Page 34 of A Fate of Blood and Magic
Gracie grabbed her oldest son by the shoulder, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment while Sebastian picked up their youngest son, hoisting him on his hip furthest away from Pietro. I bit back my irritated sigh, not wanting to deal with any more prejudices from the humans we continued to let into our realm.
“Or something,” I said, ruffling the boy’s hair.
“That’s so cool.” He grinned.
“Can you go to my cottage to let Teddy know I’ve returned?” I asked Pietro. “I’ll remain here to help settle this family in before I make my way home.”
Pietro bowed again before he bent space to do my bidding.
“Come.” I motioned toward the steps. “I’ll show you to your rooms.” And would hopefully do it quickly so I could spend the rest of the day with Teddy.
Ethan took my hand. “We’re staying in your castle?” he asked, his voice carrying an awestruck lilt.
“It’ll be your castle until I find you a home to live in,” I told him.
He turned that shocked look to his parents. Together, we walked through the large wooden doors where guards stood on either side. I tipped my head at them in greeting while Ethan tugged on my hand excitedly.
Inside was a large round table with an empty vase I needed to fill with flowers. My father had been the one to collect flowers for my mother, and seeing it empty was another reminder of our loss. Too many times, George, Brenton, Everly, and I had crashed into the table as we ran through the halls or down the stairs. While the table had plenty of chips from our youth, my father had always fixed the vase.
It had been the first vase of flowers my father had gifted to my mother. It was precious to her, and now that I knew they’d lived thousands of years together, much longer than any fae was supposed to live, its value held even more importance.
“Elias...Prince,” Gracie said. “King?” Her eyes widened with worry as panic crossed the rest of her features. Sebastian took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
I tapped the table with my knuckles, digging my finger into a small fracture as I passed.
“Elias is fine,” I said as I led them up the main stairs to the second floor.
“Are you sure it’s okay that we stay here?” she asked, her voice echoing against the tall walls. “We don’t want to be an inconvenience.”
“No inconvenience,” I said. “We’ve had displaced citizensliving here until their houses were rebuilt. We also have our regular live-in employees but there’s plenty of room.”
Once we reached the second floor, a large portrait of my father in his fighting leathers awaited us. The sword he yielded was as imposing as the crown that sat atop his head, but it was nothing compared to the male.
I fought the way my heart stalled at the sight of him and gave him a quick tip of my chin before I turned away from him. When he’d first passed, someone had draped a black veil over the portrait. It was a custom I couldn’t bear, and I’d had Brenton help me tear it down.
Every time I stepped into the castle, I wanted to be able to see my father’s face. To remember every plane and angle. The way one side of his lips tipped up before the other when he smiled. The way those large, strong hands had always been gentle with my mother and me. The way his boisterous laughter filled the castle my mother and him called home.
“You’re all welcome to stay here until we have somewhere for you to live.” They followed me down a wide hallway opposite the rooms my mother occupied, and I pushed open the first door. “This room, along with the adjoining room”—I stepped into the room to push another door open that led to a second bedroom—“will be yours.”
Wes leaped up to the first bed, but before he could catch any real height, Sebastian caught him and tucked him against his chest.
I grinned, went to the window across the room, and opened the blinds, letting the late morning rays brighten the room. Both Ethan and Wes stood by the clear window.
“Whoa,” Ethan said when he looked down at the courtyard.
Knowing Wes wasn’t tall enough to see, I picked him up. He pressed his hands and face against the cold pane, his breath fogging the glass.
“There’s plenty of room in the courtyard for the boys to play while you familiarize yourself with your new home,” I said, glancing over my shoulder to Gracie and Sebastian. “We also have a school Ethan can attend. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to make friends with both human and fae younglings. The classrooms are divided by skill and knowledge, so he’d probably have more human than fae in his class.” I set Wes back down, grinning at the dramatic way Ethan groaned about going to school. “We also have two healers. I believe Leah is here. I’d like for you to meet her so you feel comfortable going to her or our other healer if you or the boys are feeling unwell.”
I looked back at them expectantly, feeling uncomfortable when Gracie’s eyes filled with tears. But I hadn’t said anything offensive or hurtful. At least I didn’t think I had.
On a quiet laugh, Sebastian drew his wife close to his chest and kissed her cheek before wiping away the tears that fell. Gracie looked up, laughing as she fanned her face.
“I’m a mess.” Her words came out in a self-deprecating laugh. “These pregnancy hormones are driving me crazy. I’m just...we’re incredibly grateful for everything. Thank you doesn’t feel like enough.”
I caught the scent of Teddy just before I heard the front door close. A sense of peace washed over me when I heard the girls' voices with her.
I couldn’t stop the way my lips spread into a smile.
