Reign of Night (Thorne Hill 7)

And I know Tabatha is right. My coven’s council is more than qualified to cast a protection spell. And I also know the demons are going to do everything they can to make sure the final seal is broken. They need to open three in a row, and I have a sinking feeling it’s not going to be that easy to stop them.

“Would you like anything?”

“Maybe some water.”

“I’ll get it for you.”

I smile and lean back, letting out a sigh. “I hope you guys like spending time with me,” I tell my familiars. Freya has been waiting patiently to lie on my pillow with me, and Binx and Pandora are waiting for someone to light a fire so they can stretch out in front of it.

Lucas comes back with a glass of ice water, starts a fire, and gets in bed next to me, grabbing the TV remote. “Do you want to watch a movie or are you tired?”

“It’s not even midnight,” I tell him. “It’s early.”

“What do you want to watch?”

“You pick,” I say, already getting annoyed at being babied. “We have plenty of time to just sit here and watch shows, so you pick the first one.” I let out a sigh.

“What’s wrong, my love?”

“I’m sick of bedrest already.”

“You love sitting in bed watching TV or reading.”

“I like it when I’m not forced into it, and yes, I feel like a shitty mom already for not wanting to lie in bed and let my baby grow. I do want her to grow, and I do like resting and doing nothing, especially now, but thinking of being basically bedridden for two weeks…no, thank you.”

“I can’t imagine anyone wants to be bedridden for two weeks. You’re a very active, very badass witch. It’s a change for you, and change can be hard, even good change. It’s temporary, and we can use this time to finish ordering stuff for Elena’s nursery as well as finalize the plans for the garden around the pool, which will start being dug out soon.”

That makes me smile. “I am really looking forward to lounging around the pool with a drink in my hand.”

“And I am looking forward to swimming naked with you in the moonlight.”

“With a drink in my hand,” I repeat.

“I’d prefer something else in your hand.”

“Or my mouth?” I wiggle my eyebrows.

“Fuck, I love you.” He kisses my neck and picks out a movie. I yawn, physically worn out but mind still racing, unable to stop mentally calculating how much time we have left until the next new moon. If pregnancy weren't wearing me completely out, there’s no way I would have fallen asleep tonight.

Four hours later, I wake up needing to pee. Thanks, baby. Lucas is dead asleep next to me, unmoving on the bed. I pull the electric blanket over his bare chest and tiptoe into the bathroom, not wanting to wake him. He hasn’t been drinking the usual amount of blood from me, and I’m sure he’s not going to want to drink any now that I had a tiny health issue. He’ll have to get some bagged blood from Eliza, or just go out and drink from a willing human.

We prefer to keep the live-feeding exclusive between the two of us, but I trust Lucas completely and know he has to eat if he wants to keep up his strength, which he needs to now more than ever. After I use the bathroom, I go to the bedroom window and look out at the yard. Something moves through the woods, and my heart immediately starts to race as my nerves prickle and fear and adrenaline surge through me.

The feelings increase threefold when the outline of a dog emerges from the trees. If that’s a fucking werewolf, I swear to fucking—it trots toward the house, slipping right over the warding, which means it’s a regular coyote, not a werewolf. Letting out a breath, I rub my forehead, feeling the headache come back.

I straighten up and turn to go back to bed and feel that familiar yet very uncomfortable twinge in my abdomen again. Closing my eyes, I put both hands on my stomach, feeling Elena moving around. There’s no way around it. The stress is getting to me, and I have to accept that I’m not as invincible as I once was.

Usually, I’m balanced. Half witch. Half angel. But right now, with this little life growing inside of me, I’m more human than ever, and I need to accept that…and the fact that it also makes me more vulnerable than ever.

There’s nothing the demons want more than to get their hands on me, and what better time than right now?Chapter 34“Hey, guys!” I open the front door all the way and let my friends in the house.

“Are you supposed to be up like this?” Kristy asks, using her feet to kick her shoes off. She’s carrying a cheesecake and it looks delicious.