Page 82 of Dark Gambit Reliance

"I want to. Is that okay?"

"Of course."

"I'm calling Roni and Cassandra," Geraldine said. "Is there anyone else you want to witness the test?"

Darlene shifted her gaze to Eric. "Orion and Alena, Kaia, maybe Karen if she can. And the Clan Mother if she so wishes. You told me that she came to give me her blessing every day."

"She did." Eric pulled out his phone. "I'll call Alena and ask her if it's appropriate to invite the Clan Mother."

"I don't think it is," Geraldine said.

"It doesn't hurt to ask." Eric started texting.

"In the meantime, let's remove all the wires." Bridget shooed Eric and Geraldine out of the room and called the nurse in.

"Tell everyone to be here in an hour," Darlene called after them. "I want to shower first."

An hour later, the clinic was packed with people, and for a change, Bridget didn't make a fuss about them lining the walls of the small patient room.

"It is my honor and my pleasure to welcome Darlene into immortality. Toven couldn't be here in person, but that's what video calls are for." She waved at Julian, who had been standing in the doorway.

"That was part of the reason for the delay." He held up a tablet with Toven and Mia's faces occupying the screen.

"Congratulations!" they said at the same time.

"Not yet." Darlene pushed up on the pillows. "Wait until the cut test."

"You're awake," Toven said. "That's reason enough to celebrate." He lifted a bottle of vodka. "We wanted to toast your successful transition with a glass of champagne, but this is Russia, so vodka will have to do."

Tears glistened in Darlene's eyes as she offered her hand to Bridget, but Eric knew it wasn't because she was scared of a little pain. Underneath her soft exterior, Darlene was a fighter.

Nevertheless, he clasped her other hand for support.

"Bring the tablet closer," Bridget instructed Julian. "So Toven and Mia can see the test."

Roni grumbled as he had to move to give Julian access. "She's my mother. I have the right to be the closest."

"You can sit on the bed," Darlene offered.

Bridget turned to look around the room. "Everyone ready?"

When no one else complained about not being able to see, she lifted her surgical knife off the tray and made the cut so quickly that Darlene didn't have a chance to flinch.

Eric squeezed her other hand. "Are you okay?"

"Perfect," Bridget answered for Darlene. "Look at this. It's already closing." She turned her head and smiled at the tablet. "Being a god's granddaughter comes with great perks."

Darlene leaned over the hand that Bridget was still holding. "Where is it? I can't see the cut."

The doctor took a square of gauze from her tray and wiped the small smear of blood away. "It's already gone."

"That's amazing." Darlene shifted her gaze to her mother. "Did yours heal as fast?"

"Even faster. I made the cut myself to test whether what they’d told me was true. I couldn’t believe that I was immortal.” She chuckled. “A demigoddess. It closed incredibly fast."

Cassandra started clapping, and then others joined in, and as the word 'congratulations' echoed from the walls, Darlene smiled and wiped tears from her eyes.

"Thank you, everyone," she said once her family and friends quieted down. "I never expected to find such a warm home or such great love." She looked at Eric. "I wish Max was here to celebrate with us, but he's in Russia with the Guardian force." She looked at the tablet. "Keep him safe, will you?"