Bo whispered, “Dinner is delicious, cante skuye.”

“Thank you,” Raven said, staring into his eyes.

“Later. You can thank me later,” he whispered.

Tobias sat back down. “You said he’s doing this the same way HIV is spread.” He drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair. “Raven, do you think he could be creating some sort of virus?”

“It’s possible. I’ll have to make a few more calls to some friends in San Francisco. Frank said Laroque was doing research there years ago. I started digging around, and my old college roommate called me back right before I started cooking dinner. It doesn’t sound promising. She said she’s going to get back to me if any more information comes up.”

“What about the girl, Jade?” Bo brought up the subject that made Tobias shift in his seat.

Tobias cut into the juicy meat, slightly nervous. He set down his fork. Tobias made an art form out of seemingly eating a meal. In reality, he’d only taken a bite or two at most. “I would have to assume she is like her father. She hasn’t tried to escape, and from what I’ve heard, he loves her a great deal.”

“How can you be sure she’s like her father? She carries Mom’s genes, too.”

“I hope for her sake she doesn’t,” Tobias said forlornly. He changed the topic. “How are your parents, Bo?”

“Fine. They’re with my sisters in Colorado. They’re all coming in for the big ceremony on the thirty-first.”

Tobias smiled. “It’ll be good to see them again. Your grandfather and I talk quite often.”

That was Lamai speak meaning Bo’s grandfather Matoskah and Raven’s father met in the dreamtime.

No one knew exactly how old Bo’s grandfather was, but he and Tobias had known each other for a long time.

Bo cleaned up after dinner, and a half-hour later they all drove up to Town Hall in Raven’s car. Tobias tried to make idle chatter on the way. He wanted to ignore the feelings of dread, which took root inside. He couldn’t.

In front of Town Hall, a large bonfire burned in a cast iron cauldron that was over one hundred years old. The roads glowed with orange lights, and minstrels played on almost every street corner.

A horse-drawn wagon carried Julianna and Solaris, with Nathaniel-a wizard of sorts-guiding the horses down the street. The wagon overflowed with cornstalks, potatoes, apples and pumpkins. Solaris and Julianna tossed candy to the children walking beside them.

Music filled the air as others followed on foot, playing fiddles and pennywhistles. The parade started at Town Hall and would end at Three Maidens Marina, a five-mile journey across the island. Townspeople dressed in long cloaks with pointed hats, while some painted their faces to resemble skeletons, devils, angels, scarecrows or mermaids. A few wore sheer fairy wings, and when they caught the light just right, their auras glowed. Those were the real fae.

“Hey, Raven…here’re some beads!” Julianna called, tossing a few necklaces to her.

“Thanks, Jules,” she shouted in reply, winding the beads around her neck.

People draped themselves with gems the colors of autumn and necklaces made of acorns. Some children from Bo’s clan had their faces painted with the images of their alter egos. A few of the little shape shifters appeared as tigers, wolves and bears. Jaguars, hawks and owls represented other clans.

Tobias joined Frank on the front lawn of Town Hall, by the fire. Emerald flirted with Raven’s father. Her blonde hair fell in waves down her back, and her aura pulsed in shades of crimson.

She was in love.

Emerald’s magick helped keep Raven’s father safe-not that he needed it. In his way, he did love the beautiful fae.

Tobias spent a lot of time with Emerald whenever he came to visit. She held a special place in his heart. Still, Raven knew her mother would always haunt his dreams.

Emerald’s sister Iris, on the other hand, had to deal with Emerald after Tobias departed. Iris had confided to Raven a few months earlier how Emerald pined away for hours after each time he left. For weeks after, Emerald would try to come up with something magickal to bring him back and keep Tobias on the island.

Iris had even mentioned to Raven that Emerald wanted to bear his child. Emerald confessed to Iris that she thought it would fill the void left by Nicolette.

She had miscarried twice. It wasn’t easy for Lamai to have children with humans or other magickal beings.

Tobias had hinted at having other children. Raven assumed throughout his long life he’d had to have fathered more than a few. Some had probably died a long time ago. Born of mortal women, each had his or her Achilles’ heel, just as she had. Tobias found her mother’s reincarnated soul lifetime after lifetime. She’d often ask her father to talk about when he’d first met her mother. He always promised he would, but never did. And so she wondered when Tobias would tell that story, along with countless others. Raven sensed there were many stories to tell. She also suspected there were a few full-blooded Lamai brothers or sisters out there.

Raven was shocked to hear her father had been on the island other times and not visited her. Then again, she was always disappointed in some way with her father. Her mother’s death had changed Raven’s life in so many respects. She often wondered how her relationship with her father would have been had her mother lived. Would it be the same, better-or maybe worse? There was no magick to mend a broken heart. Only time could do that. And time was something that Tobias never seemed to lack.

Raven was enjoying the festivities of the first Night of the Parades when she heard a high pitched voice cry out.

“I’m pregnant, Tobias!” Emerald screeched as she flung herself into his arms. “I just found out. Dr. Odin called me on my cell phone with the news.”

Raven turned and caught a glimmer of tears in her father’s eyes.

Tobias spun Emerald around in his gentle embrace.

“Oh, Emmie, that’s wonderful news!” Iris joined in the celebration, literally jumping for joy as Tobias hugged Emerald. This was the first real display of affection Raven had seen between her father and Emerald. It was long overdue, in Raven’s opinion.

“Are you okay? Is the baby healthy?” Tobias asked, stroking Emerald’s cheek.

“Yes! He said the blood tests came back fantastic, and there’s very little chance of miscarriage. My hormone levels are high, and that’s a good sign. Oh, baby… I’m so happy!” Emerald cried as she buried her face in Tobias’s neck. Raven walked over to her father. Emerald opened her arms to gather her into their embrace. The three hugged. “I’m really happy for you…both,” Raven whispered.

Tobias took a velvet box from his pocket, gave Raven a wink and got down on one knee. Emerald’s eyes spilled over with more tears of joy.

Raven made a valiant attempt to fight back the tears. Her throat closed and she clenched her hands, shoving them into her jacket pockets. Once more she was an outsider in her father’s life. Why hadn’t he told her he was planning on proposing?

“I was going to ask you at the festival on the thirty-first, but now seems like the perfect moment. Marry me, Emmie?” Tobias took out a huge, pear-shaped emerald, surrounded by tiny diamonds. It was beautiful. Emerald just stood there, nodding.

Finally, she exclaimed, “Y-yes… I will marry you.”

Bo walked up behind Raven and wrapped his arms around her waist as she watched her father hold his bride-to-be. “Talk about stealing our thunder,” Raven whispered to Bo.

“We’ll be next, my love,” Bo murmured in her ear.

“Sparkling cider for all,” Iris called out as she hugged her sister once more.

Bo and Raven joined the walk to the marina, sipping some wassail that Solaris supplied along the way.