Cora

“It’s all right,” Roger says, his eyes going wide as he takes in my pale face, my scared expression and realizes that he’s freaked me out for the third or fourth time today. “It’s not – it’s not bad, I was just kind of a dick – it was a misunderstanding –”

“What?” I ask, more confused now than ever.

“Listen,” he says, leaning in towards me. “Just let me tell you, all right? II was going to tell you at some point, definitely not like this but…” he sighs, looking into my face and then down at my stomach, and then back up into my eyes. “I think that… if we’re going to start on this new part

of our lives – this parent thing – well,” he says, giving me a charming little half–smile and a

shrug. “We should be on the same page, right?”

I nod, agreeing, but looking at him a little askance. “Did you not think that we should…go into our mating? On the same page?”

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “It’s a little different, Cora – because it didn’t matter – I didn’t think we could have kids

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I frown at him – not mad or angry, but confused…

“Listen, let me just tell it,” he says, leaning forward and looking at me with pleading eyes.

“Okay,” I say, quite simply, taking his hands and leaning even closer to press a kiss to his mouthr letting him know that I’m listening with an open heart.

“Okay,” Roger says again, taking a deep breath before he begins. “Do you remember… when you and Ella went into the desert with her mother, Regina?”

“Reina,” I correct softly, and he laughs.

“Right,” he says, shaking his head. “Those names are so easy to mix up. Anyway – you three were out on your girls trip, and my choice was either to hang out with those priests in the temple, or go back on to the ship all alone.”

Ismirk at him, knowing precisely which one he chose. He sees my smile and laughs a little.

“Yeah,” he says, grinning at me. “I chose solitude. Or at least…I thought I did.”

there someone on the ship?” I ask,

bow looking out at the desert – honestly, a little pissed off at being left behind. Sinclair sent

smile when I hear this, but I

was looking at the sky, staring at the moon, it started to grow…brighter and brighter. And at first I thought that I was

him to focus, and he

voice faltering a little, looking down

but some

startled by the experience. “Your mother, Cora. Except…at the time, I didn’t know

all met the goddess that night in the temple with Ella – Roger met her, and me, but she had only spoken to Ella beyond a brief introduction that Ella insisted on giving us. And at the time it had

she’s my mother too? And that she only spoke to

nose, disappointed. Why does she want to talk to everyone

and brushing my cheek with his thumb. “It’s half of why I didn’t want to tell you, Cora,” he continues, his face all

I ask, pushing past my jealousy

distance a little as he continues his story. “She didn’t come in her bodily form,” he says, “like she did in the temple. Instead, it was just…a vision of sorts, more like the baptism but…not quite.” He shakes his head

letting him know that it’s okay. That he can tell me. So Roger turns back

as my brother’s was – and you have to realize, that that was devastating to hear at the time, considering that we were in a war – and Dominic had just made me

on nothing else but his

a little, concentrating. “It’s hard to know how to phrase it – because it wasn’t precisely words – but

and being a dad, and raising

with surprise. And then I lean forward, finally getting it. “Oh, so you

we could have kids, Cora…” he whispers, clutching my hands tightly. “And it fucking broke my heart to do it because I loved

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said anything to me I didn’t even care about kids

dying to be a dad, not me

say again, my eyes going

goddess told me to be. I want –” He pauses He pauses his confused language for a moment and steadies himself,

very much want this child, Cora” he tells me, pausing to ensure that I hear him,

I do. I really get it. Honestly, I’m kind of in the same boat – I was likewise unsure if I wanted kids. But the moment I really understood that this was our child

nothing else I wanted in

whisper, “because you thought…my mom told

he again runs his hand through his hair. “I was totally freaked out I didn’t want to, but when a goddess tells you to do something you feel compelled to do it – and I thought she was telling me to

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