Page 60 of Midnight in the Garden of Okay and Meh
“Effrijim?” Desi stopped speaking in low tones with Parisi and pinned me back with a look that had me sitting up straighter. “Do you join us in our war?”
“Like, can I help from the sidelines?” I asked, worried that I was going to lose parents I’d just found, but at the same time, I couldn’t just bail. “Not that I have a particular beef with the Court, since I was treated well when I was there, but I can’t really leave Aisling now. She has Guardian stuff she needs me for, and the spawn like to have me tell them about history and things like that, and then there’s Cecile. We’re working on a way to make her immortal, because dogs do not live long enough, and I can’t really help Amelie—that’s Cecile’s mom—find a dog immortality spell if I’m busy fighting a holy war.”
“Very well,” Desi said, giving me a little nod. “If it is your wish to remain with the dragons, then I will honor that desire. Know that you will always have a home with us, but so long as you are not kept from us, we will agree to your terms. Once your mother and I are settled, we will contact you. As for your contribution to the war ... if it would make life with your dragons difficult, we will simply have to rely upon your sister, instead. A triumvirate is always stronger. Parisi?”
She cracked her knuckles. “Let’s go find a domicile so that we may make plans. My sword itches for blood of the Court.”
Protests emerged from the computer, with Ysolde saying again that he couldn’t just walk off, but that’s exactly what he did.
One moment they were there at the door, and the next, they were gone, and the sound of the front door closing drifted in to us.
Drake looked at Aisling. She stared first at him, then moved her gaze to me.
I blinked at her.
“Sister?” she asked.
“Yeah, that threw me, too. Fires of Abaddon, Aisling ... I have a whole entire family I didn’t know about!” I got up, shook, and toyed with the idea of going to my room. I suddenly had a desire to tell Cecile about the happenings, which meant I had to have Amelie put me on speakerphone on her end.
“What about us?” Allie asked, her voice rising. For a moment, I’d forgotten they were still on the call. “What about the thane?”
Christian looked mad enough to spit, but rather than saying anything about my parents, he simply said, “We appreciate all the time and help you have given us. Since I’m sure you will refuse monetary remuneration, please text us with the name of a charity you support, and we will offer them a donation in lieu of that.”
“Keep in touch,” Allie said before Christian ended their call.
“This took a turn I absolutely did not expect,” Ysolde said. “What are we going to do now? Should we warn Sally, or the Sasha person who’s running the Court now? We can’t leave the vamps out in the cold.”
“No, of course not,” Aisling said.
“It is not our battle to fight,” Drake reminded her.
“Perhaps not, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help allies,” she answered.
“Dark Ones are no allies of dragonkin,” Baltic said.
“They’re not really enemies, though, are they?” Ysolde asked. “Besides, I like Allie. I just don’t know what we should do about Desi and Parisi.”
“Let’s call the others, and see what the Mates and Friends group can come up with,” Aisling suggested.
I left to go to my room where my cell phone was sitting next to the super-comfy dog bed Aisling had given me as a Christmas present.
ME
Did you know I had a sister?
SALLY
...
SALLY
Who mentioned her? What am I saying ... it must be Desislav?
ME
Yeah. He said something about needing her.
SALLY
