Page 73 of Guardian of Shadows

“You’re right. Anyway, Barrett and Silas are free to cover anything new that comes up. Their buddy, Warren reached out. He’s ready to relocate from NOLA, so I offered him a part-time gig for now.”

“I’m sorry,” Anthony muttered.

“For what? Tony, you’re one of my best, and because of that, word has gotten around. We’re getting more calls every day. I would never say this to the others, but that’s thanks to you and Tabitha. If you need time to spend with your mate, you’ll get it. You deserve it.”

“Oh. Well, thank you.” Anthony didn’t know what to do with the praise. He just did the jobs he was tasked with.

“You’ll be finished Wednesday? Right?”

“I should be.”

“Then take Thursday through Sunday for your trip. Man, I still can’t believe you’re going to meet the dragons. Do you think you could take pictures?”

Anthony barked out a laugh. “Uh, no. They don’t have any type of technology there. And since only the royals are aware of Earth, Elle has to glamour me so it looks like I have pointy ears. If you want to see a dragon, maybe talk to Brent and ask him to take a picture of his mate.”

“Like that wouldn’t be awkward. Shit. I need to go play referee. Madison is getting wound up with her momma.”

“Go ahead. And thanks Mason.”

“See you tomorrow. Madison Pearl Steele—” And with that, his boss was gone.

Anthony grabbed his coffee and rejoined his mate on the glider. “I have Thursday through Sunday off. We might not need that much time, but we have it.”

Elle smacked a kiss to Anthony’s cheek. “Awesome. Let me call Yari back.”

While his fae called her sister, Anthony watched Daphne. So far, when they let her outside, she didn’t try to run off. Nekoma warned them about birds of prey, so they never let the kitten play without someone close by. Speaking of Elle’s brother, he exited the barn and strode their way. He was carrying a package in his hands, and when he stepped onto the deck, he held it out to Anthony.

“What’s this?” Anthony placed his mug on the table and took the package. He carefully pulled the paper back to find neatly folded clothes. He lifted the material to find a blue hooded tunic, which matched the one Elle wore when they went after Grevolus.

Nekoma rubbed the back of his neck. “I wasn’t sure this day would ever come, but I wanted you to have something appropriate should you ever visit Evyndral.”

“How did you know?” Anthony was in awe of the craftsmanship, especially considering Nekoma made all the clothes by hand. He offered to buy a sewing machine, but Nekoma turned him down.

“Know what?”

Anthony nodded his head toward Elle. “Yari called earlier saying King Titus wants to honor Elle for her help during the battle. They’re making the arrangements now.”

Nekoma’s eyes widened. “They should honor her. And no, I wasn’t aware.”

“Amazing coincidence then.” Anthony stood so he could remove the pants. They were soft leather, but where Elle’s were the same blue as her top, his were gray. Also included was a gray vest with blue embroidery stitched across the chest. Anthony never would have imagined wearing something like it, but he couldn’t wait to try it on.

“While you and Elledan were in West Virginia, I asked Luna to gather one of your shirts and jeans so I would have your measurements. I apologize if that was too intrusive. If the lúcs doesn’t fit, I can adjust it.”

Anthony assumed Nekoma was referring to the vest since he was holding it up to his chest. He slid it on over his head, and the fit was perfect. “Thank you so much, Nekoma. I appreciate this.”

“It is a small gift of gratitude for you allowing me to live in your home where I can be close to Elledan.”

“I don’t need gifts because you’re family.”

“Yes, you are, and Koma! This is gorgeous.” Elle traced a fingertip across the stitching. “Now all you need are boots.”

Anthony removed the vest and folded it neatly, placing it with the pants and tunic. “I don’t know of any shops around here that sell the type you’re referring to.”

“No, but remember that one store we went into when we were shopping with Trinity? I bet if we asked her, she would grab you a pair, and Yari could bring them when she comes for us.”

Anthony tapped her nose. “I bet you’re right. Why don’t you call her and ask? I wear a size twelve.”

Elle didn’t need a reason to call her new friend. They talked on the phone several times a week, but she grinned anyway before tapping the screen of her phone.

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