Chapter 50
Chapter Fifty
Waking up the next morning, I swipe Thaddeus from his crib.
Tobias is still snoring like a chainsaw and is probably the reason Thaddeus had woken.
I seriously don’t understand how Theo hasn’t smothered him in his sleep.
Most of the time I don’t notice but now we have a kid.
His snoring is annoying when it wakes the baby.
Grabbing my pillow, I lob it at him, and he darts upright. “What?” he says, glancing around the room.
“You woke him again. Seriously, Tobias, you might need to sleep outside, it is getting ridiculous,” I tell him.
Doesn’t affect my sleep,” he says, yawning and stretching.
The smell of bacon wafts through the house and my belly instantly rumbles.
Walking down the stairs, I hear the radio playing and can hear Theo rummaging around the kitchen.
As soon as I walk in, Theo greets us with a kiss as I sit on the stool with Thaddeus in my arms. Theo places a steamy cup of liquid gold in front of me and I almost orgasm from the sight of my oversized mug of coffee.
Tobias comes in and sits next to me and pinches Thaddeus’s cheeks.
Suddenly Theo turns the radio up and the host is talking about weather change patterns and about a freak hurricane that swept through the city.
We all look at each before looking at Thaddeus, who still has his cheeks pinched between Tobias’s fingers. I kiss his nose.
“Well, I didn't realize it reached the City.”
“Yeah, had some freak talking about conspiracy theories ring up the station earlier, claiming the government is behind the severe weather patterns,” Theo says. I raise an eyebrow, obviously an eccentric nutter.
Theo hands a coffee to Tobias before he pulls out a highchair from the pantry. “When did you get that?” I ask as he takes Thaddeus from me.
“This morning. Got him this, too,” he says holding up porridge packet. We all watch as Thaddeus tries figuring out what to do with his tongue as Theo pops a teaspoon in his mouth. He spits it out. Theo tries again, and this time most of it stays in his mouth as he swallows it down.
“Good bubba?” Theo asks. Thaddeus flashes a grin before opening his mouth, wanting more. Theo feeds him his porridge while we help ourselves to the platter of food Theo made. Hearing tires on the driveway, we wait before hearing the front door open.
Caroline and Josiah walk in and Caroline makes herself and Josiah some coffee before joining us for breakfast. I grab them some plates before sitting back down. “You ready for today?” Josiah asks while grabbing some bacon. I chew my food and swallow before answering.
“Yeah, just a little nervous about what happens after. Christopher is going to be pissed,” I tell him.
“You don’t need to worry about him, I can handle Christopher. You just worry about Bianca; you have a son to come home to,” he replies and I nod. Considering how much Josiah hated me when we first meet, we have grown pretty close.
“And don’t worry about Thaddeus, he will be fine with me,” Caroline adds. I know she won’t let anything happen to him. It was only yesterday she was threatening to eat an entire coven of witches for him. I snort at the memory.
“Well, I better go shower and get dressed, don’t think the council will approve of me walking in wearing Winnie the Pooh, pajamas,” I say staring down at my clothes.
Getting up, Tobias and Theo watch me leave and I can feel they’re nervous for me.
As I reach the stairs, I hear Caroline speaking to them.
“Go on, join your mate, she may say she is fine, but I can tell you both aren’t.
” I hear their chairs screech before I hear their feet on the floorboards.
Walking into the bathroom, I strip off and a few seconds later they walk in doing the same.
I step under the stream of the water and start washing myself.
“Quickie?” asks Theo a cheeky grin on his face as he tugs me to him.
“Um, no, your parents are downstairs,” I tell him. He sulks and I turn my back on him as Tobias steps in.
“You’re nervous,” he states.
“No, I am fine. You two are nervous, and I don’t know why when I have one thing Bianca doesn’t. Magic ,” I say, letting electricity zap between my fingers before zapping him softly.
“Hey electricity and water don’t mix,” he shrieks.
“I have control, I learned a lot yesterday,” I tell them.
Theo pours shampoo on my head before rubbing it in.
“That’s what worries me. You used a lot of magic yesterday.
We can feel the darkness running through you, trying to find a way in,” Theo says behind me.
He’s right. The darkness is stronger than it has ever been, molding around me, looking for a weakness.
After yesterday though, I have something I didn’t have before with my magic and that is confidence.
I know I can control it now, know my limits and know how to use it.
When we finish our showers, I grab my towel before going to the walk in and taking some jeans and a blouse. Putting on my lace bra and panties, I then chuck my jeans on and blouse.
“Are you going to wear that to a fight to the death?” Theo says, shaking his head.
“Want heels, too?” he asks.
“Yeah, but the black ones, the white ones make my feet ache,” I tell him, and he looks at me like I am insane.
“Or I can grab them myself,” I tell him, walking past him and snatching them.
“You sure you wouldn’t be more comfortable in joggers and track pants?” asks Tobias. I shake my head before walking past them and heading downstairs.
Theo and Tobias come down a few minutes later, Tobias dressed in a suit while Theo dressed in casual jeans and a black shirt. Josiah comes into the lounge-room, keys in hand. “Ready?” he asks, and I take a breath.
“Yep, just let me say goodbye to Thaddeus.”
I quickly kiss his little face, and Theo and Tobias do the same. Caroline comes over and hugs me tightly before letting go.
“Put that wench in her place,” she whispers.
Driving to the council took a few hours. When we pull up at the abandoned school, I don’t even hesitate walking straight through the gates to be greeted by Percy.
“Imogen,” he says, coming up to wrap me in a hug. He comes up to my waist, so it is a little strange when he hugs my leg. I pat him on the back and Theo steps through the portal and chuckles when he sees Percy hanging off me.
“Percy, get your hands off my woman,” he jokes, tossing him his bag of candy.
Walking into the entrance, I notice the court is empty.
No stalls, all the shops shut and no people lurking in the streets.
I see Bianca wearing running clothes that fit her figure perfectly.
She looks like a barbie doll with her pink outfit and blonde hair.
Josiah pulls me toward the court. She didn’t even look in our direction.
Instead, she darts over to Percy and bend down to whisper something in his ear too low for me to hear.
I see shock go across his face before he nods.
Turning around, I follow Josiah who takes me into the council.
Tarina greets us before telling us the challenge will happen in the quad outside, which explains why everything is shut down. Tarina then hands Tobias and Theo some papers with a pen that sparkles. I can feel its magic as they sign the documents, their writing glowing before settling.
“What’s that?” I ask Josiah.
“It’s a treaty agreement. If you die, it will bind Theo and Tobias not to retaliate.
If they do, they will be sentenced to death,” he explains.
My stomach drops at the thought. Walking out toward the quad, I find there have been seats placed on the side and Christopher and the rest of the council have taken them.
When we walk out, Tarina follows, handing the documents to Christopher who glances at it before a smile appears on his face.
He claps his hands loudly and Theo squeezes my hand before kissing my temple.
Tobias comes over to me and rubs my arms. “You got this,” he says staring me in the eye before kissing my forehead.
Bianca comes out and stands just at the doors.
Tarina walks to the center before motioning for me and Bianca to step forward.
We have to shake hands, and Bianca grips my hand tightly, trying to hurt me.
I squeeze back and she rips her hand from my grip.
Tarina then takes a seat and Bianca and I step back from each other.
Bianca smiles cockily, and I return her smile before letting my eyes flash gold.
Her smile instantly falls when she realizes, I have my magic again. She steps back, frightened.
“What are you waiting for, start” Christopher yells to her.
Bianca shakes herself out before lunging forward.
I decided to play with her for a bit. Sidestepping at the last minute, she spins on her heels before trying to punch me.
One thing I was good at with Theo and Tobias was predicting their moves, Bianca is no different.
Snapping my head back, her hand hitting air as I bring my foot up and kick her in the stomach.
Bianca goes flying backward and I stalk toward her.
She gets up and runs at me, but before she can touch me, I lift my hand, palm up before slamming my palm down.
Bianca lifts off the ground before hitting the ground face first with a loud thud.