Calion stood at the doors to the drawing room, a mixture of emotions. The conversation with Chandrelle had gone well. It was ahead of schedule, but they clicked in a way that Calion didn't think possible. It made his mood high and if it weren't for the anxiety rolling through him, he'd have a rather large smile on his face.

They'd shared a kiss and Calion thought it was better than anything he'd had in the past. He couldn't believe that Elwin had managed to find the perfect woman for him. They talked about the imminent future. Chandrelle understood that she would have to be patient for a few more hours. The requests had to be sent out for the other parents to return, including her own. They were invited for dinner tonight. After dinner, they'd start the preparations. Calion knew that it was more than making wedding plans. Elwin had to protect the family assets and of course, Calion's assets. Merah was learning about divorce and the world that once never considered a husband and wife permanently separating was awakening to a new way of life. That meant that the lawyer would be involved, and there would be an agreement.

Taking a deep breath, Calion opened the door. He was faced with a scene that he expected. Lord Lovaris was angry but holding it in because Selene was laying out the truth. Lady Lovaris was quietly sitting next to her husband while Sarras and Maylin sat on the chairs near them, equally as silent.

Calion stepped into the room and closed the doors.

"There was a specific question that we asked all of you. We asked if there was anything important that you should tell us."

"Maylin being a glasswing is not something that needs to be discussed with anyone and is not the business of those who are not her family."

"But you are wrong, Lord Lovaris. This is a situation involving a decree, something that you have not factored into your argument. It is written in the council law that if a glasswing is present during a decree event, they must make themselves known to the host."

"But I did," Maylin said softly.

"After you joined us at the estate."

Calion wondered when exactly Maylin had told them. He couldn't recall an exact date or if he'd even been told one.

"Which means that you are in breach of the law. We're prepared to let this go on the understanding that all of you leave today without a fuss and never speak of what has passed here."

Sensing that things were turning bad, Maylin stood. Her eyes were wide with fear and hurt.

"He kissed me," she said pointing to Elwin.

Calion stared at her, the woman that was looking at him and accusing his brother of something that was unlike Elwin.

"Twice,"

"I don't recall you telling me that," Selene said. "But perhaps this proves that you lack the ability to keep your mouths shut."

Selene moved to the corner of the room and pulled the plush rope that hung from the wall. Expecting company, Cal stepped aside. A servant appeared.

"Would you call for the guards to escort the Lovaris family from the estate? The daughters' possessions will need to be put into their carriage as well."

The servant nodded, turning away. With a flick of his hand, the guards that were positioned at the main doors were brought in. It was accurate to say that Selene expected this to turn ugly and kept them close for this moment.

As the guards marched into the room and helped the Lovaris family out of the drawing room, Calion listened to the ramblings and shouting. This was going to become a mess. It would be covered in the society pages for weeks. Fights between families happened often. Even their own family was still enduring an argument with the du Crépuscule clan. Adding the Lovaris family would be nothing to them.

As they begrudgingly made their way out of the house, Cal thought about the accusation. He wondered if it was true because Maylin seemed so adamant. Cal believed that anything was possible, considering Maylin was a glasswing. She could have easily dropped her pheromone to lure Elwin in. It was that easy.

His mind wandered through the thoughts as they grew. Elwin's sudden departure, returning to Earth when the gate could have shut on him. He was Lord, and he supposedly had the power to open it whenever he desired but the risk was still real. Calion knew that Elwin returned to Earth at a time when he should be here. He said it himself. He always stayed in Merah for the winter season.

Selene sighed as she walked back into the drawing room. She gave Cal a sympathetic smile.

"I know it's rough, honey, but we got through it."

"Did you know?"

Selene's smile slid from her face. She could see the quiet rage on her son's face.

"Know what?"

"You made him leave, didn't you? What, did you catch them kissing?"

"Cal,"

"Don't Cal me, mother. The right thing to do would be to tell me that something was going on. I would have gladly told you that I was having trouble connecting with Maylin. I've been glossing over everything, making it seem peachy so that this ridiculous charade could continue for the entire season. Newsflash, I picked Chandrelle a week ago."

"Well, you should have said something." Selene snapped back.

"Why would I when I thought that I had to ride the season out with this? You want us to be a family yet I'm never included in anything. I know that I've been gone for a long time, but that doesn't mean that you should keep me in the dark. You know what the worst thing about this is? You kept it a secret from me, knowing that I could have picked Maylin. Is that what you want for us? Me never knowing the truth while my brother is having an affair with my wife?"

"Calion," Elwin grumbled. "Don't take it out on her. This is my fault."

"Well, not you, actually. Remember, you're just the sucker that was dragged into it."

"I wanted to tell you and keep it from you just as much as mother. We didn't know what to do."

Calion dumped himself into the lounge, giving Elwin a grim look.

"Have you ever met someone and thought, yep, she's the one?"

Elwin thought about it. He didn't know how to answer it. Kendall was never going to be the one. He'd known that right from the start and held no delusions, even if he wanted to have a life with her. Girlfriends before her were limited and they were human so there was no future planned for them either. The only one who could have come close was Ashlee and she was just a one-night stand.

Elwin thought about Ashlee for a moment. She'd been on his mind a lot. He wondered how she went with Kendall and the photo. Elwin resolved to ask Raven to check in on Ashlee for him, just to make sure that she was okay and Kendall hadn't done something dire.

"I have. When you brought Chandrelle into the ballroom, I saw her and could not take my eyes off her. I talked to her and I found so many things that we connected over. We have common ground. There are things that we both love. She's been to Earth many times and would be happy to return if I wanted to. Did you know that Chandrelle is a homebody like me?"

"No," Elwin said.

"Well, she is. She likes to have dinner parties with friends who she said I would enjoy the company of. Chandrelle loves to cook and she's good at it. We've had a few meals that she's made. I couldn't help it, you know. I was there helping her. Me. In the kitchen. Can you believe it?"

Selene shook her head with amusement.

"We're happy for you, darling. Lady Iralan is a lovely woman, and she will be a wonderful wife and mother to your children."

Cal nodded. He thought that too. Chandrelle had seen Aleph playing in the garden, giggling when he ran around with a toy bird in his hand. She asked Cal if it would be alright if they joined his little brother. Cal couldn't resist her and knew that it would be a good way to bond with the kid and for Chandrelle to get to know him. Aleph took to Chandrelle straight away, tugging her hand and showing her every part of his play area. Calion watched, quietly taking in the woman that was ready to be a mother.

"Are we good here because I need to do something urgently?"

Calion waved his hand.

"Yes, yes. Please just keep your lips off Chandrelle. Thank you."

Elwin's mind was elsewhere. It was far, far away on another plane.

He was having a lot of regret. He should not have walked away. He should have stayed and at the very least, ensured that she was okay after delivering the photo. Was her blood on his hands? Would Kendall do something like that?

Elwin stood, feeling the rise of panic flowing through him.

Selene's eyes narrowed as she watched her eldest flee the room like it was on fire. Elwin crossed the entrance hall and closed the doors to his study. With a wave over the handles, he ensured that no one would walk in.

Raven stood by the windows, turning when Elwin walked in.

"She's fine." Raven offered. "Took you long enough."

"I've been distracted. Anything else?"

Raven turned, a vague smile filling his lips as he walked past the desk. He could feel the darkness, the divine magic rolling through him in large waves. Elwin paid far better than his tight-fisted father ever did. For all that Barwin asked of him, he was always thin with the magic.

"Mistress du Crépuscule was not impressed when she was given the photo but accepted that the mistake happened. No harm has come to Mistress Whitnell."

"Heather?"

Raven looked to the ceiling as he searched.

"Returned to her coven. She was disciplined with a lowering of rank and status. They will not ask her to tend to any duties in the future as they see her as a loose cannon that is distracted with her own wanton desires. They gave her a task, she failed, she was punished. They are not prepared to take any further chances with her."

"But will they continue to try to get into Merah?"

"The vampires desire another land to hunt but they don't really care if they get in or not. Earth is populated enough that they can actively hunt without being noticed. Lord du Crépuscule sold it to them to get what he wanted and there was nothing that he could offer them. The vampires he was associating with are richer than you. They are the ones that truly rule that world. There was nothing that they wanted from him, aside from filling their bellies for another night."

Elwin nodded. He still struggled with the fact that vampires were real.

"Lord du Crépuscule needed a spy that he could trust but was not known to you. He asked Mistress du Crépuscule but initially, she refused. When he offered to send someone else, Caetano asked her if she would be a liaison for that person. As you are aware, she agreed."

"How did they find out about my father's affairs?"

"Full of questions today, aren't you?"

Elwin shot a powerful surge of magic at the boy. His body jerked back, but his feet remained firmly planted on the floor. Raven's eyelashes fluttered as the wave rocked through him. When it had settled, Raven smiled at Elwin.

"I do like it when you pay me. Caetano crossed paths with a woman that he'd seen in Merah. He followed her and that was the beginning. Caetano knew that he couldn't search for anymore, it would raise questions and he didn't want you finding out. It had to be done quietly. So, he asked the one being that, for some reason, has an uncanny ability to implant themselves into any situation and access all sorts of information. With the loss of the book, he will devise a new way to bring this family down. I can search through the future if you like."

"No," Elwin said, shaking his head. "I don't like it when you manipulate time. It's dangerous, and I am not prepared to take that risk."

The boy nodded. Like always, he had the supreme smile on his face.

"There is more?"

"Tell me if there will be a fallout from kicking Sarras and Maylin out of here today."

"You don't want me to disrupt time, yet you want to know about the future. Curious."

An eyebrow raised as the defiant boy tilted his head.

"Alright. The father will try to ruffle feathers but will soon realize that in doing so, he will expose the truth about what happened and the fact that they neglected to tell you and Lady Rochester the truth. He searches and finds the specific law that Lady Rochester mentioned and realizes that he was wrong. They then shut their mouths about the subject. On a lighter note regarding the family, there is no reason that you cannot invite them back another time. Of course, I would check with your brothers first."

"But her abilities?"

"You are aware of Maylin's abilities, you can negotiate how things will happen here. Tell them that she is not permitted to release her pheromones. Set the rules and tell them that if it happens again, they will be banned from future events. The Lovaris family are desperate to rise in rank. This is why they asked that Maylin join the event. If you extend the olive branch, then things might be better the second time around."

Raven made it seem so easy, but Elwin thought that itwas another nightmare waiting to happen. Was he prepared to invite them backhere after everything that transpired today?