Content Note: This backstory takes place eight years prior to the start of Nick and Karina’s story. Some details were omitted due to future spoilers. This story contains swearing, alcohol use, and mentions of stillbirth, parental neglect, abuse, and abandonment.

Part One: Lost and Found

Luna Cove, MA
Eight Years Ago

Nick Santori lived in a state of constant chaos. His life was like Groundhog Day with the same damned, tired story replaying itself day in and day out. It was always the same regurgitated bullshit—pointless council meetings, warring covens and families, spells gone wrong, curses that needed breaking, and diabolical demons and rogues that needed killing. Among other things. His life was one giant, nonstop shitshow of a rollercoaster ride gone off the rails. And yet, he was bored.

The unpredictable had become wholly predictable. Hell, even the demons had forgone the element of surprise, making the kills easy. He should’ve been relieved, should’ve been happy that the universe was finally cutting him some slack. Hell, he should’ve been thrilled about things going back to normal. But normal never lasted. Normal made him itch, which was why he’d thrown a wrench into his humdrum routine last night.

Nick tossed a backwards glance at that so-called wrench, which came in the form of a five-foot-six brunette, who was cashed out cold in his bed. He needed to wake his latest FWB up, but he wanted to soak up some more of the silence first. Peace was a luxury—one that he didn’t get to indulge in all that often.

He shifted his attention back to the great outdoors, where large snowflakes saturated the gray sky, making the world look like a violently shaken snow globe. And man, he loved a good snowstorm. All that snowfall usually mellowed him the fuck out, but for some damn reason—one that he couldn’t explain—he was wound up tight. Maybe it was stress, or something else, but he couldn’t shake the unease clawing at his spine.

“You’re up early,” Freya said, her husky voice snapping him back to reality.

Nick turned to Freya, whose sleep-filled hazels brimmed with curiosity as she leaned against the black padded headboard. She was the perfect candidate for the occasional one-nighter: attractive, single, discreet, trustworthy, and most importantly, she understood what “no strings attached” meant. She had no interest in a relationship that went beyond the physical. And that was how he liked it. No drama. No muss. No fucking fuss.

But playtime was over.

“It’s not that early.” Nick checked his designer watch. It was just five past one, which was slightly earlier than his standard rise and shine routine, but he had shit to do, like work at maintaining the natural order and all that other tedious bullshit that came along with winning the genetic lottery.

“I’ve gotta head back.” He shoved his wallet into his pocket. “Get dressed. I’ll drop you off at your car.”

“Let me guess, you have to work.” She tossed the covers off and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

“Ding-ding.” He shrugged into his leather coat. “We have a winner.”

“What’s my prize?” She grinned, pulling her jeans up over her legs.

“Coffee,” he replied. “If you get your hustle on.”

“Deal.” She hopped to her feet and switched out his t-shirt for her cream-colored sweater. “I just need to use your bathroom real quick, if you don’t mind.”

“Help yourself,” he replied as his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Nick fished the Android out and scowled at the number flashing across his screen. His parents. Talk about your buzzkill. Man, he was not in the mood to deal with the neglectful duo. But knowing his parents, they probably needed him to watch his baby sister while they fucked off to only gods knew where. And Aria was the only reason he would even entertain a convo with either of those two asshats.

“What?” Nick strolled over to the French doors and watched as the snow pummeled the city, feeling his own storm brewing inside him.

“Good afternoon, Your Grace. This is—”

“I know who you are, Ilona,” Nick replied, cutting off his parents’ house manager. Ilona often played messenger, only calling him whenever there was some type of crisis or emergency that his parents couldn’t be bothered to handle. “What happened?”

“Ah…” Ilona cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but Aria is missing. We’ve searched the entire property, and we can’t find her anywhere.”

What. The. Fuck.

Ilona’s words sucker-punched him straight in the gut, knocking the wind right out of him. Cold dread flooded his veins as his stomach pretzeled itself into a tight knot, but he refused to panic. There was a logical explanation for this. There had to be, because there wasn’t a single fucking chance in hell that his baby sister just up and vanished into thin air. It wasn’t possible.

Aria didn’t have the power or the skill set to perform any kind of veiling spell. And he doubted that she’d been kidnapped. The protective spell surrounding their property was powerful enough to kill anyone harboring any kind of ill intent towards any of them.

Knowing Aria, she probably found a new secret hiding spot that no one had checked yet, and was probably chilling there with her toys and books. He could pinpoint her location with a simple tracking spell, but he needed more info first.

“When was the last time you saw her?” he asked, rapping his knuckles against the bathroom door.

“Less than an hour ago,” Ilona replied. “She was in her bedroom and was getting ready to come down for breakfast, but she never made it.”

“Anything missing from her room?” he asked as Freya stepped out of the bathroom, concern flooding her features.

“Her lilac parka, backpack, and stuffed Husky are all gone,” Ilona replied. “We thought she ventured out to the pool house, but she’s not there.”

Fuck. Nick scrubbed his hand down his face. Where the hell had Aria run off to?

“Everything okay?” Freya mouthed, zipping up her boots.

“I gotta go,” he mouthed back, swiping his keys and gloves off the nightstand. “Where are my parents?” he asked Ilona as Freya slipped on her wool coat.

“They left about an hour ago.” Ilona cleared her throat again. “They had a disagreement and didn’t want to be disturbed. I left messages for them, but they haven’t called back.”

Oh look, Mommy and Daddy-Not-So-Fucking-Dearest got into another fight and ditched each other along with their daughter. Shocker. Not.

“I’m gonna do a tracking spell.” Nick strode out into the hall. “I’ll be in touch.”

He ended the call and raced down the stairs with Freya tight on his heels. His phone buzzed in his hand just as he hit the first-floor landing. Nick glanced at the screen and frowned. Why the fuck was Holly calling him? She never called him, not unless there was some kind of emergency back at home, meaning that Riss had gotten herself into some deep shit and needed his help. Man, he didn’t have time for another crisis.

“What’s up, Holly?” Nick rounded the corner, his boots thudding off the hardwood as he made his way towards his spell room. “I’m short on time, so make it quick.”

“Hey, Nick,” Holly greeted, tension threading through her usual warm tone. “Don’t freak out, but I found Aria wandering down the side of the road—”

“What?” He stopped dead in his tracks, unsure if he heard right. “Where is she?”

“We’re at my mom’s café,” Holly replied. “I tried calling you earlier, but I couldn’t get a signal, and the roads were an absolute mess, and I really didn’t feel like getting into an accident, especially with Aria in the car. I am so sorry. I didn’t—”

“It’s okay. I get it.” Nick massaged his temple. “Is Aria okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine,” Holly replied. “She’s a little tired and hungry, but that’s nothing some grilled cheese and tomato soup can’t fix. Do you want to talk to her?”

“Yeah, put her on.” Nick leaned against the wall, his gaze landing on the framed pic of Aria hanging on the opposite side of the hallway. She was all smiles as she sat in a pile of brightly colored fall foliage. Aria had been a tiny tornado of sugar-fueled energy that day. She’d spent the afternoon running around the yard and jumping into mountains of leaves, which was something his parents never allowed. And man, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his baby sister that happy.

“Hi, Nick,” Aria’s soft voice sounded in his ear.

“Hi, honey.” He closed his eyes, tilting his head back as the tension released from his coiled muscles. “Are you okay?” He flipped his lids back open, spotting Freya scrolling through her phone over in the kitchen.

“Yeah, but I’m hungry,” Aria whined. “Aunt Holly said I could have a grilled cheese and tomato soup and that it was her treat if it was okay with you,” she rambled. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah honey, that’s fine.” Nick smiled. He wasn’t about to let his baby sister starve, especially since she’d skipped breakfast earlier. But he was gonna pay Holly back the second he saw her—which would be never if he didn’t get his ass in gear. He needed to pick up Aria and get her back home before the roads became completely impassible. “Listen kiddo, I’m gonna be there soon, but I want you to stay by Holly’s side until I get there, okay?”

“Okay,” Aria replied. “Nick?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you mad at me?”

“No, I’m not mad.” And that was the truth. He wasn’t angry with Aria, but he wasn’t exactly thrilled about the fact that she’d run off without telling a single fucking soul. It wasn’t like her. Aria always called him whenever she needed to stage a jailbreak—and he always busted her out—except for today. Today was different, and he didn’t know why. There were so many damn unknowns, so many questions that needed answering, but he wasn’t about to grill her over the phone. This was the type of convo you had in person. “We’ll talk when I get there, okay?”

“Okay… Are you sure you’re not mad?”

“Positive,” he replied. “Promise me you’ll stay by Holly.”

“I promise not to leave Holly’s side,” Aria vowed.

“Good. I’ll see you soon.”

Nick ended the call and shoved the phone back into his pocket. He veered into the kitchen, where Freya was still perched on the stool. Freya cast her hazels up at him as he approached. “Is everything all right?”

“Yeah.” Nick tugged his gloves on. “You ready to hit the road?”

“Whenever you are.” Freya hopped down. “I checked the traffic maps and other than a minor accident on Cambridge and Ocean Crest, the roads are clear—well, probably not clear of snow and ice—but you know what I mean.”

Thank fuck for small favors. At least he wouldn’t have to contend with a bunch of inept halfwits wiping out on the roadways.

Thirty minutes and some change later, Nick pulled up in front of the Crescent Café and killed the engine. The entire drive going from his beach house to the bar and to the café should’ve taken no longer than fifteen minutes tops. But the time had doubled thanks to the snow-covered roads. The plows and salt-trucks couldn’t keep up with the heavy snowfall, and he was surprised that any of the shops that lined Main Street were open at all.

As he hopped out of his SUV, he got cracked in the face by a wall of wind-whipped snow, the frigid air stealing his breath. Nick cut across the slick sidewalk and made his way inside the spacious eatery, where he was greeted by the scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods. The place was completely deserted—all the tables and cushy chairs sitting empty—except for the two people who were occupying one of the dusky blue sofas over by the fireplace.

Holly and Aria. And would you look at that? His baby sister had kept her promise. Aria was tucked against Holly’s side, completely engrossed in some story Holly was reading to her.

As if sensing his presence, Holly flicked her gaze up, a warm smile playing up on her pink lips. “Hi, Nick.” She waved.

“Hi,” he replied.

Aria’s head snapped up, excitement flickering in her widening crystal blues. “Nick!” Aria jumped off the couch and tore across the hardwood, throwing herself into his arms.

“Hey there, kiddo.” He smiled as he caught her, lifting her up and holding her tight in his embrace. A tidal wave of relief crashed over him, washing away the last remnants of all that worry and unease he’d been quietly hanging onto.

Aria was okay. His baby sister was safe. And man, he felt like he could finally breathe again.

Nick carried Aria over to the twin velvet sofas that encompassed a round white oak coffee table, which was littered with Aria’s toys and books. He eased her down onto the cushion and sat down next to her, shifting so that he was facing her. “I think we should talk, don’t you?”

“Can I have some hot chocolate?” Aria bowed her head, fidgeting with the sleeve of her bubblegum pink sweater. “Please?”

“Maybe later,” Nick replied, recognizing Aria’s stall tactic. She hated difficult conversations, tried all sorts of creative methods to avoid them however she could, but there was no avoiding this convo. He brushed her hair back, tucking the long dark brown strands behind her ears. “After we talk. Sound good?”

Aria nodded, pouring all her attention onto that cashmere sleeve.

“Why’d you run away?” he asked, keeping his tone calm and level. “What happened, honey?”

Aria didn’t look up, just continued fiddling with her sweater in silence. She seemed lost. Broken. Scared. And he wanted to erase her pain, her fears, and all her worries at that very moment, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t help her, not without knowing what was eating away at her.

“Aria, look at me.” Nick cupped her chin, tipping it up gently until her eyes locked with his. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

She nodded again, her crystal blues welling up with tears. “Was I supposed to die?”

“What?” Nick frowned, completely dumbfounded by his sister’s question. “No. What makes you think you were supposed to die?”

“Mommy and Daddy got into a huge fight, and they were screaming really, really loud,” she blurted as teardrops spilled down her cheeks. “And Dad said that I was a mistake—that I should’ve died just like last time—and that he was never gonna forgive Mom for trapping him.”

Nick froze as Aria’s words punched straight into his gray matter, sinking in nice and deep. Un-fucking-believable. His father had always been a heartless asshole, but this cruelty was next level. Even for him.

And yeah, Aria had died in their past lifetime. Her life had ended before it ever began in their mother’s womb. But Aria didn’t need to know that. She was only six, for fuck’s sake. His father had no fucking business saying Aria was a mistake, when in reality she was nothing short of a miracle, especially given their mother’s pregnancy complications the second time around.

Nick clenched his jaw, tamping down the icy rage blazing through his veins. And as much as he wanted to unleash all the fury boiling inside him, he didn’t. This wasn’t about him. This was about Aria and what she needed. And she didn’t need to witness any violence. He’d save the aggression for his father when he finally put that miserable motherfucker down for good.

“Am I gonna die because I’m a mistake?” Aria wailed. “I don’t want to die, Nick.”

“You are not a mistake.” He pulled Aria onto his lap and wiped her tears, but they wouldn’t stop flowing. The floodgates had busted open, the teardrops spilling down her face as the sobs consumed her, racking over her tiny body. Nick enveloped his arms around Aria, wrapping her up in his embrace. “And you are not gonna die.” He pressed a kiss on top of her head as she bawled into his chest.

And he wanted nothing more than to erase all that soul-wrenching anguish, wanted to take every ounce of hurt away, and make her forget everything his father had said. But he couldn’t. So, he did the next best thing—he held her, offering her whatever little comfort he could.

He wasn’t sure how long they sat there, but at some point Holly had dropped off a box of tissues along with two steaming mugs—one filled with coffee and the other hot chocolate—before ducking back into the kitchen.

After a long while, Aria’s sobs dwindled until her ragged breathing evened out. She slumped against him, her body going limp in his arms as she passed out cold. All that crying had tuckered her out. Not that he was surprised. She’d had a traumatic day.

Careful not to wake her, he eased her down onto the couch and got to his feet, stretching his legs. He took a swig of his coffee—which had grown cold—and surveyed the damage. Aria’s toys were scattered all over the small lounge area, like she’d been planning on camping out there all day. Nick sighed and started the cleanup process, shoving Aria’s belongings into her oversized backpack.

“Here,” Holly said. “Let me help.”

“Thanks,” he replied, stuffing a coloring book inside the lilac bag. “And thanks for taking care of her.”

“No problem.” Holly smiled. “I’m just glad I spotted her when I did.”

“Me too.” Nick packed Aria’s stuffed Husky inside the bag, not wanting to even think about the alternatives. “I just wish she’d called me.”

“Well…” Holly straightened. “It wasn’t for the lack of trying. She couldn’t get a signal and then her battery died.”

“She got lucky.” Nick grabbed Aria’s coat and slipped her arms through the sleeves of the thick parka, zipping it up. He picked up Aria and her head drooped on his shoulder as he snagged the backpack off the table. “You heading home?” he asked Holly.

“No.” Holly shook her head as the two of them strolled through the vacant café, heading towards the exit. “I was planning on going to my mom’s, unless you need me—”

“No, you’re good,” Nick replied, adjusting his hold on Aria. “But do me a favor and text me when you get there.”

“I will.” Holly shot him a warm smile, pulling the glass door open. “Drive safe.”

“You too.”

Nick cut across the shoveled path and over to his SUV, where he made quick work of strapping Aria into her booster seat. He needed to get back home and needed to figure out his next move, which was likely gonna include lawyers, a fuckton of paperwork, and a possible war with his parents.

Nick strode around the front of the snow-covered SUV and climbed in behind the wheel. He started things up and muttered a silent incantation, watching as his magic blew the two-plus inches of heavy powder into the wind.

He placed his hand on the gearshift, ready to conquer the roads, when he spotted Aria stirring in the back.

“Nick! Where are we going?” Aria’s panicked cry cut through the heated air. “Please, don’t make me go back to Mom and Dad’s. I don’t want to go back there—please don’t make me go back there,” she begged, practically hyperventilating.

“Hey.” Nick twisted in his seat, and reached for Aria’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Easy, honey. You’re not going back to Mom and Dad’s.”

“I’m not?”

“No, you’re not.” He gave her hand another reassuring squeeze. “You’re coming home with me.”

“Really?” She blinked. “I can stay with you? Forever?”

“Yeah. Really.” He nodded. “I’m gonna figure this out.” And while he wasn’t in the habit of making promises he couldn’t keep, he fully intended on keeping this one. He was gonna file for custody of his baby sister and he was gonna get it, no matter what the cost. It was time to step up. It was time to do what he should’ve done years ago. Adopt Aria.

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