because they want to be. They know the deal. They know what being with me entails. We have worked together magically.” She stopped. We’d agreed not to tell anyone about the hellway, or the demons at Nobledark. My parents didn’t know anything more than anyone else, and we, the five of us, had decided to keep it that way.

  Olivia’s parents knew, but that was only because of Iliana.

  This felt like a really deep dive into my—our—personal lives. Part of me resented it, even though this was not out of the norm in pack life. We were all so intertwined, and I’d never thought about it before. But now that it was my personal life—I wasn’t comfortable.

  At that moment, my dad looked over at me, and grinned. He must know what I was thinking. Then he returned his attention to Olivia. “What does that mean, worked together magically?”

  “We cast a spell together. It was stronger because of our bond,” Caspian said quietly.

  “How could you tell?” My mom asked.

  Olivia sighed. “The spell was going wrong. Only when all five of us were working together did it cast correctly.”

  That was technically true. The main reason that the spell worked when we were closing the hellway was because Olivia’s demon aspect overrode whatever it was Marbys had been doing to us. She’d tipped the balance in our favor. I didn’t discount the bond, however. There had been something different in the magic, outside of the spell working as we’d written it, when we’d worked together.

  “That’s something you should practice,” Dad said. “When we work together as wolves, we practice, so that every member of the pack understands their responsibility.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Matty said, meeting my eyes. “We only started to work together at the end of term. We should plan on practicing when we get back to school.”

  I nodded, and saw that Jake, Caspian and Olivia were nodding as well. We knew, even if no one else knew, that we were lucky as hell that we’d made that spell work. Not that it wasn’t a good spell—but Marbys distorted the spell, and had Olivia not stepped in, we would have done more harm than good.

  Conversation moved onto something other than interrogation, and I saw that my mom and Patty, Olivia’s mom, were chatting in a friendly fashion. Then I saw my mom look hard at Iliana. I leaned closer to Mom, because I recognized her dogged look.

  “So how are you two friends? You both seem very much at ease with Olivia,” she said.

  “For hell’s sake, Mom!” I couldn’t stop myself.

  All conversation stopped.

  “What?” Mom spread her hands wide, even though we both knew she was anything but innocent.

  “Patty and Roger are my best friends,” Iliana said. “I entrusted them with the most important thing in my life. When I didn’t come back, when I was captured by those who would stop us, they kept Olivia, raised her, and made her safe. Why would there be any problems?” She gave Mom a hard look.

  Patty was more easy going than Iliana, but both were giving Mom some version of stink eye.

  Which Mom deserved, frankly. She was stirring the pot. It was one of her gifts. I also thought I knew why she had chosen to do this, but it didn’t mean l liked it.

  “It’s good that you’re so close.” She turned to Olivia. “What do you call Iliana?”

  “My mom is Mom, and always will be,” Olivia said, her tone frosty. “Iliana is Mána, which is Greek. We’re all clear on who is who in my family.” Then she shut her mouth and dared Mom to keep going with just a look.

  My mom wasn’t winning any points with my girl. That was for damn sure.

  “That’s good to hear,” Mom said cheerfully. “Clear boundaries are important.” She took a bite of her steamed veggies, as though this was all nice and normal.

  I wanted to roll my eyes, but I knew how my mom was. She liked to push and poke, see what people’s soft spots were. It made her an effective leader, because she’d work with people to strengthen their soft spots, but watching her find them had never been my idea of fun. Even less so now.

  “Okay, now that the interrogatio
n is over, can we talk about something normal?” I asked, rolling my eyes.

  Both of my parents looked at me, surprised, I thought, to hear me refusing to go along with the mind games. I didn’t have the patience for it. It made me edgy and out of sorts.

  “This is nothing,” Iliana waved her hand. “And expected. Your parents love you, Silas, and they’re checking to see if you’re going to be safe.” She looked first at Dad, and then for a longer time at Mom, finally nodding. “It’s not comfortable, doing your duty to your children, but if you really love them, it must be done.”

  Mom stared at Iliana, and then her face creased into a genuine smile. “I have to say that I agree with you, Iliana. I’m surprised to find that I do.”

  “Of course she does,” Olivia said. “She gave a similar declaration at my house over dinner last week. A real conversation stopper.” She took a bite of chicken. “So I guess we have to just get used to this.” She sighed heavily. “If that means you’ll help us get stronger, and help us get through this, I’ll put up with it. But I won’t put up with you being negative, about me, my family, or the five of us.”

  “Well, this is certainly time for all the declarations to be laid on the table,” Mom said. “I approve. But I’m also fond of my son, so we can move our discussion to something less… inflammatory,” she said, her lips curving into a grin.

  She was enjoying this too much. It made me wonder what she thought of Olivia. Both Mom and Dad liked strong people, male and female. Hopefully, they extended that to their son’s choice of partner.

  Dad casually talked with Matty and Caspian, who were close to him. Mom talked with Iliana, and Jake, who was quieter than usual. Between the two woman, I’d be quieter than usual as well. I sat across from Olivia. I wished I could hold her hand. But I smiled, trying to let her know that things were all right. Well, as all right as they could be.

  I had to be honest—I’d expected my mother to be more accepting. This was close to an outright challenge. Had any of our guests been wolves, there would have already been a shift and a throw down. But for people who weren’t shifters, I felt like no one backed down, and they stood up for themselves, which was the important part of this. As was showing my mother they weren’t afraid of her, nor would they take her shit.