Page 91 of Worthy Promises
Obediently, Orion followed Oliver and stood still as Oliver looped the fabric around his neck.
“Can I ask you something?” Orion asked.
Quickly starting a Windsor knot, Oliver lifted his gaze to his brother’s. Surprisingly, there was trepidation in the bright yellow depths. “Of course you can. Is everything okay?”
“You’re Oliver D’Vaire now, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Orion bowed his head, making it impossible for Oliver to work on his tie, but that was okay. If something was bothering his brother, Oliver wanted to get to the bottom of it. “I was wondering…could I maybe be a D’Vaire too?”
“You’re already a D’Vaire. Do you mean you want to change your name?”
Lifting his chin, Orion grinned. “Could I?”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
“I love it here, Oliver. Everyone is nice to me. I have so many people to play with, and I can ask you or anyone else for help with my homework. At school I have friends, but if I didn’t know them, I’d be just as happy. I didn’t like our old house. I’m sorry, but I didn’t always like you either. You kept making me spend time with nannies. I didn’t want to play by myself. Even you play with me here. I like you all the time now, Oliver.”
Irritated at himself that he hadn’t been able to get past his own discomfort with Orion to ensure the little boy had everything he needed, Oliver set aside his inadequacies and focused on the present. With a heavy swallow to ease the lump in his throat, Oliver finished Orion’s tie and patted it.
“I like you too, Orion. In fact, I hope you don’t mind me saying so, but I love you. You’re the best little brother in the whole world. I’m so glad you like it here. I want you to be happy. That’s very important to me and Worthington.”
“I love Worth,” Orion replied. “And Oliver? I love you too.”
Oliver opened his arms, and his brother launched himself into them for a tight hug they both needed. “Thank you for being patient with me. I know I wasn’t the best big brother, but that was because of me, not you.”
“Did Worth help you learn how to be a brother?”
“Yeah, I think you could say that. He taught me how to love someone. I had to stop being scared and follow my heart.”
“How come no one has fixed Zarasha yet?” Orion asked as he pulled out of Oliver’s embrace.
Oliver straightened Orion’s suit jacket and smoothed a hand over his pale blond tresses. “Because it’s not easy to figure out how to fix her. I promise there are very smart people working on it. As soon as they come up with a solution, they’ll help her. I know they will. But I don’t know how long it’ll take, okay?”
“Okay, but I think there’s something wrong with her now.”
Immediately concerned, Oliver frowned. “What do you mean?”
“She keeps dropping stuff, and yesterday her dress ripped. We were playing with the puppet theater, and the seams started popping. Zarasha ran to her room, and she cried. She said it did it earlier in the week too with another dress,” Orion confided, his eyes filling with tears. “I promised I wouldn’t tell anybody, but I’m scared, Oliver. What’s wrong with her?”
“I don’t know,” Oliver replied, cupping his brother’s cheek. “I think we should talk to Xakiok and Daravius.”
Orion shook his head. “We can’t. Ipromised. I shouldn’t have told you, but I don’t know what to do. You can’t tell anyone else…except Worth, because Zarasha says you can’t have secrets between mates.”
Torn between honoring Orion’s promise and genuine worry for whatever was ailing Zarasha, Oliver pulled his brother into his arms again. “Okay, I won’t tell anyone but Worthington. But if something else happens, she needs to tell someone or no one can help her. We don’t even know why these things are happening.”
After a sniffle, Orion nodded against Oliver’s shoulder. “I don’t want to promise not to tell again. I think she needs help.”
Oliver made a mental note to play with the kids so he could hopefully witness Zarasha’s difficulties himself and report them back to the Fae leaders or Sorcery D’Vaire. He soothed his brother as best he could. “Don’t worry too much. Dropping things isn’t too bad, and maybe the dresses needed mending.”
Oliver wasn’t buying that Daravius had suddenly become less skilled with a needle—as he was the one who constructed all her clothes—or that he’d allow her to wear something needing mending, but the last thing he wanted was to scare Orion.
“I shouldn’t have told you today,” Orion lamented as he pushed away and fussed with his suit.
With a smile, Oliver helped him right his clothes, then stood. “You can always come to me no matter what else is going on, okay?”
“Okay, are you ready to be mates with Worth now?”
