Heir of the Coven (Daughters of the Warlock 3)

l plate and started picking up the food. “Scratch that. I’m starving.”

My father chuckled, called out to Tavlor to come eat, then settled back into the journal.

He didn’t pick anything up to eat, but I wasn’t worried. There were parts of my mother’s journal that had destroyed my appetite for food too. I wished I could offer him some kind of reassurance, but I didn’t. I didn’t want to take anything away from him.

“I think I might... retire to my room,” my father said as he stood up.

With barely a glance at me, he wandered off to the other side of the room, going through the door to the small bedroom he’d created for himself over the past few days. The journal was tucked carefully under his arm.

He would be staying with us tonight, that was for sure.

“Imagine having to go home to that... wife of his,” I said under my breath, then shuddered. “I can’t believe they paired him up with such a vindictive cow.”

Tavlor chuckled from his place on the couch and began eating the meat that he’d put on his plate. “High Warlock marriages, much like royalty, are arranged according to breeding, wealth, and power,” he explained. “Nothing to do with personality, or love. It’s unfortunate but it’s—”

“Duty,” I finished for him, nodding. “That makes sense. But what’s so good about Charity that they chose her to be the mother of the next High Warlock?”

Although she’d failed miserably in that one regard.

Tavlor out right laughed. “Well, she is a powerful witch, though not as powerful as you. And her parents come from some of the oldest, and most influential, families in the Universe.”

I cringed. “Oh, so she bought her way into the marriage.” I rolled my eyes and popped a cube of cheese in my mouth. “How original.”

I hated the idea that my mother had missed out on marrying my father purely because her family didn’t have enough money, or power. Or whatever Charity’s parents had that my grandparents didn’t.

Speaking of which... “Oh, Aunt Alison said that my mother’s parents might still be around,” I said, trying to keep my voice innocent and light. “After all this is... sorted... could we track them down? I’d love to have grandparents, assuming they’d have me.”

Tavlor leaned forward and kissed me gently on the lips. “Oh, they’ll have you, don’t worry,” he said, his eyes warm and making my insides melt. “And yes, I believe they are both still alive, although not living in this realm.”

I hadn’t realized there were so many other magical realms. “Really? Where are they?”

I reached for a roll and began breaking off a piece of the bread.

He shrugged. “To be honest, I’m not sure. But most witches and warlocks live within the magical realms.”

“And how many of them are there?”

“Only five, not including the one for the Councilors.”

I snorted. “No, of course not.”

They would have their own realm, entirely for themselves.

Then a thought occurred to me and I turned to him, taking a bite of the flaky bread. “Oh, shit. Do we have to live there?”

“We?”

“Yeah, when we...” I stopped, remembering that we were barely into the dating aspect of our relationship. I shouldn’t even be thinking about marriage, and forever.

I rubbed my lips together, looking away. I hadn’t scared him off, had I?

“When we, what?” Tavlor asked again. His tone didn’t give him away. I wasn’t sure if he was happy about the idea of us living together or if the very idea was dreadful.

I swallowed hard, heat blooming in my cheeks. “Sorry, I mean... I kinda assumed we’d live together after all this settled down. Or at least spend a lot of time together. If I have to live in some isolated, stuck up realm, I’d at least want you there with me.”

Tavlor smiled, though shadows danced in his eyes. “I want to be with you, Ava, but with your role, and position, that may not be possible.”

I frowned at him. I wasn’t sure if his words were worse than being outright rejected. “What do you mean?”