Page 56 of Battling Bright
“Your mother struck her.”
“And didn’t die.There is that.”Reynal set her carry-on and garment bags at the end of the bed.
Vaia paused.“Right.I am calling my bio-dad.He fucked her.He can deal with her.”
Krys blinked.“That’s...right.”
“Come on.Let’s head downstairs.There has to be some benefit to being his daughter.”Vaia led the way to the kitchen, where Azreen was sitting at the counter and playing with his laptop.Vaia caught him up while taking her phone off a charger and sent a text.“Now we wait.”
Krys smiled at Azreen, and he nodded back while sipping his coffee.
“Well, if things settle down after this, I will be disappointed.”
Reynal said, “Krys’s aunt is fixating on her and using her as an outlet for her rage at Vaia.That is a problem.”
“Indeed.So, nephew, what do you think we should do about it?”
Shadows moved from the corner and roiled into a man with black hair with silver at the temples, red eyes, and a very nice suit.
“King Kremoryn, good afternoon.”
Kremoryn snorted.“Good for you.I had to leave my lover for this, and she is as energetic as she is powerful.She had a lot of fun at the wedding.So, what is going on?”
Vaia filled him in with short sentences, and then she asked, “So, can you tell her to knock it off?Assert yourself, or have some of your thugs keep the family in check?”
His gaze glowed.“I think I can manage something.Why now?”
Krys said, “My guess is that the payments that Azreen were sending to what he thought was Vaia stopped, and they heard about the wedding.They wanted to make sure the funds kept flowing.”
“No, why do you want me to help now?”
Vaia said, “You are my father, right?”
“Yes, my little ink spot.”
“Then act like it and keep my mother from continuing to abuse me.I am out of her house.Out of her life.It should stop now.”
Kremoryn’s eyes flared.“Abuse?”
Vaia looked at him.“Yes.Emotional, psychological, and occasionally physical.I was glad to leave, even if it scared the crap out of me.”
He nodded and touched her temple.The red flared again.“It seems you were not safe with your mother.”
“Not particularly, but I survived it.I have made it out the other side, but she doesn’t seem to know the game is over.If you could make that clear, it would be appreciated.”
“And you chose me because...”
“You are my father.You have the right to speak on my behalf, and after you, there is now a husband, and then there is me.If I speak on my behalf, I might not be as diplomatic as you are.”
He chuckled.“I see.And as you are considering me skilled in diplomacy, you must be controlling yourself.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, I do owe you some child support, so consider this an instalment on years one through three.”He chuckled.“I will report back when it is settled.Thank you for asking for my help.I will not fail you.”He walked up to her and bent to kiss her cheek.“I need to get practice in.I get the feeling I am going to have more daughters.”
Vaia gasped.“Is Hura...”
“Oh, not yet, but eventually.”He chuckled.“My seers have seen me trying to negotiate with a wave of angry daughters, which seems about right.”
