Page 17 of The Aether

“I think it’s a fine idea,” Damian said, trying desperately to keep the gruff emotion from his voice.

“Then moving forward, that’s our plan. And you, young lady, may call me Grandpa Nate.” Nathanial dropped to one knee to meet her gaze. “You don’t know it, but your Papa came to live with me when he was just a bit older than you.” He glanced up. “How old were you, my boy? Seven? Eight?”

“Eight.”

“That’s right.” He winked at Sabrina. “My Evie and I raised him. Turned into a fine man, don’t you think?”

She frowned up at Damian, then shrugged without speaking.

“Fine?” He forced a laugh and held out a hand to help Nate to his feet. “Are we stretching the truth now?”

“Pfft. I couldn’t be prouder if you were my own son, Damian. You know Evie and I consider you ours.”

The warmth of unconditional love spread through his chest. Where would he have been without the Thornes to take him in and raise him? Likely abusing his position or dead at his mother’s hand back when she’d been alive and consumed by evil.

“As I consider you and Evie mine,” Damian replied with a tight hug. “You’re the only true family I’ve ever known.”

After a series of rapid blinks and a hearty clearing of his throat, Nate grinned down at Sabrina. “You may not remember, but my Evie adores you. If you want to be thoroughly spoiled, I’m the one to seek out, though. Now, how about those pancakes your dad promised you?”

“How—” Damian shook his head. Appointed as Guardians by the Goddess, Nate and Evie had untold abilities. He’d probably tapped into Sabrina’s tumultuous thoughts without trying.

Nate held out his hand, and she took it with no hesitation, causing Damian’s stomach to flip and envy to cloud his mind. Once, she’d been free with her affection, but since living in America with her mother, his daughter was no longer the lively spirit she’d been. He only hoped he could reverse the damage losing her formative years had wrought.

“I love pancakes,” Sabrina told Nate with a small smile.

“That’s good to hear because I’m the best pancake maker in the land,” he declared proudly.

Not one to ignore a challenge, Damian protested. “I hate to disabuse you of your notion, butI’mthe best pancake maker in all the land.”

A giggle escaped Sabrina when Nate gave him an affronted look.

“Can you believe he has the gall to claim he’s number one?” Placing his palm over his heart, he shook his head and closed his eyes. “It’s a good thing my sainted mother isn’t here to witness such a travesty.”

“Your sainted mother?” Damian laughed. “You always pull out that one whenever you know you can’t win.” He unbuttoned his shirt sleeves and rolled them to his elbows. “Watch and learn, old man.”

“Are you challenging me to a pancake war?”

“I believe I am.”

He placed a hand on Sabrina’s shoulder and tried not to feel hurt when she jerked away. “We’ll leave it up to Beastie to judge. What are the rules?”

“No rules. Best pancake wins,” Nate replied.

They shook on it, and Nate ushered Sabrina toward the kitchen as he chatted on, insisting it was his organic, homegrown vanilla bean that made all the difference.

Following behind, Damian grinned. The more time spent in Nate’s company, the more talkative Sabrina became. It was as if his adoptive father had known exactly what she needed, just like he’d instinctively known what Damian needed as an orphaned boy.

* * *

“It’s no use, Viv. You can’t get through his wards.” Taryn’s sympathetic look was a kick in the gut.

Refusing to shed the tears building behind her lids, Vivian nodded and swiped the back of her wrist over her brow to wipe away the sweat. “Thanks for trying. I’ll call him again. Perhaps he’ll pick up this time.”

Soleil hugged her. “He’ll relent. A child belongs with their mother.”

“I don’t know, Lei. I let Josie convince me he was evil incarnate, and I ran away with his child. Then, I bound Sabrina’s powers and lied to him. I told him she had none, so she’d be safe from him.” Vivian sniffed. “He’s been denied his daughter for three years. I doubt he’ll forgive me for my lack of trust.”

“He will,” Soleil insisted. “And you gave him access to see her through scrying. He has to understand you did what you thought best. Just give him a few days to calm down. Think of it as shared custody and Sabrina is spending this week with her father.”

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