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  They stayed wrapped around each other, leaning against the sink for support, for several long minutes. Tanis finally reached around Raven, grabbing a rag and wiping the come off his belly and the counter before pulling out and wiping himself down as well. Raven turned to face him and was struck by how sexy Tanis looked standing there in front of him—naked, flushed, sweat-soaked, and content. Those brilliant blue eyes were hazy from exertion but still lit up as they raked up and down Raven’s equally flushed skin.

  “You…are insatiable.” Raven glared at Tanis, receiving a cocky grin and devilish eye wiggle in return. He shoved him back, laughing and bending down to retrieve his sleep pants, pulling them on before heading into their room.

  “Oh, come on, babe. You don’t want to go another round?” Tanis asked, laughing as he followed Raven into their room.

  They climbed into bed, Raven rolling to his side and curling up next to his husband. “We need to get some rest, Tanis; tomorrow is going to be a very busy day. Besides, aren’t you starting fencing with Pol in the morning?”

  Tanis leaned down and kissed Raven on the temple. “Yes babe, you’re right, I know. You are just so damned irresistible.” Rolling over on top of Raven, Tanis peppered his face and neck with kisses. They wrestled with each other for a few minutes until Tanis let Raven shove him off.

  Stretching out on his back with Raven curled up beside him, Tanis sighed. “Night babe…love you.”

  “Love you too,” Raven mumbled, his breathing evening out within minutes.

  Chapter 2 | The Seer

  Aiya sat on one of the large couches in the library between Maeve and Sawyer. Gabry had requested the presence of a representative from each House to come to House Gaeland, so she could share the implications of a vision she had while they were in Greece for Raven and Tanis’s family-only ceremony. There were a few stipulations to her request, though. Gabry had specifically asked that Rian, the true heir, his husband and all of their children be present, as what she had seen directly affected them all.

  Aiya looked around the library warily—a few faces seemed less than pleased to be there. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw her fathers talking quietly to one another. Normally, her mother Maya would attend such things with Cirian, but Gabry had specifically requested Rian be present. So Amaya and Amelia were at the other end of the palace, making sure the rest of their visitors and guest were attended to.

  Li, the representative from House 人之初 rén zhī chū, stood behind them with Cirian and Rian. Gabriel had not yet left to return to House Gilley; he sat across from them next to Gabry, Raven, and Tanis. Leaning against the wall next to the fire stood the triad from House Brasilia. Mateo, Thyago and Alessandra were all tall, beautiful, and intimidating. They were the only other House Aiya knew of that allowed Opposite relationships openly without repercussion—the first House to allow it, in fact. She thought it might be because their Ambassador, Mateo, wanted Thyago as his husband and Alessandra as his wife. But who was she to judge? Glass houses and all…

  Aiya didn’t realize she was staring until Thyago winked at her, drawing her out of her perusal. She might be married to Maeve and committed to Sawyer, but the man was fucking gorgeous. Very tall, olive-skinned, dark brown curly hair, mesmerizing amber eyes, and that smile—good lord, his smile was deadly. The woman, Alessandra, was as tall as Thyago with smooth dark skin that shimmered in the dim light of the fire. Long black hair with equally black eyes—simply put, she was stunning. The look on her face was both tantalizing and terrifying, almost predatory. She flinched when Mateo leaned in and spoke softly to her. He was a couple of inches shorter than his spouses, his dark hair already graying around the temples, but his smile was so welcoming, Aiya couldn’t help but smile back.

  The table that was normally used for reading and research held refreshments—a variety of cheeses, fruits and breads along with wine, coffee, tea, and water. Cook bustled into the room with a tray of cups and glasses, setting them out on the table. As she turned to leave, she almost ran right over the man entering the library. He was of average height and build with blond hair, brown eyes, and a dimple in his chin. When he approached Rian, shaking his hand and speaking softly, Aiya heard the tone of his voice and knew he was the representative for House Uluru.

  Conversation in the room ceased when Rian clapped his hands together. “Everyone, I believe all the people requested, as well as a representative for each house, are here and accounted for. Lady Gabry, when you are ready.”

  “Ummm…Dad. There isn’t anyone here from House Devi,” Aiya whispered.

  Looking around the room, her eyes met Kaden’s. He looked over his shoulder to the left, then to the right before facing her again with a wry grin. “House Devi, present and accounted for,” her brother-in-law joked. Aiya rolled her eyes.

  Aiya had completely forgotten that Kaden was going to represent his parents for this meeting; this had been decided by his family the day they arrived home from House Orion. Even though he was technically a member of House Gaeland now, House Devi would always be a part of him, and his parents were happy to allow one of their sons to stand for their house.

  Gabry cleared her throat and stood, taking Rian’s outreached arm and allowing him to gently guide her toward the fireplace, the focal point of the room. “Thank you, everyone, for making the journey here on such short notice. You know I would not request your presence were it not important.”

  “Tell us then, Lady Gabry, why have you brought us here?” Thyago’s voice was just as sultry and sexy as he was.

  The room fell into an eerily calm silence before Gabry spoke. “No need to beat around the bush, as they say. Nearly three hundred years ago, our world was devastated and almost destroyed. Society as a whole from that era was at an impasse, you see. When God, man, and the elements are not of one accord, these things tend to happen; history has shown us this. Dinosaurs, World War I, II and III, Hitler and the Jews, GWI, and Anthony Smith…I’m afraid we are again at an impasse.” Gabry paused, allowing the implications of her words to filter through the room. Her usually vibrant violet eyes clouded over, a milky white surrounding now blood-red pupils; the Seer sucked in a deep breath as she allowed her body to relax and open up.

  Aiya trembled slightly; watching the changes in Raven’s mother when her gift took hold still freaked her out a little bit. Gabry had taken the time to try and explain things to the twins and their counterparts while still in Greece, so while Aiya understood there was no pain involved, watching Gabry’s face transform still worried her. Sensing Aiya’s discomfort, Sawyer lay a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Looking up, their eyes met, and she smiled softly, letting him know without words she was okay.

  She focused her attention on Gabry again when Raven stood and rushed over to the table by the bookshelves, grabbing a chair and bringing it over for his mother to sit. She patted his arm and thanked him as he set the chair behind her. “Go ahead and tell us what it is you’ve seen, Mom,” Raven stated encouragingly once he was back on the couch next to Tanis.

  With a deep breath, Gabry forged on. “When Dr. Smith rebuilt our world, it was with the best of intentions. But if you think about the world, society before GWI, relate their beliefs and laws compared to ours, they really aren’t vastly different. They are, for lack of a better term, opposite. In Anthony’s time, words like gay, lesbian, homosexual, transgender, and so on were used. Three centuries ago, we would have been the Outkasts of society: the people that chose to love someone of the same sex. Again, while I know Anthony had the best of intentions, his response to the actions of the world set us within a paradox.” She paused for a few moments, seeming to gather her thoughts.

  “The most notable difference when you compare our society to that of Doctor Smith’s would be the lack of diseases and sickness that plagued his century and the centuries before his time. Whether it is a result of an almost complete annihilation of our planet at the time of GWI or the result of the complete reversal of how life was not only lived
but conceived, no one truly knows.” Aiya could hear soft murmurs behind her.

  “Before I share my vision with you, I want everyone to understand that my visions are a shadow of what could happen; they are subjective. The decisions everyone makes here today, then the actions you take when you leave, they are what will define our future.” Some people acquiesced verbally, but a few merely nodded. Gabry seemed to know everyone was in agreement, even if she couldn’t see the subtle shakes of those few heads.

  “What I have foreseen is death, destruction, and slavery.” Aiya gasped, as did a few others. Lady Gabry sat quietly, waiting for everyone to quiet down before she spoke again.

  “There is this thing—nature versus nurture. Where there is a will there is a way. When Anthony decided to basically reverse the society he lived in before GWI while rebuilding, sadly, he was no better than the people of his century when they jailed, demoralized, and even murdered the people of his time that were like us.”

  Aiya could feel the tension from behind her, radiating off her father. Apparently, so could Gabry. The woman might not be able to see, but she was far from blind.

  “Rian, please, I mean no disrespect to your elder; allow me to finish, if you will.” Gabry’s unseeing eyes lifted in his direction as she awaited his reply.

  “Okay,” Rian said coldly.

  Gabry thanked him before she spoke to the room as a whole again. “I have seen a vision of our future, and it is riddled with death and destruction. Marcus was the sword, but do not think for one instant his death changes my vision, as I received the images after his death. The tip of his sword is one of our own, the brother of the current ruler, Cirian. The child of the warrior I now call son was meant to be an instrument as well. Let us thank our God for intervening there.”

  Tanis stood abruptly. “What?”

  “Tanis, love, he’s fine, sit.” Raven held his hand, trying to coax Tanis back down to his seat on the couch. He wasn’t convinced. Eyes darting to the door, then back to his husband, posture rigid, Tanis struggled with the need to bolt from the room to find his son—or listen to his husband. Finally, he nodded and sat back down.

  Gabry plowed on, unfazed by the momentary disruption. “As we speak, Cillian is rebuilding his followers, people that do not want to be told how to live their lives, people that resent the Houses and what we stand for. But there is hope. I have brought you all here today because every person in this room was in my vision—the before, the after, and the possibility. If Cillian wins this war he wages, the halls of House Gaeland will be littered with blood, bones, and bodies. Our grandchildren will not long enjoy their lives, Rian, if the horror of this vision holds true.”

  The quiet protests waged on throughout the room in response to what was being said. Once again, Lady Gabry sat, quiet and calm, waiting for the whispers to fade away. “As a people, we must all recognize that one life is no lesser than our own simply because we do not agree with who they want to be, who they want to love. Is there anyone in this room who would consider striking down Aiya, Sawyer, or their unborn child because of a law? I think not. And that is essentially why you are all here. It is all about choices; they define who we are. If we are to prevail, we will have to set aside some of the beliefs we have held true since GWI.”

  Gabry ran her fingers over the top of the table next to her until they hit the side of her glass. She lifted it to her lips and took a sip, then cleared her throat before she spoke again. “Our best hope of survival lies in the hands of the three trinities. Past, present, and future—they are meant to teach, lead, and follow.”

  The blond man with the dimple and funny accent, the representative from House Uluru, spoke up. “Tell us then, Lady Gabry, which of us here complete this trinity?”

  “Trinities, Rigston, three groups of three. Seven are here, one is elsewhere—most likely wreaking havoc—and the ninth is yet to be born.” The room came to life, a chorus of oohs and ahhs and whos? circling the room. But Aiya knew, as did her partners Maeve and Sawyer, who moved closer to her almost unconsciously.

  “House Brasilia represents the past; they are meant to teach.” Aiya watched Gabry turn to look toward the spot where Mateo and his spouses stood. “Mateo, your love and acceptance which you share freely makes you, Thyago, and Alessandra the obvious choice to teach the other Houses how to fully embrace the freedom you share with your people. As well, you are all skilled and accomplished warriors and those skills must be taught to others.”

  “It would be our honor, Lady Gabry.” It was the first time Aiya had heard Mateo speak. His voice was foreign and raspy, the hints of his Spanish accent rounding out every word. The same tone could be heard in her mother Amelia’s voice on the rare occasion she was angry or frustrated.

  Gabry inhaled sharply, and Aiya could see a hint of sadness in the beautiful French woman’s eyes as they sought out her father once more. “Rian of House Gaeland, your family has definitely paid its dues to our society—your ancestor was our creator. I would like to say your job is done, but sadly, it is not. Your children are our present; they are the leaders of our society. As well, your House is now entwined with House Devi and House Orion; it is the children of these Houses that will lead us to a new era or perish in the flames of our fall.”

  Gabry’s violet eyes found Aiya easily, and the sad smile she was afforded worried the young daughter of House Gaeland. “Aiya, you are very much like Mateo—kindred spirits, so to speak. While he has both married and loved his partners the same, you give your heart to one and your soul to another, but your loyalty and trust are all encompassing and unwavering to them both, so much so that it transcends death itself.” Gabry paused briefly, perhaps collecting her thoughts. It was long enough that Aiya could hear soft whispers behind her. She didn’t like the reminder of how she’d almost lost Maeve a year past.

  Gabry coughed softly, bringing Aiya’s attention back to Raven’s mother. “You, along with your wife, the daughter of House Orion, and your partner, the son of House Devi, are our present.” Aiya didn’t know how to respond; she nodded, taking Maeve’s and Sawyer’s hands and squeezing them tight.

  “Our future,” Gabry’s eyes grew misty. “Our future is not yet complete. The ones that will follow your teachings, your lead, see to it our society continues to evolve and move forward. This trinity is meant to be my grandson, Apollo, the child of the Outkast not yet born, and the child that will be born of three.”

  Hushed whispers gave way to confused murmurs, several people in the room addressing their confusion with words conveyed as questions. Aiya glanced over at Maeve when she felt her body tense, stiff as a board beside her. “Maeve, what’s wro—?”

  “Nothing,” Maeve interrupted her.

  Gabry laughed, just a small chuckle, the sound melodic and almost enchanting. “Maeve, darling, it is not a bad thing, what you wish to do.”

  Where everyone in the room had been focused on Gabry, all the attention was now directed at Maeve, and she squirmed. “Maeve, what is it you wish to do?” Taryn asked, he and Theresa only just making their presence known. They’d been uncharacteristically quiet, hiding out in the corner, listening.

  “It’s nothing, really. And I changed my mind after Marcus was killed.” Raven flinched. “Oh shit! Raven, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” Maeve stammered.

  Raven waved his hand, “It’s okay Maeve, it’s just…it’s still hard to think about…remembering.”

  “Maeve.” Taryn’s voice had deepened.

  “Fine!” she shouted, glaring at her father. “I was talking to Richard a while back about splicing both Aiyan’s and Kaden’s DNA for the child I’m supposed to carry. Then our baby can truly be ours, all three of ours. But then Marcus flipped shit and everything we found after he died—Apollo, Cillian, the DNA splicing and manipulation…” Maeve turned to look at Aiyan and Kaden. “I don’t want any child we would have to be born under that stigma, so I told Richard I decided to go the traditional route.” Richard was the current Geneticist within T
he Order.

  Taryn, Theresa, Tanis, and Cirian were all talking over each other; peppering Maeve with questions. Aiyan and Kaden sat, staring at her, completely dumbfounded. Gabry got up from her chair and moved over to sit on the table, between the couches, right in front of Maeve. Aiya shook her head, smiling. The woman was blind and yet she walked across the room, between a couch, people’s legs, and a table without bumping into a damn thing.

  She took Maeve’s hand in hers. “Listen to me, Maeve. You, Aiyan, and Kaden are not Marcus. Your three hearts are in this for the right reasons, so I would urge you to reconsider your decision. The significance of the trinity cannot be overlooked here, three groups of three, and then the three of you having a child together would complete the third trinity. It seems like a sign to me, Maeve.”