Page 173 of A Fate of Blood and Magic
“Then I think it’s a fine idea.”Elias took my empty plate and planted another kiss to the top of my head.“If you’re willing to do it, Kieren?”
“Of course, I’d love to.”His smile was small and timid.“I don’t know if you should be home when I’m painting, though. The smell is strong. What if it’s not good for the babes?”
Elias clapped his shoulder.“I’ll ask Leah. If she doesn’t want Teddy home while you work on it, hopefully, she’ll be able to move around and leave the house by the time you have your next weekend leave, and we’ll stay at George’s and Everly’s.”
I scrunched my nose in distaste while Elias went to the kitchen with my plate. I wanted to be here when Kieren worked on it. I wanted to see, and hell, I wanted to help work on it and leave my mark in the boys’ room.“I mean, I’d still like to see you, not just leave before you get here.”
Kieren scratched the back of his neck, a gesture I started associating with timidity or uncertainty.“I’ll see you after, and you can tell me if you like how it came out.”
“Duh.”I rolled my eyes.“I’ll love it.”
“Your human terms are still so strange to me,”Kieren said.
“I’d say you’ll get used to it, but I don’t think we ever will,”Elias said from where he washed the plate at the sink.“Tell me what supplies you need, and I’ll make sure we have them here by the time you’re ready.”
“Do you think you could get a couple of pictures of Nalari from different angles?”he asked.
I pursed my lips.“I’m leaving that for Elias to ask her.”
“As if I’m not always listening,”Nalari said.
I burst out laughing, and that laughter only grew when Kieren looked back at me in confusion. I pointed toward the ceiling, where I heard Nalari flapping her wings.
“Nalari,” Elias said aloud. “She has this thing about talking to us at the most random times to make us look crazy in front of those who can’t hear her.”
Nalari huffed out a laugh.
“Does that mean you’re going to be a model?” I asked aloud, unsure how to speak mentally to Kieren and Nalari. Or how she’d picked up on our conversation using Kieren’s mind-speak magic. While I was growing into my mage magic, so much of magic was still so fantastical and strange to me.
“What do I look like to you?”Nalari asked with a grumbling growl.
“You look like the dragon who will one day let Tori ride on your back.” Elias grinned.
Although Nalari let out another growl, I felt her amusement through our connection.
“Are you two upsetting the dragon?” Brenton, who was still in his fighting leathers, asked when he swung our front door open.
My chair scraped along the wood floor when I slid it back, and within a few seconds, I was engulfed in Brenton’s strong embrace. He reached his arm out for Elias, who joined ourhug. Before pulling away, Brenton kissed both our heads loudly, making Elias snicker.
He clapped Kieren’s shoulder as I sat back down. “Your father is helping the shifters,” he told Kieren. “He said he’ll be back late tonight or early tomorrow so he can see you before you’re needed back at the military school.”
Kieren nodded.
Brenton sat on the chair next to me, his arm around my shoulders as he pulled me in. “I came as soon as Donnie told me.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. Should I give him a reassuring smile or poke him playfully to ease some of that tension that rose inside me? Before I could think of anything, he pulled away to grab the drawing I’d made of the tree limb and quirked his brows up in amusement. I lifted my middle finger, making him grin.
Playfulness to ease the tension it was. Despite us not sharing a bloodline or the many years we hadn’t known each other, Brenton and I were similar in so many ways. Even if blood and magic hadn’t made us siblings, I knew the bond we’d formed would still exist. He was family in every way that mattered.
“Is everyone back?” Elias asked.
“And where did you see Donnie?” I asked.
I knew he was feeling better, saw how much better last night, but I figured he was still healing and not really going out in town.
Brenton pointed at Elias. “Yes, everyone’s back. Leah and the other healers are working out of the clinic in Somnio and any homes willing to use their space as a temporary clinic. The only deaths we had were the fae who’d already died before we got there.” He swallowed hard. “The humans—both military and civilians—gave up as soon as they saw us coming. Evander and his people took charge once we started bending space to bring our people home. I’m sure George will have a more formal report, but first he’s meeting with Hayden. I’m guessing you know what they’re meeting about?”
Elias and I nodded. With a dramatic lift of his brows, Brenton pulled a large jug from his inner pocket and handed it to Elias.
