Page 48 of Battling Bright
“Does he know that you would help him restore balance?”
“He never asked.”
A soft voice behind her said, “I am asking now.”
She turned and saw Amy, Emmers, and Keel near the car.Normic was standing nearby.
Krys paused.“Go and get a milkshake.This is a conversation that requires distraction.”
He smiled slightly and retreated to the milkshake shack, where she had gotten her first job.
Krys looked at Reynal.“You told him we were here.”
“Yup.Things need to be hashed out, and it is better to do it in person.I am going to move aside when he comes.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Fine.I will get you a new milkshake.Strawberry chocolate?”
She nodded.“Please.Is your family this complicated?”
He kissed her cheek and said, “Technically, Azreen is my great uncle.Chew on that a little.”
Krys stared at him as he walked toward the shack.Her gaze was blank as she turned back to the lake.So, not a gargoyle then, or not all gargoyle.Dragonborn.Right.
When he and Normic came back together, she took the shake and said, “So, not gargoyle.”
“No.Just resemble it with the splendid blend of genes I possess.”
She snorted.Normic sat next to her on her left.
“So, Krys, I have some apologies to make.I am going to speak to your parents later, but for now, I wanted to start with you.”
She sucked hard on her straw.“Okay.”
“I have been teetering at the position of clan leader without actually inhabiting it.I am a figurehead, and it frustrates me.”
“Well, why did you take it?”
“Because your father married a mage instead of a northern clan member.He was kicked out of succession.His wolf is stronger than mine, but he wasn’t allowed to take over because you had already arrived in the world, and you were human.No hint of frost around you.”
“Nope.A bit of magic, though.That was all Mom.”
“Yes.The weirdest thing was that my brother didn’t mind at all, swapping power for family.He moved aside for me to take over, and I was not naturally of that inclination.There were battles, and he was always on my side, but there was such rage at him calmly sinking to the lowest levels of our community and doing it happily.”
“Dad said as long as he could see a picture of my mother, he would walk into a volcano to get it.He was in love.She was in love, and I was the result of him being bigger and faster.”She smiled.
“They told you about that?”
“Yup.No shame in our family.I got in touch with my own wolf when the wave hit.She was close; she just needed a little boost.The clan leader could have provided that boost, but that wasn’t in the cards.”
Normic blinked.“I can what?”
“Boost all of the lower caste clan members into their manifestations.It’s easy.All of my catering staff were low-level clan members, and they now all have medium-level beasts, and some are higher.”
He paused.“Do you want to take over the clan?”
“Oh, lord no!I don’t want to be in charge of that many neurotics.I would spend the first four months kicking people’s teeth out.That would seriously fuck up my shoes.”
