Heir of the Coven (Daughters of the Warlock 3)

“Come on,” Tavlor said, stepping back and taking my hand. “Let’s go speak with your father. Hopefully, he’s come up with an idea on how we’re gonna attack today.”

I inhaled deeply. I sincerely hoped so too.

Between trying to resist Tavlor and making love to him, I wasn’t able to come up with a plan on my own. I needed something tangible to work towards. It might inspire a decision in me.

Tavlor pulled me out of the room at the same time as my father came out of his bedroom. He was dressed in all his High Warlock finery—velvet cape, emerald green vest, tight pants—but he didn’t look like the man I’d met the first day I’d arrived.

He was holding my mother’s locket in his hand, chuckling to himself and smiling like a lunatic. Had he got any sleep at all? Or had they spent the whole night catching up? I smiled, despite myself. I was happy for him—for them. They needed to talk, and now they had.

He saw us and said something quietly about needing to go, then popped the locket and its chain inside his shirt, making sure his clothing hid it. I couldn’t imagine what the Council would do if they found who was actually inside the gold locket.

I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. “You guys all good?”

He nodded, then rushed forward suddenly, grabbing me up in one of the tightest hugs I’d ever had from him.

I gasped as the wind was knocked out of me, but my father held me tight, not letting me go.

“Thank you for this, Ava. I can’t really tell you how much it means to me to speak to her again. Just... thank you.”

He let go as suddenly as he’d grabbed me. I inhaled deeply, touched by his words and the intense tone in which they were delivered.

“I’m so glad you two are getting along.”

He smiled, his face happier and lighter than I’d ever seen. “Like we’ve never been apart.”

A wave of sadness passed over me. Only in death could my parents be truly together.

“I’m sorry, Dad, I...”

“No, no, no...” He waved his hand in front of me. “No apologies. Life is what it is. But if speaking to your mother last night did anything for me, it was to make me more determined to give you the life you deserve. The choices I deserved and was denied.”

He clapped his hands together and looked from Tavlor to me once again. “So?” he said. “Have you decided if you want the job or not?”

I didn’t think, I just answered, speaking from the heart. “I want it.”

I blinked in surprise. My first instinct was to look at Tavlor, but I couldn’t bring myself to do just that.

My father’s eyebrows fluttered.

“Are you sure?” he asked. He didn’t seem to be doubting my choice, but giving me a moment to reconsider what I had said.

“Yes. I am.” I nodded, my belly flipping over now that I’d said the words aloud. “But I won’t marry who they want me to. I’m engaged to Tavlor, and I intend to marry him.”

“So we need to work out a way for the Council to accept you, without their arranged marriage.”

I jumped in, because that was not my only condition. “I won’t be just a figure head, Dad,” I said. “I want to make changes. I want to right wrongs... I want to...”

My father laughed. “I know you do, Ava, and nothing in the contract will stop you doing those things,” he said. “I went over the contract with a fine-tooth comb last night and when you inherit my power, you can use it as you see fit.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “And if I want to make changes before I inherit your powers?

He chuckled. “We can work on that. I promise. Together. But we need to get through today first. One massive flaming hurdle at a time. We need to ensure you’re allowed the inheritance at all, with your stipulations. Once we have, then we can start plotting.”

Part of me didn’t want to let the conversation go, but another part of me realized that my father was right. I had to focus on what we needed to do today. And that was to get me accepted, despite my request to marry someone of my choosing. One step at a time. I couldn’t rush into things. That had been my issue since before Mother had died. I just needed to be more patient.

A huge request as far as the Council was concerned was my prospective marriage amendment. Especially since the Counci

l believed they would win the hand no matter what today.