Page 185 of A Bond in Blood

I nodded.

“Your grandmother.”

I nodded.

His body approached mine and I did not refuse him when his beastly head laid in my lap.

“What am I supposed to do without a screeching princess to irritate?” he grumbled.

I could not stop my responding laugh at the jest and his laugh mixed with my own. A sound that had once terrified me, now brought me comfort.

“What ishegoing to do without you?” This question was quieter, his voice lower.

I shoved the beast away.

“He is the one who is sending me home.”

“Do you want to go?”

I turned my head, staring out at the city. “She is my mother in every sense of the word,” I cried. “She is brash and often cold, but she raised me. She ignited the fire that is in my soul. She tookme, a motherless babe, long after her years of infant-raising had ended, and she shaped me.”

My tears fell. “She may not have written to me in all this time. In her own way, I believe it was her attempt of forcing me to grow, but I must go to her, Olen. I must say goodbye. I would never forgive myself if I did not.”

I turned back to the beast, finding his gaze soft. His paw landed on my lap.

“It has been an honor, princess.” To my shock, his voice cracked. “It has been an honor to become your friend and to have been your protector these last several months.”

“Do not make me cry further, you beast,” I sniffled.

“One more hump for goodbye?”

My fist went right into his snout, and he shouted.

“I guess not,” he laughed, shaking his head.

The bedroom door opened, and Adie ran in, her eyes wide with emotions. I limped to her, embracing the young girl in my arms.

“Thank you for your friendship,” I whispered.

“Will I never see you again?” she replied, sniffling.

I pulled from our embrace, grasping her face and smiling at her.

“I’m not sure, Adie. Perhaps I’ll come back some day, with my newfound freedom. Bringing you stories of the other Islands. Trinkets for you to keep. Stories to tell you.”

Adie sniffled again.

“Perhaps I will convince this brute uncle of yours to allow you to travel with me for even just a moment.”

Olen snarled.

“I’m going to miss your birthday,” Adie cried. “I’m going to miss seeing you turn another year older, like the old woman you are.”

I laughed loudly. “I am going to miss your spirit Adie. Gods, will I miss it.”

“And we will miss you,” Olen said solemnly.

Adie pulled away, returning to her tasks as my handmaiden, filling my trunks. I should have helped her, offered an extra hand, but my feet moved me to the window.

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