Page 61 of A Fate of Blood and Magic
Many of thelirio in Tera Insaldame greeted me warmly. It was nice, but also strange to find that I liked the village and every lirio I once feared. It’d taken a little longer than I’m proud to admit to become accustomed to the way they looked, especially when I remembered how easily they had killed back in Colina.
I moved on the cushion I sat on in Koa and Bon’s hut. I wasn’t sure how their roof held with the branches they’d twined together, but it kept the snow out and somehow kept their open space warm.
“I don’t know what to say,” I told Bon, who cradled her youngest against her chest. Mimesoa lay contentedly, babbling as she looked at her mom.
Bon blinked her depthless, black eyes, but being familiar with her and her family, I saw the kindness that shone from them. “It was Koa’s decision to go with Elias.” The baby in her arms cooed.
My throat thickened. “He didn’t have to.”
And maybe he shouldn’t have, especially when Ilgirth hadrefused to meet Elias outside their village. While Elias had wanted to apologize, I couldn’t blame Alastor for not forgiving him.
Still, gratitude stuck in my throat, making my eyes burn.
“He wanted to watch over your mate to make sure he came back home safe to you.” She dipped her head down while she gently caressed her baby’s face with a long finger.
“I shouldn’t have permitted Koa to go without me,” Alastor said from where he sat in the center of the hut. The young lirio climbed over Alastor as if he were a climbing gym.
Bon drew her brows up. “Permitted him?”
Alastor remained quiet, a smirk on his face that slipped away too quickly. “What I meant was, that I should’ve gone as well.”
I shifted, trying to find a more comfortable way to sit. “I don’t blame you for not going with Elias. I’m just grateful Leah came by to see to Ilgirth.” Although Elias had never mentioned he’d asked her to do so.
“What Elias did, he did out of loyalty to his people,” Alastor said.
“You sound like you want to forgive him.”
Alastor scooped up Sama, Koa and Bon’s eldest daughter, and flipped her so she hung upside down. I grinned at the girl’s peal of laughter.
“Perhaps I already have.” Alastor’s gray eyes pierced me. “That doesn’t mean I’ll endanger my people’s lives any further. I won’t stop anyone who wishes to help him either.”
Bon’s laugh was rough as if it scraped across her throat when it spilled out. “As if you could stop anyone as stubborn as my Koa.”
Alastor grinned. “I do hate getting on his bad side.” He stood in one graceful movement, and with the hut boastinghigh ceilings, Sama was safe from hitting her head when he tossed her in the air. The other littles gathered around him, begging to be thrown next. He picked up one of the boys, Chaka, and dangled him by the little one’s foot. He smirked when Chaka yelled. “Agthor went as well, although he is staying hidden. Koa will know where he is, but unless there is danger, Agthor’s presence will remain unknown.”
“I’m grateful to both of them,” I said.
Alastor tucked his chin down. Before he could say anything, I changed the subject.
“At school, the girls learned how to make empanadas,” I told them.
Although I’d never made empanadas when I lived in the human realm, I’d eaten enough of them to know it was nothing like what I helped Delaney and the girls prepare last night. The consistency of the dough was different and the ingredients unusual, but we’d let it set overnight so they could cook the boar meat filling tonight.
“We’re going to finish cooking them tonight for dinner,” I continued. “Y’all should join us.”
We’d prepared enough of the empanada dough, and I’d bought more than enough boar meat that we’d probably have leftovers. To be safe, I also made sure we had everything we needed to make sandwiches even though Delaney promised it would taste amazing.
“I don’t know that Elias would welcome me in his home,” Alastor said thoughtfully, picking up another little girl to flip her around. She squealed when he tossed her in the air and caught her.
“Whether you and Elias make amends or not has no bearing on our relationship.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “We’re family, Alastor, and you’re always welcome in ourhome. In fact, I expect you to come over and toss my sons in the air just like that, but you know, wait a few years.”
He smirked.
“What time would you like us over?” Bon asked.
I gave her an approximate time I usually got back home with the kids. “Any time after that works. The girls have been asking when they can play with your kiddos again.”
“We’ll be by after I put Mimesoa down so my friend has less trouble watching the babe.” She patted her little one’s back, grinning at her baby when she reached for her mother’s nose.
