Page 68 of Vibing Unity

“I didn’t even do it,” Rafe complained.

“Captain, I needed that laugh so bad you can use my house in Italy for your next vacation,” I told him, feeling slightly guilty.

“I accept, but these idiots normally come with me. This is our group to go traveling when we get time off,” he told me.

I think he realized that I needed to be distracted or the focus off of me because he started talking about the last trip they took together before the war. Others jumped in, and they were fondly remembering their time off.

It was a calm conversation, and I let it go on around me as I got lost in the gorgeous view.

Food kept coming, and I sat there for a while just eating and eating. We even left to use the bathroom and came back to eat more.

“Okay, we can go,” I said finally.

“You work everything out?” Kerym asked as he stood and stretched. “So what’s the answer?”

“I have to kill my uncle,” I answered, shocking all of them.

“Um, not right now, right?” one of the other captains asked.

“Not right now,” I promised. “But I want to stay in a hotel this weekend. Maybe I can get some good sleep if it’s more neutral.”

They seemed to accept that and it did work. I slept peacefully even if it felt sad to sleep alone.

I also wasn’t surprised when I woke to find a few of the commanders in the living area of the suite. At least they had loads of breakfast.

“Three commanders handed in their retirement notices,” Stefanie told me, starting with a bang. She smirked when I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, the three you were hoping for. Two were decided, but the last joined when you pulled off another miracle and are more beloved than ever.”

“That wasn’t why I did it,” I grumbled as I sat across from her and snagged a few breakfast sandwiches.

“Of course not, but he realized that our world was yours and that’s the way fairies and fair folk want it. So he turned in to request his retirement package and wished us all the best. He did it gracefully.”

I snorted. Now he was graceful at least. He wasn’t going to go kicking and screaming the whole way out, but he’d been an asshole more times than I could count.

“We know you asked for space but—” she started to say after I ate a bit.

“But one of them snitched about what I was going to do,” I drawled. I froze in my next bite when Stefanie, Shael, Onas, and Iolas shared confused looks. “Are you saying the captains who guarded me didn’t tell you what I said before checking in here?”

“No,” they said together, Onas continuing. “We thought you could use some good news. And food. Plus, we were worried, and I wanted to update you on that fairy.” He gave me a sad smile when I swallowed loudly. “He’s doing better. We’ll keep an eye on him. His brothers were Guardians and died in service. That was all the family he had left and—we’ll adopt him.”

“Good, good,” I whispered, bobbing my head.

“Is it true you saw him die?” Shael asked gently.

I swallowed my next bite roughly. “Lucca chewed them out or something?”

“There were words traded,” she answered carefully. “Mostly about them not giving you more time to explain when you’ve been working hard to get your magic to tell you when to stop and have been better not diving in headfirst always.”

Onas snorted. “Just not snowboarding.”

That was fair, and I snickered but then frowned. “They’re valid in being upset with me. I should have stopped. I didn’t realize I was bleeding. I just felt…”

“I’m sorry this is such a hard burden for you to bear. Another one,” Iolas said gently. “Now, what did you tell the captains that you’re worried we knew?”

“You cannot tell my dad,” I pushed.

“Your uncle,” Onas figured out, sighing when I tried not to flinch but failed. “You’ve been dodging the topic, and I’ve seen you carrying that box as well. And you’re afraid when your father talks about going after him.”

“You’ll need Lageos’s help to—” Iolas told me firmly.

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