Page 73 of The Fate of Black Hearts

“I’m not sure.”

“Would you destroy the child moments after its first breath?” She kept her attention focused on the cards. “Would you murder Evie, or maybe kill the child before it entered the world?”

His shoulders dropped, and he shook his head. “How can we know if it would be destructive or turn to evil?”

She stilled, staring at him as if to gauge his sincerity. “The witch said…what? Remind me of her exact words.”

“The child borne of great love, forgotten but never gone, will be the destruction of the world you know.”

“That’s clear as pond scum. The child will destroy the worldyou know.What exactly does that mean?”

“Do you know?”

“Nope. It’syoursilly prophecy. You’ve had centuries to mull over itsmeaning.” She placed the cards on the table. “Are you sure you didn’t cast the amnesia spell to get rid of Evie so you could plow through women? And now you suddenly realized you forgot condoms and need to take a stroll through several years of stupid decisions?”

He blinked at her. He hadn’t been with anyone since Evie.

“Then what’re you stressed about?” Cora seemed relieved. “Are all children from you supposed to be problematic, or just one?”

“I never wanted children.” The desire wasn’t borne from the prophecy. The power that increased while a mage’s seemingly never-ending life droned onward was a curse. He never wanted to put that on another.

“Uh-huh.”

He stared again at his finger where the ring sat. “Do you think Evie and her sons, with the help of your niece, are strong enough to face off with a few powerful mages?”

“Between you and them…and me…” She slowly smiled.

Hope bloomed furious in his chest. Cora hadn’tcommitted to a fight in centuries.

“We know a hell of a lot more about magic than any one of those sanctimonious mules took the time to learn.” She winked at him. What the hell did that mean? “They sit in that marble palace they label a temple trying to control destinies when that’s not their place in the world. Do the Fates still ask you to do things?”

“Sometimes.” From his jacket, he removed the Sol Opal and rested it on the table. “The Conclave forced me to use this to cast the amnesia spell. Can it be reversed?”

A procession of expressions played across Cora’s face as she stared at the opal. “You have all been very bad.” She clucked. “Mages should never play with this kind of magic. That looks like an item off the dark market.”

“It’s worse. It’s a relic.” That meant it had existed since the inception of their species.

“There’s a reason you mages are supposed to stay in your corner with elemental magic. Conjure up your fires and winds, or even wormholes in time or space. Leave the spells, relics, and potions to us witches.” She hovered a hand a few inches away from the gem as if absorbing its power. “This is tainted with…” Her eyes widened for a moment. “Why do you think it’s a good thing to break the spell now? Evie has moved on. She has a life. A good one, from what my niece—who mated her youngest, Shane—told me. In case you forgot.”

I didn’t forget.“Ian,” he muttered under his breath.

She compressed her lips as if suppressing asmile. “An alpha female like Evie needs someone to rev the engine from time to time. Full moons are hard on her kind. Maybe it’s Ian in her bed. Maybe it’s someone else.” With a shrug, she took a sip of tea. “You’re not around to do it. Did you think she was going to pine away for someone she can’t remember?”

He set his teacup down too hard. Liquid sloshed everywhere, but he didn’t care to clean it up. “I’m not talking about some lover to alleviate moon lust. Ian Lanzo appeared in her life. That’s a big problem.”

“Other than you having your balls in a wad, what’s the issue? So she’s got some new lycan rocking her in the bedroom.”

“I killed Ian Lanzo. He’s been deader than this table for almost four decades.”

She pulled her head back. “Why would someone impersonate him to her?”

“To threaten her. To taunt me. I don’t know. It puts her and everyone around her at risk. I need them all to remember the past as fast as possible. We have to get ahead of whatever this creature may be.”

They stared at each other for several long moments. If the threat from Ian might affect her niece, then Cora might help him.

She cut the card deck and put it in front of him. “Pull three if you dare. I need to do some research on this relic.” With a grunt, she left the room.

In awkward silence, he sipped the remaining tea, which tasted too minty for him. He expected her to return, but she didn’t. An orange cat wove between his legs, demanding a head pat. He rested his hand on the feline’s proud head. “Do you think she’s comingback, or that’s all I get from her today?”