He wanted her to have my freckles.
Tears welled in my eyes so Apollo"s smile was blurry.
Oh yes.
I loved this man.
Queen Aurora broke into our moment when she declared, "Now we must have champagne." I turned my blurry eyes to her as she went on. "Or sparkling cider for you, child, if you are like my Finnie and don"t drink spirits while expecting."
While expecting.
I was expecting.
Huzzah!
I cleared the frog in my throat before I confirmed, "I don"t."
"I don"t either," Cora put in.
"Me either," Circe said.
"You know I don"t," Finnie added.
"Odd," Aurora murmured as she rose from her place on the couch and headed to a velvet cord hanging in the corner.
I looked to Frey when he remarked, his gaze on Apollo, "Well done, cousin. You beat pennyrium."
Finnie rolled her eyes.
I snuggled into Apollo when I heard his chuckle.
"Um...as beautiful as it was witnessing that," Circe began and I looked to her to see her gazing at me with soft eyes. "And it was beautiful, Maddie." She then looked among the couches. "I"m thinking this is more than a happy coincidence."
Lahn looked no less scary when he grunted, "I agree."
"The women are protected. The plan goes forward. This ends soon," Frey stated and I turned surprised eyes to him.
"What plan?" I asked and Apollo"s arm, already tight around me, tightened further so I tipped my head back to look at him.
"The dragons, elves, witches, wolves and conspirators all are in place," he informed me. "Tomorrow night, you attend a gale. Outside the enchantments on this palace, Helda will be drawn out and captured by Lavinia. The Circe of this world, now of the other one, will be brought back to this world on the morrow. She will be in the palace with Tor"s witches, keeping watch over the four of you. With Helda"s magic eliminated, which we suspect will weaken their defenses, at the same time, Specter Isle will be attacked by dragons and invaded by elves and Valentine. Minerva, Baldur, Cora and Edith either perish by dragon fire or are dispatched another way. We will hold no trial. They will find justice where they stand. Except Helda, who harmed you. She will find justice at my hand."
Justice at Apollo"s hand.
Helda was f.u.c.ked.
"Um..." I mumbled.
"You and the other women are here because our enemies have been told you will be and we"re certain they hold watch so they must see you to be. They have also been told you will be delivered to Helda," Apollo continued. "Obviously, you won"t. Valentine and Lavinia will create soulless doppelgangers who will draw Helda from Specter Isle."
"Holy cow," I breathed.
"The plan is in place. This ends tomorrow night," he concluded.
As happy as I was at that thought, I had questions.
"Can you kill a she-G.o.d?"
"I cannot," he answered. "Lavinia and Valentine also may not have that power. And the elves do not take lives. But they can leach her power, return it to the earth, and once stripped, anyone can."
"You"re sure?" I pressed.
It was Frey who answered that. "The elves are sure."
That sounded firm.
I looked to him and nodded.
Lahn stood, his eyes locked on Queen Aurora. "I wish to see the witches and a.s.sess the defenses that guard kah dahksahna."
"We"re having champagne," she replied.
His look changed.
Aurora saw it and processed it.
Thus she wisely murmured, "We"ll have champagne after you a.s.sess the defenses of the palace."
Lahn stalked to the door.
Aurora followed him.
Apollo gave me a squeeze that gained my attention.
When he caught my eyes, he said, "I"ll be attending them. I wish to make sure all is in order."
I nodded.
He watched me do it then his eyes dropped to my mouth. A second later, his mouth was there but not for a kiss.
For him to say, "We celebrate later."
He was pretty happy, as was I, so I had a feeling our celebration was going to be a good one.
I shivered.
When I did, I saw his eyes smile.
Then he brushed his lips against mine, gave me another squeeze and managed to get in another brush of his lips against my temple as he straightened from the couch.
I looked around the room noting Frey and Tor had the same idea as Apollo for they were all on the move toward the door.
Within seconds, the women were alone in the room.
We all looked at each other.
Cora broke our silence.
"That"s super sweet, Apollo being willing to take you back home so you can have your baby there."
It was super sweet.
Then again, Apollo was super sweet.
I grinned at her and replied, "Yes. That"s his way."
Cora grinned back.
Finnie had leaned forward and was pouring tea as she called, "All right, ladies, it isn"t the good stuff, but since we"re all up the duff and we should mark that occasion, it"ll have to do."
She put down the elegant silver teapot and lifted a china cup.
Cora, Circe and I leaned forward, claimed our own cups and lifted them after we did.
Finnie"s eyes came to me. "To the dream team."
Circe and I raised our cups an inch and repeated, "To the dream team."
"What"s this?" Cora murmured, but still raised her gla.s.s and took a sip as the rest of us giggled.
After she stopped giggling, Finnie explained.
As she did, my eyes wandered beyond her to the fire blazing in its enormous grate at her back. I held my cup in one hand but pressed the other to my belly.
I then brought the cup back to my lips and whispered to myself, "To the dream team."
I smiled.
I hoped.
I sent a prayer to the heavens.
Then I took a sip.
Apollo Apollo stood at the window in the formal sitting room at the front of the Winter Palace, impatient to get to his Maddie.
It was late. Dinner had been consumed. The children were in bed. Tomorrow was the hunt. Tomorrow evening the gale. Tomorrow night, it would be done.
They had planned for everything.
Absolutely everything.
Except one thing.
He heard the door open behind him and drew in an annoyed breath when the green witch glided in.
It was annoyed for he"d called for her over half an hour before and now she was gliding in as if wending her aimless way through a party.
She sent him a cat"s smile.
He turned away from the window and crossed his arms on his chest.
"You called?" she asked, coming into the room and stopping by a chair.
"And you know why I did," he replied. "Have you seen him?"
She held his gaze but shook her head. "I have not."
Apollo tipped his head to the side. "Your demeanor suggests you have no concerns about this," he noted.
He didn"t like that her eyes slid away. She raised a hand and studied her nails as she again spoke, but he couldn"t help but think her nonchalance was a ruse.
"All is well-planned," she told her nails.
"That does not answer my question," he returned and she lifted her gaze to his, her brows arching.
"You asked a question?"
"Perhaps not. So I shall ask it now. Do you have no concerns about not being able to see the other me?"
Her gaze was again steady on his when she answered, "No. If you share with our colombe that he may be close."
He shook his head. "I do not wish to frighten Maddie with that information."
"I can understand that, mon loup. It is up to you whether you choose to frighten her or prepare her."
Apollo felt his jaw get hard.
"It"s my opinion she must know," Valentine continued.
It would be Maddie"s opinion as well.
b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l.
"You"ve made your decision?" she asked, studying him closely.
"I"ll tell her."