“Well, before they left, your Hera had a situation with one of the Mystics. Her next journey will be by sea, not on a path between worlds.”

“Shite,” Cassius muttered.

“Love is freedom,” Silvanus said softly.

It was annoying that he was right.

“They will return,” Silvanus assured.

“What if they don’t?” Cass demanded.

“Then you will have peace, for you know they have stayed because they have found happiness.”

And he was even more annoying because he continued to be right.

Silvanus grinned like a madman, for he knew this as well.

“If you change your mind in future, we shall take you,” he said to finish.

“I would not hold my breath.”

That set the man again to laughing.

Soon after, they finished their drinks, Silvanus returned to his Patras, and Cass went in search of his wife.

He found her sitting atop their bed, cross-legged, wearing his shirt.

She had her cards spread out on the covers before her.

He stopped at the end of the bed and did not lead into it.

“Mac is going with Silvanus. Apparently, they journey back and forth between the parallel worlds with some frequency, for they enjoy being annoying on two different, but the same, planets.”

She gazed up at him, her hair about her shoulders and down her chest, her long shapely legs practically begging him to uncross them with a purpose.

“And I hate to tell you this, but Hera—” he started to continue.

But Elena interrupted him.

“Journeys to The Mystics with the excuse to help Serena but instead she had some argument or something that wasn’t an argument, it was her feeling guilt she was attracted to another woman so soon after we lost Rose, even though it wasn’t that soon, but I think you understand her feelings about that more than I, so mostly, it’s to see to that,” she stated.

“You know?” he asked.

She nodded.

“About both?” he asked.

She hesitated.

And then nodded again.

He put his fists to his hips. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well, I thought it was Mac’s to tell, which he intends to do, I only know because Hera told me when she told me her plans. I didn’t expect Silvanus to share Mac’s secrets.”

He glowered at her.

“If they seek happiness, I champion it,” she said gently.

“I do too, I just will miss them,” he muttered.

Her face softened and her lips tipped up.

“Why are you doing a reading?” he asked.

And then he took in the cards.

All in a row, The Unicorn, The Moon, Eros, The Blood, The Star, and another Unicorn.

“And when did you add to your cards?” he asked after an additional Unicorn, for he knew there was only one in her deck.

“I didn’t,” she whispered.

His gaze cut to her.

“It’s magic,” she said.

He had no reply.

“Star is pregnant,” she announced.

His body locked.

And he stared.