Page 165 of A Fate of Blood and Magic
Hayden waited forus outside the clinic, his face stern and the veins on his neck popping.
“Did something happen?” Teddy asked him.
“I’ve been thinking and I have reason to believe Garrison is among the fae who betrayed our kingdom,” he said.
Teddy held a fisted hand to her chest. “The castle’s truth-teller? He helped us that night, after Pietro had strung up those people.”
“He grew up in the castle, as many of our traitors did,” Hayden said.
“His mother is a castle employee,” I said, trying to taper down the rising anger. “The others . . . their parents were charged with treason. His mother never was.”
“He grew up with Pietro and the others, Your Highness,” Hayden said. “I think it’s wise if we at least question him.”
I shook my head, not wanting to deal with this today. Not when Teddy needed me.
“Can you handle this?” I asked him.
“Yes, Your Highness.” He tapped a fist to his chest.
“You don’t want to stay and question him yourself?” Teddy asked, her eyes wide and pleading with me.
“My place is with you. Can you take us home, Hayden?”
Just as he’d brought us to Somnio earlier, he bent space and took us home. I felt bad using him for such a menial task and would eventually have to find another fae who could bend space to take us places, but I trusted Hayden in a way I found I no longer trusted anyone outside our inner circle of family and friends.
Teddy looked around our yard and took a few steps to the hiking trail. Her shoulders hitched up, and I scented the tears she fought to hold back. Hayden stared at the back of her frame with worry etchedacross his face.
“Thank you for using your magic to take us to our appointment today,” I told him.
Casting a worried glance at Teddy, he bowed before he bent space and left.
From behind her, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She wiggled to draw her back closer to my chest.
“The boys are going to be fine,” I said.
Nodding her head, she turned around to hug me back.
“They’re going to be born healthy and strong,” I continued.
Her fingers wrapped around the back of my shirt as she dug her head against my chest. She molded herself against me as if trying to absorb my warmth.
Through our connected souls, I felt how much she wanted to believe my words. How hard she latched on to that hope, and I knew it would now be my duty to give her that hope whenever it felt like her world was crumbling around her. I’d hold on to faith and pray to whoever listened.
Our boys would be fine. Just as Teddy would be fine.
There was no other alternative.
“We should tell everyone. Just get it over with and tell them.” She rubbed her face against my shirt. “Or most everyone. Then maybe we won’t have to repeat it too many times.”
“Did you just rub snot on my shirt?” I asked.
As I hoped, she laughed. While tears still shined behind her eyes, her smile was genuine. I’d do anything to keep that smile in place.
“Do you want to ask Alastor to contact everyone to come over here?” I asked.
George, Everly, and Brenton wouldn’t be able to comesince they had gone to the last compound with Kieren’s father, a few shifters, dragons, and lirio and the fae warriors George had selected. To my surprise, Nalari had stayed behind. She seemed to want to stay nearby ever since Teddy’s and my abduction.
She might say she was no longer my Guardian, but she still looked after me as if she were.
