Page 12 of Knowing Trust

Wow, I’d really called that one right.

“My only question was if you’re into horses or unicorns?” I admitted.

“I’ve always wanted to learn but no, we all agreed as Calloways not to be involved with unicorns or the “stables” after fairies left,” she said firmly. “Also the dust collectors, and they tried with us many times. All of it. We—it was a line we agreed to not go near as a family.”

“Clearly the wise choice. But I will make sure to slip it to Neldor that you want to learn.”

“Thank you, darling,” she said quietly before she waved me to follow. She had someone pick up food from some place she named and gave over the menu so I had the information. “Now, what did you wish to speak to me about.”

I glanced at my security. “It’s personal.”

“We never take offense, Your Highness,” Ara told me firmly, the others nodding.

I thanked them and put up a barrier before I told Katrina what happened with Neldor. She had exactly the same opinion as Izzy but added that no matter how much it scared me about having children and a future, one day I would need to. It was the path I was on, and as long as nothing changed, it was where I was headed.

Since I was on that path, I owed it to myself to explore the option the gods gave me. Because otherwise I risked the chance that I kept my heart open for some other option, and that could bring down my whole house of cards.

Even I said I needed a fairy mate or baby daddy for stability and to keep issues at a minimum, and if I didn’t give Neldor a chance to be that person, I would never forgive myself. And everything could explode if someone else took that spot the gods suggested to be his.

“I hear you, but what if that’s really the fairy I should have been with?” I asked, not having thought of that but needing to ask since she’d brought it up.

“Then he will still be the right person for you later after you have Neldor or maybe he’s meant to be in your life another way. But I don’t believe that. The sparks that fly off the two of you—you could power this city for ten years being here one day with the electricity you two put out. And if that was all you had, I would tell you to run because that traps women too often.

“But you are thick as thieves and generally on the same page 90% of the time. You turn to him as a friend just as you do Izzy, like you did Mel. Honestly, I think he is the reason you didn’t rekindle that friendship after you forgave her. He took that spot in your life, and he would never turn on you as she did, tunnel vision or not.”

I felt my mind explode again. I had never considered that, but… She wasn’t wrong.

She tapped the table to get my attention back. “And I see this as an upgraded friendship. You are not Robin to Melody’s Batman. Neldor is not your Robin either. You are the Fantastic Two instead of the Fantastic Four. Yes, they had one technical leader—which you are—but they were a true team. And then you are all Avengers with the rest of your mates.”

Yup, my head pretty much popped.

But in a good way?

4

“I found this coffee shop with ridiculously good drinks that are more like breakfast milkshakes that you can drink to your heart’s content now that you know the rune for caffeine like when we drink Mountain Dew,” Neldor said to me after training the next morning. “How about we go have a few and talk about whatever is on your mind?”

I swallowed loudly and kept stretching. “I was actually going to speak to Julian first and get a bit more—”

“I would prefer you speak with me first given the topic,” he said quietly as he squatted down in front of me. He let out a slow breath when I didn’t say anything. “Please? I’m trying not to push here, but I think it’s fair to talk to me first. We agreed none of us should influence each other’s relationships with you.”

I mulled that over a bit. “I can’t agree to anything without talking to them first though.”

It was his turn to be quiet. “Yeah, that’s fair too. I get that. I just—you’re clearly going back and forth, and that’s not the time to ask them. Not to me. Trust me to talk this out like you do with them. Please?”

I hated the begging tone in his voice, and I finally looked at him. “I’ve asked you to weigh in on them too, Nel. You have. I’m not being mean here or anything.”

He nodded and held out his hand to me. “I still want you to talk to me first. Please?”

Yeah, I could do that. I’d been dancing around him so long and he’d had so many talks with the others that… I could do this for him if it was what he needed.

We both threw on glamours and went with our security to some chic coffee spot that had fancy and crazy everything. There were four types of whipped topping options for my first drink alone. Wow.

“Shit, this is good,” I groaned after we sat down. It had the protein of the milk and the protein powder I’d had them add. I shook off my happy taste buds and put up a barrier over us so we could talk. “Izzy said to tell you where I’m at, to respect you that much, and let you decide if you can accept that and handle it.”

“That’s what I got from you,” he sighed. “Something in my gut and magic—I just knew I needed to talk to you. That it needed to be us and something like this” He let out a slow breath. “I’m sorry I was so pushy. Really. I just knew…” He shrugged.

Yeah, fair enough.

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