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his emotions. “Nikodemus accepts you, Emily. You and your son. Ian as well. Neither Maddy nor I would be here with you now if the three of you did not have his full support.” They would know, one day, whether the boy was magekind or demonkind or simply human. Harsh hoped to see him grow up in a world where the answer did not matter. In fact, he was counting on it. “Whatever the truth may be.”
    Maddy got the conversation back on track. “I can represent to you, Emily, that you are the only woman Christophe ever married. In this century or the last.”
    “Bully for me,” she said.
    Maddy and Harsh exchanged a glance. “From a legal standpoint,” Maddy said, “you inherit everything. There is a substantial estate here in California. Harsh is still tracking down the European assets, but you should expect them to be substantial.”
    “Define substantial .”
    Maddy delivered the news with nonchalance. “Several hundred million at least. Euros.”
    Harsh knew that kind of money considerably changed her options. She wouldn’t be dependent on Nikodemus’s good will, for example. With Christophe’s fortune, she could live anywhere she wanted to.
    “Christophe had more than four hundred years to amass and preserve his fortune,” Harsh said. “Legally or otherwise.” Emily frowned at that, but he continued. “He was not a fool about his money or the manner in which it might be protected as the years passed and he continued to live.”
    “I want it in a trust for my son. And for Ian.” She met Maddy’s eyes. “Can you do that for me?”
    “Of course. With a decent income for you.” Maddy’s voice softened. “I’m going to insist on that. You deserve that much.”
    She replied in a cool voice. “You can’t make me spend it.”
    “You’re right about that.” Maddy sighed. “No one can make you spend the money. But either way, you need to designate an executor in case something happens to you. Someone needs the authority to administer and protect the assets in the trust and to care for your son and Ian. My recommendation is to have Nikodemus or Harsh or both administer the trust, as it’s likely they’ll outlive you. Depending on your son’s heritage, they might outlive him as well. As for a guardian for the boys, I assume you’ll want to name your sister or perhaps your parents.”
    She answered without hesitation. “Kynan.”
    Maddy opened her mouth to object but stopped herself. “Have you and Kynan spoken about that?”
    “We have.” From her stolid expression, Harsh surmised Emily was well aware of Kynan’s reputation for mayhem. “I want him to be an executor, too.”
    “He’s not… stable,” Maddy said.
    Harsh silently applauded the way Emily stared down Maddy.
    “I trust him,” Emily said. “Completely. It’s not my problem if you don’t.”
    “Kynan Aijan,” Harsh said in a low voice, “has his issues. We all know that.” He wasn’t sure how much Maddy or even Emily knew about Kynan’s past, and he wasn’t about to discuss what specifics he knew. “But I assure you he would not agree to raise anyone’s child unless he meant to do so honorably.”
    Maddy wasn’t having any of it. “You don’t know him, Harsh.”
    “But I do,” Emily said. She was calm, but there was steel in her words. “At this point, perhaps better than you. In any event, it is not your decision.” She closed her eyes, and while they were closed, her shoulders relaxed. When her eyes opened, she looked at Maddy. “I am aware of his past. I shouldn’t say this, but I will. Kynan and I have talked about his feelings for you. He told me enough about what happened that I understand more than you think.” She hesitated. “I’m sorry. On his behalf, I’m sorry.” Then she threw Maddy a bone. “If you’d like to add Nikodemus to the trust administrators, please do.”
    Maddy didn’t say anything right away. She stared at the folders in front of her. “I’ll make inquiries, but I don’t