Eternal Promise: (The Cursed Series, Book 5) Read online

  Thank God he didn’t feel the need to spell it out for me. I was well aware of what happened, too, and the last thing I wanted to do was discuss it in any sort of detail with Trent’s father. Talk about awkward.

  “But you’ve now made your choice, and I’ll make sure everyone here respects that,” Sean continued.

  I nodded again, unsure what to say. I never expected this type of heart-to-heart with my future father-in-law, or that he’d defend me like this.

  “I have never seen Trent as happy as he is when he’s with you.” Sean reached over and placed his hand on mine. “I couldn’t have chosen anyone more perfect for him.”

  I smiled despite the tears now pooling in my eyes. “That means a lot. Thank you.”

  Sean patted my hand, then stood. He smiled and left the room. I exhaled loudly and leaned back on the couch. That had been unexpected, but I was glad Sean had spoken to Jax and Colt. Dealing with Jax on his own was bad enough, but now that he had Colt spurring him on… things were only going to get more complicated.

  A moment later, Trent returned, and he was smiling. That was a good sign.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  “It is now.” He held his hand out to me. “That was Isach. He’s going to meet us at Ivy’s in half an hour.”

  My eyes widened. “Ivy’s?”

  “Yes. We did agree last night that we’d talk to her, right?” he asked, genuine confusion coloring his tone.

  “Yeah, but I didn’t think you meant talk to her today,” I said.

  “Is there a reason we should wait?” he asked.

  “Nope,” I said. I’d been incredibly upset when I thought Trent didn’t want to have a child with me; he hadn’t even been willing to discuss the possibility, but now he was, and I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity.

  I took his still proffered hand, and he pulled me to my feet. I expected him to wrap his arms around me and kiss me, but instead, he laced our fingers and tugged me toward the kitchen. Everyone was still seated around the table.

  “Chloe and I are heading out for a little while,” Trent said.

  “Don’t be too long,” Whitney said, glancing at me over her shoulder. “We have wedding plans to make.”

  For as excited as she was, you’d think she was planning her own wedding. But I wasn’t complaining. I’d be lost without her help.

  “You’re leaving?” Sean asked, head tilted. “Your brother just came back, and you’re going to take off?”

  “Where you going?” Jax asked.

  “We have something to take care,” Trent said, his voice calm and level. “We won’t be long.”

  “And this can’t wait?” Sean leaned against the sink and crossed his arms.

  Trent gave my hand a gentle squeeze and sliced his gaze to me, a knowing smile curling his lips. “No, this can’t wait. We’ll be back soon. Promise.” And then he led me outside.

  Nervous energy buzzed through me. I had no idea how today would turn out, but I was going to stay positive. I climbed into his truck, and he was on the road before I even had my seat belt hooked.

  “Can I ask you something?” I asked.

  “Have we really gotten to the point where we ask a question about asking a question?” he said with a light laugh.

  I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stop the smile that formed. Asking a lot of questions was our thing, but he was right—asking to ask a question was hitting a new low for us.

  “How do you know Dante?” I shifted so I was facing Trent, wanting to see his reaction to my question.

  His laughter faded, and his expression turned hard. “What makes you think I know Dante?”

  “Because every single time someone mentions his name, you get that look on your face.” I nodded at him. “And you and Jax stare at each other as if you two know something no one else does. You’re afraid of him, aren’t you?”

  “Anyone with half a brain is afraid of Dante. He’s dangerous,” Trent said. His hold on the steering wheel tightened to the point his knuckles turned white.

  “Okay… So, how do you know him?”

  “There was a short period of time when Jax and I were on our own,” he said.

  “I remember you telling me that,” I said. Though he hadn’t really said much else about it, other than he and Jax had left Sean for a while.

  “Jax and I got mixed up with Dante for a while. Did a lot of things we shouldn’t have, and when we realized just how sadistic he was, we took off.”

  “Oh,” I said.

  “It’s a time in my life I don’t like to talk about,” Trent said, his tone hard.

  “Okay.” I nodded. “I won’t bring it up again.”

  Even though I was curious about what he’d done while with Dante. Had they killed people? Macaih had said Dante liked to keep women to feed on them—had Trent done that, too? The thought of him doing something that sick had bile rising in the back of my throat. Trent was much too compassionate to ever do anything so horrible.

  Before I knew it, we were at Ivy’s rundown house. Trent parked next to Isach’s car. My stomach was in a large knot. We got out of his truck, and Isach met us near the porch steps.

  “Thanks for coming,” Trent said.

  Isach nodded. “Glad to see you two are getting along again.” He smirked.

  Trent took my hand, lacing our fingers, an amused look on his face. “C’mon. Let’s go do this.”

  We followed Isach inside, and I was hit with the strong smell of cinnamon, incense, and banana muffins. Ivy was perched in one of the chairs, teacup balanced precariously on her lap. She glanced up when we entered and offered a sweet smile.

  I’d never understand this woman—she was either holding people hostage and threatening their lives, or she was sipping tea and nibbling on baked goods.

  “Good morning, Chloe.” Her eyes twinkled for a second before her gaze moved on to Trent and Isach. “Gentlemen.”

  Trent’s hold on my hand tightened, and I have his fingers a small squeeze.

  “Please, sit.” She nodded at the couch. Only then did I notice the other chair that had been here last time was missing. So was the ottoman.

  Trent ushered me toward the couch, and I sat sandwiched between him and Isach. Talk about cozy. Yeah, right. I cleared my throat, my nerves from earlier making a reappearance.

  “Thank you for agreeing to meet with us again,” Isach said.

  From the corner of my eye, I could see his back was ramrod straight, and his jaw was set in a firm line. Did he not want to be here? Had he been thinking about this deal, too? Had he changed his mind?

  “Yes, well, we all do have a common interest in what happens, don’t we?” She set her teacup on the coffee table and dusted crumbs from her lap. “So, I assume a decision has been made?” Her gaze roamed across the three of us, and for a moment, I felt like a small child being scolded by a teacher.

  “Not yet,” Trent said. “I have a few questions, if you don’t mind.”

  Ivy smiled, her lips pinched. “By all means.” She waved her hand for him to continue.

  “Chloe and I have already sworn a blood oath to you, but from what I understand, you want us to swear another one, correct? One that will guarantee we align ourselves with your coven?” Trent asked calmly.

  Everything inside of me froze with fear—Ivy hadn’t said anything last time about making us sign another blood oath. I knew Isach would have to, but why did Trent and I have to?

  “Correct.” Ivy nodded thoughtfully.

  “And if we refuse?” Trent raised a brow. His tone was still calm and level, though.

  “Then there’s no deal.” Ivy’s words had an edge to them.

  “And then there’s no power for your coven,” Trent said. “Even when the curse is broken, you still won’t be as powerful as the Zoya. Without Isach and my family, you’re still only second best.”

  Ivy narrowed her eyes, her fingers curling into her palms. Her lips thinned into a straight, angry line. I sighed. This was n
ot going well.

  Trent, who still had a firm hold on my hand, grazed his thumb over my knuckles. “Blood oaths can be very tricky, so if you want me and Chloe to swear another one, then I want Isach to write it.”

  My jaw dropped, and my eyes widened. Where had that come from? Isach’s expression hadn’t changed, which led me to believe he and Trent had talked about this before we’d ever stepped foot in Ivy’s house.

  “We can write it together,” she said.

  “That’s fair. Thank you,” Trent said. He shifted over, giving me a tad more room. “Now, explain to me how this works.”

  I leaned back and got comfortable. Ivy explained the process to Trent—in much more technical terms than she’d used with me—and how the magic worked. When she got to the part about the Zoya, and then the magical consequences as they pertained to any potential child, I stiffened. I let my gaze wander around the room, refusing to look at Trent, though I could feel his body tensing.

  When Ivy finally stopped talking, Trent asked, “What, exactly, do you mean when you say you want us to align with your coven?” His tone was so cold it made me shiver.

  “It means we’ll work together to defeat the Zoya and to protect your child. And, should any other threats arise in the future, we can count on you to be our allies,” Ivy said.

  “And by protect our child, you mean you want access to its magic,” Trent said, his tone accusatory.

  “Wait, what?” I said, sitting up straight. “That wasn’t part of the deal, Ivy. You never said that.”

  Letting her have any access to a child of mine was just as bad as handing it over to the Zoya. I’d seen firsthand how other members of her coven acted around her—they were submissive and afraid.

  Ivy shifted in her chair. “If I’m the reason the child even exists in the first place, and if my coven is the reason the child survives the Zoya, then it only seems fair that my coven gets to reap some of the benefits.”

  “Absolutely not.” I stood, hands balled into fists.

  Trent stood, too, and faced me, his back to Ivy. “Chloe,” he said softly, hands on my shoulders. “Trust me, okay?” His sharp blue eyes were hyper-focused and pleading.

  I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what would happen next, but I trusted Trent implicitly. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded and sat back down.

  Trent reclaimed his spot next to me and once again took my hand in his, lacing our fingers. Ivy’s gaze dropped to our joined hands, a faint smile lifting the corners of her mouth. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was actually happy Trent and I were together and doing well. She probably was knowing the curse being broken was a guarantee.

  “There’s nothing we can do about the child being born with magic,” Isach said. “But we can do something about the magic itself.” He smiled—the same smile he’d given me the day he’d offered me up to Hannah. My skin crawled.

  Ivy huffed. “You’re not suggesting we bind the child’s magic.”

  “That’s exactly what we’re suggesting,” Trent said.

  “Bind the magic?” I looked from Isach to Trent. “What does that mean?”

  “It’s a spell that would make the child’s magic dormant. It will always be there, but it can never be accessed,” Isach explained, and when he smiled this time, it wasn’t creepy or evil.

  “Except by the witch who casts the binding spell,” Ivy said. “Which means a Zoya will still have access to immense amounts of magic.”

  I whipped my head around to stare at Isach. “Is that true?”

  He nodded. “But you know why I’m doing this, Chloe. I want out. I don’t want access to anymore magic. But I assumed you didn’t want her”—he jutted his chin in Ivy’s direction—”to have access, either.”

  “Okay, enough.” Ivy held up her hands. “I think you’re under the misguided belief that this is a negotiation. It’s not. I’ve made my offer. Take it or leave it.”

  As if they’d somehow planned it, Trent and Isach stood at the same exact time. I scrambled to get to my feet.

  “Then I guess we’re done here.” Trent tugged on my hand. “Let’s go.”

  My heart stopped. That was it? We were just going to walk out?

  “I’ve already gotten what I wanted. Chloe’s going to break the curse regardless,” Ivy said with a soft chuckle. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted, so go head. Walk out that door. I’ll still get what I want, and you two… well, I wish you both the best.”

  Trent stopped, released my hand, and crossed his arms. “The only way you’re getting what you want is if I change her, and trust me, Ivy, I’m fully prepared to accept her mortality. Are you?”

  My entire body went numb. What did he say? Would he really refuse to change me just so Ivy wouldn’t get what she wanted?

  “And don’t try to pull what you did last time,” Isach said. “Because of the bond that you transferred, Sean and Jax can’t change her. And Trent is very heavily protected at the moment.”

  Isach stood next to Trent, the two of them presenting a united front. Or more like a terrifying, impenetrable force.

  Thoughts raced through my head, tripping over one another. I couldn’t latch on to any single thought or idea; they were all moving too fast. All I could do was stare at Trent. He’d asked me to trust him, and I did, but that was before he told Ivy he’d make me stay human. He didn’t really mean that, did he?

  “She signed a blood oath,” Ivy said coolly. “If she doesn’t honor the terms of that, she will die.”

  “And I’ll die with her,” Trent said without flinching. “Then the curse will never be broken.”

  Trent and Isach faced off with Ivy, who was clutching the arms of the chair so tight her knuckles were whiter than freshly fallen snow. Somewhere in the house, a clock ticked, each second more painful than the last. The only thing that hurt worse was the sharp beating of my heart.

  “Very well.” Ivy’s words were clipped. “Sit, and we’ll… negotiate.” She spat the word as if it were vile.

  I released a pent-up breath, and tension eased from my body. My heart rate slowly returned to a more normal, less painful rhythm. I once again sat between Trent and Isach, but this time, I was much more alert.

  I needed to know everything that was said—and all the stuff that wasn’t said but implied—because I was officially in a negotiation for my life, my immortality, and my future with Trent that could very well include parenthood.

  CHAPTER THREE:

  Terms

  THREE HOURS LATER, WE FINALLY LEFT Ivy’s house with the agreement that we’d return no later than five o’clock tomorrow with an answer.

  Now, I sat at Trent’s kitchen table, surrounded by him, Isach, Whitney, and Sean. Jax, Colt, and Wyatt had gone hunting, and Karina was sleeping off a migraine. I’d asked for Whitney to be there because I needed another girl in the room, someone who would understand how I felt and would take my side if needed.

  Sean was here because he’d been in existence longer than any of us, and he’d be able to offer advice no one else could.

  “So, let me make sure I understand,” I said, flexing my fingers against the tabletop. “Ivy and Isach make this potion together. Trent and I drink it, and we…” Flames of embarrassment heated my face.

  Talking to my friends about having sex with Trent was weird enough, but to talk about it in front of Isach and Sean? I wanted to hide under the table.

  “You do the funnest part of this whole thing. You make a baby,” Whitney said, nudging me with her shoulder and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

  I gave her a disbelieving look, unsure if I was even more embarrassed or grateful she’d said what I couldn’t seem to. “Yes, that,” I said, clearing my throat. “Isach then binds the baby’s magic, right?”

  Isach nodded.

  “That won’t hurt the baby, will it? Or me? Like, it won’t cause any issues?” I asked.

  “None,” Isach said. “It’s perfectly safe. I promise. The binding spell doesn’t ju
st bind the magic. It hides it, which will make it harder for any witch to sense the power. It will protect you and the baby.”

  “Okay, good. Then, shortly after the baby’s born, Trent changes me, and the curse will be broken,” I said, glancing at Trent.

  He smiled. “Yes. Don’t worry. I’m still going to change you.”

  I sighed with relief. On the way from Ivy’s house, he’d repeatedly promised me he would change me no matter what, that he’d been bluffing to get Ivy to do what we wanted. Still, doubts had wiggled into my mind, and it was going to be hard to get rid of them.

  “Once you change, the Zoya will come for you,” Isach said. “You’ll need to be prepared.” He folded his hands on top of the table, and for the first time ever, I could see how tired he was with… everything.

  My heart went out to him. All he wanted was a normal life—a life he could spend with Abby without interference. I knew how he felt, how he was driven by the need for a sense of normalcy. I’d been fighting for the same exact thing since my mother died.

  “We’ll be ready,” Sean said. “But will you?” He pinned Isach with a hard stare. “When the time comes, who will you stand with, Isach? Can you really take a stand against your own coven?”

  “He already has,” I said.

  An intense wave of protectiveness rose up in me. Why couldn’t anyone else see how much Isach had already done for us, for me?

  “He’s been lying to his coven for months about my very existence,” I said. “And he’s helping us now.” I narrowed my eyes and glared at Sean.

  “She’s right, Dad,” Trent said softly. “Isach’s with us. Right?” He turned his attention to Isach.

  “Right,” Isach said without hesitation.

  “Okay.” Sean sighed. He moved from where he’d been standing behind the chair and sat. “So, what are the terms of this deal?”

  “Trent and I have to swear another blood oath that we’ll align ourselves with her coven against the Zoya.” My voice was much too calm considering what I’d just said, but my life had been anything but normal lately.

  “And I have to swear a blood oath that I’ll stand with the Rose Coven when the Zoya make a move,” Isach said.