Jared sat next to me, and we began passing around the different dishes, fil ing our plates. As stressful and dark as the situation seemed, the banter was jovial, and Jared’s mood was nearly cheerful. The weight of an answer had final y been lifted, and he felt hopeful again.
Cynthia barely finished her meal when she looked at her watch. “Jared. Bex. Thank you so much for dinner. I do apologize. I have an engagement.”
Jared nodded. “Of course, Cynthia. Thank you for joining us.”
She paused behind my chair and cupped my shoulders, kissing my cheek. “It was good to see you, Nina dear.”
I nodded, and her heels clicked to the front door.
Ryan’s brows jumped. “She’s not one for family functions, huh?”
“Not real y, no,” I said.
“Cynthia shows her humanity by way of charities. She’s very busy, but she’s helped so many people.” Lil ian said.
“That she has,” I said. “Is there pie?”
Jared laughed, and Bex popped up. “No, but there is cake.”
“Angel food?” I asked.
“Of course,” he said, leaving for the kitchen.
Ryan pul ed his fork from his mouth, clearly ready for dessert. “So what’s the real occasion?”
Bex returned with the cake, setting it right in front of me. “Trying to keep the pregnant woman fed. It takes a vil age, ya know.”
“Very funny,” I said, but I couldn’t help from cutting a huge piece. Pregnancy was the perfect excuse for gluttony.
“Ryan has a good point,” Lil ian smiled. “You’re in a very good mood for a change.”
Jared smiled. “I took the book to Father Francis.”
“Again?” Claire said, surprised.
I swal owed the delicious, spongy bite in my mouth. “We were there all night.”
Ryan cut his own piece of cake, but handed it to Claire. “So you found something?”
“Not a damn thing,” Jared said, smiling.
Ryan cut another piece for himself, causing a wider smile from Lil ian. Claire just rol ed her eyes.
“I don’t get it,” Claire said.
Jared used his fork to attempt to cut a piece of cake from my slice, but I stuck out my elbow to defend my plate. Everyone laughed, including Jared.
Jared final y gave in and cut his own slice. “Nina and I were distracted. all we could think about was getting Shax’s book back to Jerusalem for Kim.”
Ryan pointed at me with his fork. “She cal ed me today. She’s past impatient. She was yel ing. I’ve never heard her yel .”
“It’s her lucky day, then,” I said.
“Oh yeah, why’s that?” Ryan said, chewing.
Jared put his elbows on the table and folded his arms. “Because we’re leaving for Jerusalem next week.”
Claire shrugged. “Wel , that’s smart. Ryan and I are both starting Brown in the fal , and it’s Nina’s senior year. It’s good to get it out of the way.”
Lil ian paused. “You’re going to Brown?”
Claire shrugged. “Ryan wants to start back…I just thought….”
“No, I’m thril ed!” Lil ian said, beaming.
“We’re not coming back until Bean is born,” Jared said. The entire table was silent. No one moved, and all eyes were on Jared. “The answer has been right in front of us all along. The Sepulchre is the one place I know she’l be safe until she can deliver.”
Claire frowned. “You want to live in Jerusalem for nine months?”
“Not an entire nine months,” Lil ian said. “I’m not exactly sure, but she probably only has a couple of months left.”
Jared’s face blanched. “What?”
Lil ian fiddled with her napkin. “I should have said something, son, I’m so sorry. Nina’s situation is obviously different, but a ful term Hybrid pregnancy is six to seven months. I assume it’s the same, maybe less for Bean.”
Bex smiled. “Now you’re saying it. That poor kid is never going to get a real name.”
I looked down at my stomach. Because of our situation, we had refrained from prenatal care, but I’d just assumed my pregnancy would be a normal gestation. I was measuring a bit larger than normal, but nothing out of the ordinary. Jared assumed it was because of my smal frame.
“So…July? August?” I asked.
“Possibly,” Lil ian answered.
Jared nodded. “Then it’s settled. The closer it gets, the more danger she’s in. We should leave now.”
I shook my head. “I have things at Titan I need to wrap up.”
Jared sighed, but agreed. “Okay. We’ll all take the week to prepare. We leave on Sunday.”
“Sweet!” Bex said.
“Not you,” Claire said. “You have to stay with Mom.”
“What?” Bex wailed.
Jared glared at him. “We can’t leave her alone.”
“But I have to go. You know I do!”
Lil ian frowned. “Jared, that’s ridiculous. You need everyone with you to get her there safe. The second you land, you’l be bombarded. They wil do everything they can to keep her from somewhere they can’t go.”
I swal owed. It was so close. I’d always felt like we had plenty of time before the pandemonium started.
Claire sighed. “We can’t leave you unprotected, Mom.”
“What about Grant?” Bex said.
“Bex!” Jared yel ed. His voice boomed throughout the house. Bex’s face turned red, and his eyes immediately fel .
“Grant?” I said, confused. “Grant Bristol?” No one said a word. all eyes were on the table but mine, which danced in every direction. “Titan’s Grant? Is a…Hybrid?”
“No,” Lil ian said, cupping Bex’s shoulder. “He’s an Arch.”
I dropped my fork, and it clanged against my plate. “I don’t believe it.”
Lil ian attempted to soften Jared with one of her sweetest smiles. “It’s not a bad idea.”
I turned to him, thwarting Lil ian’s effort. “This isn’t something you thought I needed to know? Are you kidding me?” I wailed.
Jared’s expression turned desperate. “You can’t expect me to tel you about every angel or demon that passes by.”
“I work with him, Jared. I…I’m just baffled why you chose to keep it from me! This makes twice today!”
“What else haven’t you told her?” Ryan asked, enjoying the show.
Jared shot a death glare in Ryan’s direction. “It was his secret to tel , Nina, and it’s real y not paramount that you know. In the grand scheme of things, it’s real y minute. You’re being unreasonable.”
“Minute.” I stood up from my seat. “I don’t think asking for a little trust, or having the expectation to not be treated like an outsider in my own company or family, is unreasonable. I don’t think being upset to be the last to know that I’m pregnant is unreasonable. I am tired of you choosing what is and is not acceptable for me to know, only for me to find out by chance sometime later like a slap in the face!”
Jared’s eyes drifted to the floor. I threw my napkin to the table, stomping up the stairs to the bedroom in Oscar-worthy fashion. I sat on the bed, stil fuming. A smal knock at the door only amplified my anger.
“Go away, Jared.”