Page 122 of I Ran Away to Evil 2
“I’m Mimi.” The chaos of conversation beside us was forgotten as the girl reached out a little hand to steady herself by grabbing my shirt.
She asked, “Who are you?”
“I’m Rufus. It’s nice to meet you.”
She stared at my bloody hand, her black eyes with hints of red, so similar to Bronwynn’s, and then back up at me. “Are you a bad man, Brufus?”
It was the hand that Oscar had mauled earlier. The bleed effect had stopped, at least, though I still needed to wash up. For some reason, staring into her big dark eyes, I couldn’t muster up the willpower to lie. I pushed a stray pink curl out of the little girl’s face with my clean hand. “Yes, but I like your Auntie Bronwynn a lot, and so I’m trying to be good.”
She leaned in, and I bent my ear for her. “Are you the Big Bad Wolf trying to eat my Auntie Brownie?”
I choked on a combination of laughter and shock. “I mean—”
Suddenly, a pair of green arms whisked the toddler away. The older troll boy, probably around ten, had come around to my side of the wagon and was staring daggers at me while holding his sister. “Mimi, we don’t climb on the guests. You could get hurt, and mama will be angry.”
“But Julep—”
“No buts.”
“Children.”
A voice as gentle as a soft summer breeze carried its way through the chaos, and the mini horde stilled. As one, everyone present turned to see a giantess walking toward them. Her long gray hair was tied back in three braids, and she wore a stylish mix of silk tunic, fine leather pants tucked into plated boots, an embroidered vest, and protective leather arm bracers.
The size of the buildings was explained next to the giantess. I was tall, elevated onto my haunches in half-beast form, but even I only came up to her elbow. Brownie was tall among the crowd, but a full giantess towered aboveeveryone.
Except maybe a dwarf.
“Come here,” the woman said, her voice still whisper-soft yet clear.
“Yes, Aunt Glindy,” Most of the tiny horde replied, but the two trolls and the giant and half giantess, who said, “Yes, Grandmama.”
They lined up tallest to smallest, with the exception of Julep still holding Mimi, and waited.
“Good.” Glindy nodded. “Now that you’ve greeted your cousin, it is time to go back inside. She will need to unpack and get ready—”
“Aww,” a sorrowful mix of whining and displeasure met the announcement, but Glindy held firm, and no one was willing to actively disobey the giantess.
“You will all have a chance to see her when she’s settled,” Glindy told them. “Inside. Now.”
After the children had finished marching out of sight, Glindy turned back to us. Her eyes lingered on my injured hand, which was already mostly healed due to my Constitution, but she made no move to kick me out.
Instead, she announced, “Welcome, Commander General Rufus. Linden and Marigold are waiting to see you in the Rosewood Terrace.”
“Wait!” Bronwynn exclaimed. “My parents arehere?”
CHAPTER 74
Welcome Home, Dear
Brownie
Brownie stared at her Aunt Glindy in confusion and unease.
Her parents weresupposedto be staying with her maternal family in Drendil, investigating the changes being implemented in the kingdom. The new regent was promoting acceptance of nonhumans, but that didn’t mean it would change overnight. Her parents had been chosen to inspect.
Most of her mother’s family had moved to Peldeep, since her aunts had, one and all, married nonhumans, but her maternal grandparents still lived in Drendil. Brownie had been raised there for half of her life. Drendil hadn’t been the best place to grow up as a half giantess, but she hadn’t spent very much time there until her teens—and then, she’d had music and Henrietta to keep her busy. The previous king and queen had promoted intolerance and violence against nonhumans; how they begat a sweet princess like Henrietta was anyone’s guess.
“Your parents traveled here with Persia on her last delivery. They wanted to meet yourpartner.” Aunt Glindy waved a hand at Rufus, who’d jumped down to join them.
