Page 31 of Shade
"Yes."
Diego sucked in a breath, then threw his arms around me, giving me a tight hug. I pulled him into my lap as I hugged him back, and he seemed content to stay there.
"We need to tell the headmaster about the glitch. What if I hadn't been here, and it took you too long to get to a shadow? You could've gotten seriously hurt!"
"I'll tell him, but maybe later? I don't want to cause any problems for the wedding," I said, and Diego pulled back, his brows furrowed.
"I don't think Liam or Haruto would mind. I think you burning to a crisp near their wedding day might cause more problems."
I winced, because Diego wasn't wrong.
"How about I just tell the headmaster, and ask him to keep it to himself as he fixes it?" I suggested, and Diego pursed his lips thoughtfully before finally giving a nod.
"Yeah, that works. What about the other thing? Are you going to tell everyone aboutthat?"
"Not yet," I decided after a moment of thought. "I want to figure everything out first. How it works, what the limits are. If I can stay outside indefinitely as long as you're close, or if there's a time constraint."
"As you wish. Though we'd have to go someplace remote to try things, where a random human can't catch sight of you."
"That is true. I'm sure we'll find somewhere suitable."
Diego hummed, and we sat there for a few moments before there was a knock at the door.
"That would be breakfast," I said, and Diego slid off the bed after giving me a quick peck on the cheek.
"I'll get it."
It was Keoni at the door with our breakfast, and Diego and he chatted for a moment before he left, and Diego brought a tray of food back to the bed.
"He's very sweet. I didn't know if it would be rude to ask him, but what is he? What kind of supe?"
I smiled as I took the tray from him so he could climb onto the bed. "Keoni's a centaur."
"Oh!" Diego exclaimed, clearly surprised. "Um, what about the clatter? Does he carry around a cart or something?"
"Ah, in a way. His back legs are paralyzed, so Draven made him a cart for his back half so he could move around without assistance."
"A wheelchair of sorts," Diego murmured, and I hummed.
"Yeah. Here," I handed him a plate, and he took a bite of the scrambled eggs, making a delighted sound.
"That is delicious."
"Must be Jacinta's turn in the kitchen. They make the best food."
"They really do. Remind me to tell them that if we see them at lunch," Diego said, making me smile. My mate was such a sweet man.
Thirteen
Diego
"Tell me about yourmom," I said, and Shade startled beside me. He'd talked about her before, telling me how she'd told him how he would recognize his mate when he met them, but he hadn't talked about her since, and I was curious.
What was she like, the woman who'd raised someone as sweet and kind as him?
"She was the best woman I've ever known," Shade said softly, and I turned to face him, throwing my arms around his middle. We were still in bed, since I'd been too tired after yesterday to do much of anything.
"Was?" I asked, sadness filling me. I'd lost my mom a few years ago, and I wished no one—and especially Shade—had to experience loss like that.
