A Gift of Three (A Shade of Vampire #42)(21)

“And what do you think?” she asked.

I sighed. I wasn’t sure I knew what I thought. Part of me couldn’t imagine what it would be like not to be with Maura, and the other part of me understood what she’d been talking about. I knew we didn’t share the same intensity as quite a few couples in The Shade, but I’d just thought that was our way—that we were more casual and laid-back. Maybe I was wrong to think that way. Maybe I just didn’t understand what real, life-altering, all-consuming love was like.

“It’s complicated,” I replied eventually, realizing how lame that sounded.

My mom was silent for a few moments, chewing on her bottom lip. Like always when she was about to give advice or her opinion on something, she was choosing her words carefully.

“I guess some relationships aren’t forever. But it doesn’t mean they weren’t special while they lasted, that they don’t mean anything. You’ll always carry a bit of Maura in your heart, as she will with you. You’ll have learned a lot, about how to be a partner, about how to put someone’s needs before your own—whether you realize it now or not. All that you can take into the next relationship, when you’re ready.” She smiled at me, straightening my tie. “You’ve grown into an amazing young man, Field. I’m proud of you, so is your father. When you’re ready to start dating again, or when you find your own ‘forever,’ whoever it is will be lucky to have you—and when it’s the right person, you’ll know, and you won’t ever want to let go. You’ll fight for them. Trust me.”

I felt a lump forming at the back of my throat. The second of the day.

I tried to shake off the waves of emotion. It had been too long a day already.

“I think I’ll have a break from women for a while,” I muttered, already weary at her suggestion of dating others.

“Of course,” she replied instantly. “Work out what it is that you want first, before jumping into anything else.”

“I will,” I promised. I hadn’t the faintest clue what I wanted right now. Other than to be single for a really, really long time. Maybe I needed to take some tips from Phoenix in that department—he seemed able to enjoy the company of the opposite sex without getting entangled too deeply…then again, maybe not. I smiled to myself. Phoenix’s style wasn’t really mine.

Grace and Lawrence came into view, weaving their way through the dance floor till they reached us.

“Did you go in the maze?” Grace asked excitedly. “I was lost in there for about an hour. I tried to drag Hazel with me, but she point-blank refused.”

“Shall we try one?” my mom asked, looking up at me.

“Let’s do it,” Lawrence said with a grin. “All of us.”

I shrugged. Why not? Maybe family time was what I needed right now… as well as keeping clear of my Hawk brothers’ raging testosterone and their affinity for the perfectly-formed fae.





Serena





[Hazel and Tejus’s daughter]




Oh. My. God.

I couldn’t believe what I’d just overheard.

Leaping up from my seat, I searched the crowds for Aida. If Field had broken up with Maura for good, she’d want to know right away. I moved off toward the dance floor to see if she was still with the fae boy who had picked her up earlier, but I couldn’t see either of them. Accidentally, I bashed into Victoria, who was moving past me.

“Whoa, Serena—where’s the fire?” She laughed good-naturedly, holding me at arm’s length.

“Sorry!” I blustered. “Just trying to find Aida.”

“She’s around here somewhere,” Victoria replied. “I saw her dancing with a rather handsome-looking fae earlier.” She winked at me, smiling to herself before being called for by her mother, Vivienne.

I carried on, weaving my way through the couples on the dance floor, but moving at a slower pace. The interruption was enough to make me rethink my actions. I was treating Field’s heartbreak like gossip when it really wasn’t. By the sounds of it, Field was devastated by the news, and my heart went out to him. And Maura. They had been together, albeit on and off, for ages. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to share so much history with someone and then have it all end like that. A few words spoken, and then bam—the world as you knew it, over.

I would tell Aida—I knew her feelings for the Hawk were genuine—but I would do it tactfully, not rushing over and divulging the news breathlessly. Still. I couldn’t help the adrenaline running through me as I thought that my friend might finally have a chance with the man of her dreams.

I spied Aida through the crowds. One of the ice sculptures flared up suddenly, capturing the image of Aida and the hot fae sitting at one of the banquet tables, their heads leaned toward one another as they absent-mindedly picked food off their plates.

“Serena, now’s your chance.” Jovi appeared next to me, his eyes lit with good humor.

“My chance for what?” I asked, slightly taken aback by his sudden appearance and how cool he looked in formal wear. His white shirt contrasted with his slightly tan skin and the dark stubble that covered his jaw. For once, his hair was neatly combed back—giving him a slightly less feral appearance than usual. I actually thought Jovi looked better when he was unkempt, but this made a nice change.