Page 70 of Dark Princess Ascending

"How long was I out this time?" His voice came out raspy.

Margo checked her phone. "A little over an hour. How are you feeling?"

Rob took mental stock of his body. "Not too bad, actually. My transition seems pretty easy so far. I'm glad that I'm waking up from time to time and not staying under."

"Any headache? Nausea?" Margo leaned forward in her chair.

He remembered her asking that before, but he wasn't sure whether it was a real memory or a memory of a dream.

"A little of both," he admitted. "But nothing too bad."

"Those were my main symptoms." Margo smiled. "My transition was super easy because my inducer was a god. Having Negal's venom helped smooth things along."

Rob squeezed Gertrude's hand, noting how she tensed at the mention of Negal. He knew she didn't harbor any romantic feelings for the god, but no one had fond memories of being dumped for another—especially not when that "another" eventually turned out to be your mate's sister.

He could hardly imagine having to be friendly with Lynda or her new/old boyfriend if the situations were reversed. The thought of watching them together, having to smile and make nice, made his stomach turn. Yet here was Gertrude, forced to be friendly with Margo and Negal because of him.

They were going to be a family, and they needed to learn not just to coexist but to actually enjoy each other's company.

The thought reminded him of his parents and their self-imposed isolation. They'd cut ties with most of their extended family over various slights,some real and some imagined. Looking back, it seemed so pointless—wasting precious years of their short human lives nursing petty grievances.

Human lives.

The thought sparked something in his mind. "Hey, Margo?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think we should tell Mom she's a Dormant?"

Margo winced. "I've thought about it a lot, but it's complicated."

"I know. I've been too busy with my own problems to even think about it, but now I am." Rob shifted to face her better, still holding on to Gertrude's hand. "We should tell her."

"She's in her early sixties," Margo said. "It might already be too late. And even if it's not..." She grimaced. "What about Dad? She'd have to have sex with an immortal, and if it worked and she turned immortal, that would also be heartbreaking for both of them. With all their faults, the one thing that's always been evident is their love for each other."

Rob shuddered, thinking about his mother doing the deed with anyone, whether it was his father or someone else.

"I don't know about you, but I prefer to think that our parents have a purely platonic relationship," Margo echoed his thoughts.

Gertrude laughed. "Humans and their hang-upsabout sex. Your parents have clearly done it at least twice—you're both here, aren't you?"

"That's different," Rob protested jokingly. "That was necessary procreation."

"Right." Gertrude rolled her eyes. "Because people only have sex to make babies."

"Can we please change the subject?" Margo pleaded.

"Actually, no." Gertrude sat up straighter. "This is important. I think you should meet with your parents and take Negal along. After you explain the situation, and they give you their answers, Negal can thrall them later to forget the conversation. It's not fair for you two to make the choice for them. You need to let them decide for themselves."

Margo winced. "But who would want to...you know...with Mom? She's not like Ronja—she's not some gorgeous older woman who looks twenty years younger than she is. She's just an average woman who looks her age, saggy boobs and all."

"There has to be another way," Rob said. "What about donated venom and the other necessary ingredient for transition?"

"Venom can't be harvested," Gertrude said. "But semen might be." A smile played on her lips. "I'm sure you two can figure out the mechanics of how the encounter can be arranged. I don't need to explain the birds and bees to you."

Rob felt his face heat. "I don't want to think about it."

"You don't need to," Gertrude said. "Your mother deserves to know her options, and if she decides to pursue them, I'll gladly explain the birds and the bees. The thing is that it's not guaranteed to work when it's done that way. I would need to consult with Bridget."