Chapter Nineteen
Tulya
Cinder appeared in the common area as I was pouring my coffee. I was still wearing a robe. She was dressed and ready to go.
Luckily, I’d woken early, having to pee, and extracted myself from Donovan’s room, so I’d entered from my bedroom.
There was no point in starting any rumors back home, and I didn’t trust Cinder with any proprietary information.
Certainly not in the agitated state she was in, which was becoming more evident by the minute.
“Are you getting ready? We have to go.” She stood still, waiting for an answer. Then she began tapping her foot—I was on the clock. Playtime was over where Cinder was concerned.
“I will be” was all I gave her.
I was used to my mother bossing me around, but not a contemporary. I’d meant it last night when I said I was growing tired of the drama and the stress.
“Let’s go, Tuvy. My entire life is basically hanging on you getting your shit together.”
I nodded, taking my coffee and hurrying back to my bedroom where I guzzled the caffeine and slipped into a quick, hot shower, washing off any evidence of my evening.
With light makeup applied and a green maxi dress draping over my deliciously used body, I slipped into wedge sandals and made my way back out—to my destiny.
Donovan stepped out of his suite wearing a suit, business as usual, his phone tucked into his neck, head nodding and murmuring, “Yes.” I assumed it was my mother or his, and pointed toward the door where Cinder was standing, back to tapping her foot.
She rolled a finger in the air, signaling she was getting impatient, and Donovan said, “I have to go. It will all get resolved.” He disconnected the call. “Let’s roll.”
I noted he didn’t make eye contact with me or Cinder. It hurt, but I understood the predicament he was in. Ultimately, we served the Minister and our families, our needs coming last.
As we rode down in the elevator in silence, heat licked at the nape of my neck so furiously I had to run my palm over it. I suspected it was not only Cinder’s unsettledness but strangely, Donovan’s suffering.
Maybe it was wishful thinking, but was he aching over not being able to be with me?
Rushing out of the elevator, Cinder spoke the first words any of us had said since leaving the room. “Come on. I checked, and Mag is still there. I looked at his tracking.”
I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her; she was feeling some sort of way over a guy who clearly didn’t share her affection.
“Cinder, when we get to the house, I need you to settle down. First, I have to tackle arrangements for Blake,” Donovan said while we waited for the car.
Whining, Cinder sulked and muttered, “Why are my feelings the last anyone is concerned with?”
Turning away and looking back toward the hotel, I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes or smack Cinder.
This was a first; I’d never felt so agitated before.
Chalking it up to nerves over the transfer, which coincidentally I’d never attempted either, I slid into the car.
Donovan holding open the front passenger door for me, allowing Cinder to situate herself in the back seat, was a tiny bit of solace.
Third time was a charm, and Donovan didn’t need GPS to head toward Valerie’s. I watched his profile focused on the road, his jaw clenched in business mode, and resisted the urge to reach out and touch him. The need to soothe this man was creating a swell in my belly.
Poor Donovan hadn’t even shifted into park at Valerie’s, and Cinder was out of the car, two feet barely on the ground, on her way to Magnum.
She was still waiting at the door when I walked up behind her, watching it swing open and Blake appearing.
“Hi, Tuvy,” the tiny child said, smiling, ignoring Cinder.
“Hi, Blake. Good morning.” I greeted her with a warm grin. She was an innocent party in all this.
“Hi…Blake.” Cinder copied me, pausing between words, unsure of what to do.
All Blake said was a dull, “Hi,” then “Uncle Donny,” I heard her shriek next. She leapt into his arms. “I’m sorry I got upset of the coat. Daddy told me about Rubia and how I would visit and stay at the big house where you live.”
Despite having an IUD, my ovaries prepared to make a baby at the sight of Donovan smoothing back Blake’s soft hair and saying, “That’s right,” his voice tender with emotion.
I wished I could tell if it was because he was getting his way, or at the idea he wouldn’t be at the big house, as Blake called it.
“Come on, let’s go inside,” Donovan finally suggested, setting Blake down and waiting for all the women to walk in first.
“Don.” Magnum rounded the corner and greeted his brother as Blake ran to the back of the house, shouting for her mom.
“You have things handled?” Donovan eyed Magnum, who was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, mug in hand.
“I broached a visit. Let’s call it that, okay? Don’t make it so severe—”
“Mag,” Donovan growled. “She is not coming back here,” he whispered with enough sense that Blake might reappear.
“To live. She’s not coming back here to live,” Magnum countered. “But she can visit back and forth. It’s her mom. That’s all I can negotiate for.” Magnum pursed his lips and shook his head, ending the subject as Valerie appeared.
“Hello, again,” she grumbled, wearing a silk robe and padding around barefoot.
I was sure this was all for effect, but it was absurd nonetheless. They shared a child; this wasn’t some sultry honeymoon. Yet, on cue, I felt Cinder’s heartache multiply, my underarms beading with sweat.
“We have agreed to a visit, and that’s it,” Valerie said.
“Don’t try to talk me into anything more, Donovan.
” She held her hand on her hip and stared him down in a way I’d never seen anyone do.
He opened his mouth to speak and she interrupted him, dropping a dagger.
“She can meet your mother, but I’ll go along.
No way my daughter is going anywhere without me. ”
“You can’t,” was all Donovan responded while Cinder shouted, “No!”
“You can be sure I will not let Blake out of my sight,” Valerie screamed back. “And you can shut up,” she directed toward Cinder.
Blake went and held on to Magnum’s leg, and Donovan’s arm came out and went still in front of me, protecting me from I didn’t know what as Cinder ran to Magnum’s free arm, clinging to him like a monkey.
It was sheer chaos, like every other visit to this house—I wasn’t sure why I’d expected anything different.
Holding a fresh cup of hot coffee, the steam rising above it, Magnum cleared his throat. I did a quick look around the room, noting Valerie was holding a matching mug. She must have filled them for the pair. It felt so natural and commonplace, but I wasn’t about to mention that.
Donovan turned to face his brother, who lifted Blake up in his now free arm, gently shaking Cinder to his side.
If one thing was for sure, Magnum’s daughter came first. The scene felt as if it was out of a holiday movie, except sweat was now pooling at the base of my neck.
Cinder’s emotions were climbing through the roof, and personally, I wasn’t sure how much longer I could absorb them.
“I want to cut to the chase,” Valerie said. “I’ve already stated that I will be accompanying Blake to meet your family. Magnum agrees, and so it’s final.”
My gaze went to Cinder, who was balling her fists.
Donovan walked over to his brother and said softly, “Blake, where is your grandma? Why don’t you go color with her so the adults can talk?” I didn’t know where this softer side of his came from, but it did things to me…
“No!” It was the first time I’d heard Blake object to anything. “I want to go to Rubia. And Mom is coming too, like Daddy promised.”
Cinder hissed. Clearly, it had been a big ole kumbaya family situation last night with Valerie, Mag, and Blake. Swallowing all the emotions clogged in my throat, I knew it was time.
“My daughter has spoken, and she wants me,” Valerie said while looking at Cinder, who had started to cry while her cheeks were beet red with anger.
Donovan whipped his head in my direction and nodded. This wasn’t going to improve; there was only room to decline, and there wasn’t far to go…
He mouthed Now and my fate was sealed. At some point between arriving here and now, the priority had quietly shifted to getting Blake back to Rubia.
Of course, Magnum was still promised to Cinder and mending that was also a main task at hand, but it felt like Donovan had succumbed to Valerie being involved in some way.
It was my moment to help; to attempt the transfer and see if I could alleviate some of the tensions by doing so.
With my feet still planted, Donovan came close, whispering in my ear, “Maybe if she feels something other than lust toward my brother, she will reconsider her stance.”
I felt Cinder’s gaze on me. Do it she now mouthed. With Magnum still holding Blake, Valerie watched us, creeping close to Mag’s side. He allowed her to hold on to him, but he knew he couldn’t stop what was about to happen. He could only defy his mother so much—
“When you’re done, she won’t want him, and he will only have eyes for me,” Cinder whispered to me while I was still next to her side.
Abstaining from rolling my eyes, I placed my hand on her shoulder, running it up her neck and behind her hair, noting Magnum kissing Valerie on the temple and walking out of the room with Blake.
Valerie tried to follow but stopped short with a death glare aimed at Donovan.
I suspected he’d sent a shock to stop her in her tracks—a true no-no.
I didn’t have time to ponder much more because Cinder’s agony was free-flowing into me, and a damp sheen of sweat began to cover my skin, eventually turning to a full-on perspire.
I closed my eyes and felt the pain coursing through me.
Normally I allowed it to drift right out of me.
I’d never done an exchange before, but I’d given it a lot of thought and decided it was better to “store” the emotions in my own body rather than hold on to the two women at the same time, providing a conduit for one to pour into the another.
I had my reasons for the plan, and they became clearer the more I took in from Cinder.
Wave after wave of anger, deceit, and suffering traveled from Cinder into me.
I let it fill every vein, artery, and my heart, willing myself to stay the course.
There were more emotions than I’d ever experienced—if I’d opted to share them in some sort of rolling from one body to another situation, I wasn’t sure Valerie would have survived.
She was only a mom fighting for her daughter. I owed her this much.
I kept on at my task…and while I never wished to do this again, I knew my mother would have me take notes on how it was done for future generations.
Deep in my soul, I hoped it wouldn’t be my daughter or son who would inherit this ability.
Shaking my head for a beat, I almost laughed.
My daughter or son with who? I was not destined for falling in love and family life—
Finally, I sensed Cinder’s feelings bottoming out and I let go of her neck.
As I’d prepared in my mind, I silently told myself to keep everything inside for a few minutes.
Typically, I let the anguish dissipate as it went into my body, filling the air around me with warm atoms, but not today. This was a new sensation entirely.
Putting one foot in front of the other, I found Valerie standing stock-still.
“He has me pinned. Every time I even wiggle, he sends a zap,” she said to me, looking for pity, and I felt that in my core.
Donovan was using his power on a human; I told myself it was to help me. He wouldn’t do this otherwise. I wasn’t even sure he wanted to now.
On another day, under different circumstances, I might have given in to her, but not now. My own system was being overloaded. And my mother was waiting.
“I despise you,” she said to Donovan. “And you,” she spit out toward Cinder. “As for you, it’s quadruple whatever the hate I have for them.”
I deserved that much; I nodded in agreement at the sentiment. I didn’t blame Valerie for her words as I lifted my hand to her forearm. Her bare skin peeked out of the robe, and I touched it with my own clammy hand.
Release, I whispered in my own mind, and the floodgates opened. I pulled the imaginary doors back a little, permitting Cinder’s thoughts and feelings to drip one by one into Valerie, and my body began to feel lighter.
Actually, weaker. As the transfer began to pick up speed, my body seemingly couldn’t distinguish between in and out, so it took in Donovan’s zaps for Valerie as it let out the bad emotions.
I began to feel cold. Not the kind of shiver I got from being near Don, but closer to ice filling my bloodstream.
Goose bumps broke out everywhere and I felt limp.
The last thing I remembered was seeing Valerie’s face contorting in suffering, and I prayed for her bout to be short. Then my world went dark.