Page 78 of The Heir
He smiled and rose as well. Walking around his desk, he squeezed my shoulder. “At this point, I would be satisfied if I live long enough to see you and Freya start your own families. It’s long overdue.”
For the first time since I was twenty, his pressure didn’t make me defensive. “Then you will be pleased to hear that I’m in love.”
With a look of surprise, my dad let go of my shoulder and stared at me. “With a man?”
“Actually, it’s a woman.”
“Oh, is she French?”
“Why do you say it like that? I thought you liked Belle.”
“I do, but…” His salt-and-pepper-colored eyebrows drew close. “Who is she?”
“Relax. She’s not French. Her father is one of your best friends.”
“A Northlander?”
I smiled. “Yes.”
“Is it Celine Garcia?”
“No. It’s Linea MacCumhail.”
“But she’s a Motlander. You said she was a Northlander.”
I angled my head. “She is Finn’s daughter. Is there a better Nman than him?”
My dad clasped his hands at his back and rocked back and forth on his heels. I knew this pose to mean that he wasn’t happy. “There’s no doubt Linea is beautiful and intelligent, but she doesn’t have the mindset of a Northlander. I fear that with her being born and raised in the Motherlands she wouldn’t understand our values and culture here. People wouldn’t like it if you marry an outsider.”
I crossed my arms prepared to stand my ground. “She’s a NoMo child like me. You overestimate our people’s obsession with pure blood. Almost everyone in my generation is mixed and no one cares any more. Linea is popular and respected back home. She and Athena teach thousands of people each week via virtual reality.”
“What do they teach?”
I sucked in a deep breath and felt thorns grow inside my throat as I pushed out my answer like a cough. “Energy work.”
My father’s upper lip curled up. “Energy work?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. I suppose it could be worse. At least we know her to be an honest and kind person.”
“Freya and Mom like her.”
“And I suppose you already told them that you’re in love with Linea?”
“No, I haven’t talked to anyone about it yet. It’s still so new.”
“Hmm.” My father’s shoulders lifted as he filled his lungs with another deep intake of air. “I suppose I should be honored to be the first one you tell, but I have to ask you, are you sure you couldn’t fall in love with any of the women on my list?”
I arched my right eyebrow and let my expression speak for me.
“All right. Linea it is. Maybe she’ll prove herself useful as your partner with her mind-reading skills. Have you discussed the wedding?”
Scratching my neck, I admitted, “Technically, she hasn’t agreed to marry me yet.”
“You haven’t proposed?”
“No, I have. She just… ehm. She…” I couldn’t find the words.
