Page 34 of Their World

“Who else?” I hissed, getting to my feet and slamming my hands on the table. My hair glowed bright, rainbows dancing around the room, drawing all of their gazes. “Who else has a rapport with them? Who else spent time getting to know them on a personal level? None of you! I can do this! Iwilldo this!”

“Let’s discuss this calmly and in more detail,” Mom said coolly. “If we are going to send them crops, which crops?”

All of my adoptive fathers had their arms crossed over their chests, brows furrowed, and I knew our argument was far from over. Trey, Mason, and Kayden would be on their side as well, soI was going to have my work cut out for me convincing them to let me go back.

“Potatoes would be a good start,” I said and sat again. “Plants that are hard to kill and grow in rough climates and provide good nourishment.”

“We can send dried meats as well,” Triston commented. “Things that don’t spoil quickly.”

“Yes,” I said with a wide smile, “that’s perfect. They do have refrigerators of a sort, though I’m not sure if it’s all of them or just in the castle.”

We discussed other options for over an hour before we decided to call it a night. Mom pulled my fathers away before they could restart our argument about me returning.

Heading to the couch, I plopped down and closed my eyes with a deep sigh. The longer I stayed here, the less time I had to convince Jol not to attack. In truth, I had no idea if he would launch the attack now, at any moment, or what steps they needed before attacking us.

“Nothing will be decided tonight,” Trey whispered as he sat beside me. “You should get some rest.”

Mason sat on my other side, picked up my hand, and rubbed his face on it. “We missed you so much, Lily.”

Opening my eyes, I looked into his troubled ones. “I’m sorry it was so long for you all.” Turning to look at Trey and then at Kayden, who was next to Trey, I said, “It really was only a few weeks for me.”

Trey patted my hand. “We’re just glad that you weren’t hurt or imprisoned, or anything worse.”

He meant tortured.

“I was treated very well,” I assured them. “The bed I slept on was even softer than my own here.”

“Are …” Kayden paused in his question, but after a breath he continued. “Are you trying to go back because of the king?”

My brows furrowed as I contemplated his question, then realized what he was asking. “Oh, no, it’s not like that with Jol and I. We’re friends.” Though, the Grand Advisor had said I was a good match for Jol. And the kiss Jol had given me had confused me. And we had eaten in his room and … no, no, it wasn’t like that. Jol was just happy I was helping them. “Jol is kind and treated me well, but there are no amorous feelings between us,” I assured them.

Trey and Kayden seemed to relax a bit more at my assertion, but Mason still sat tensely beside me, his hand holding mine.

I set my hand on his cheek, making him look up into my eyes. “I’m here and I’m safe.”

Pulling me onto his lap, he held me gently with his head rested against my shoulder. “It hurt so much to be apart from you.”

Kayden came to sit on Mason’s other side, so all three could touch me simultaneously.

“Thank you, for coming to rescue me,” I whispered. “When I heard you were there … it made my heart soar.”

“We will always come for you,” Trey said, and rested his forehead against my other shoulder.

“We would have come sooner if we could have,” Kayden whispered, “but there were no portals.”

Mason remained silent as he held me, seeming to still need to confirm I was actually here with him.

Exhaustion hit me and I yawned. “I’m sorry, all the talking and drama seems to have exhausted me.”

They all stood to leave.

“We’re going to stay at Ezio’s tonight,” Trey informed me. “We’ll be back tomorrow morning, okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

He leaned down, kissed my cheek, and said, “Sleep well, Lily.”

Kayden kissed the side of my head before following Trey.

---