Page 117 of Halfblood Deceived

“May I sit here?” Zeydan asked Luce.

She nodded.

He sat and took a deep breath. “I am very sorry, Luce. I shouldn’t have been so rude to you. I promise to do my best to never snap at you again like that. Can you forgive me?”

Luce nodded again.

The oppression in his chest and throat lessened. “Thank you.”

Luce bit her lip. “I’m sorry, too. I know I’m being stubborn. It’s just… I don’t like moving.”

Her reasons were more than valid. Luce had lived with Andreas and Elizabeth in the same house since she was born. Until that horrible day five years ago, when the gargoyles had attacked them. They had broken in when Andreas wasn’t home, killed Elizabeth, and kidnapped Luce. Andreas and Luce had moved into the house Zeydan shared with the others then, but the gargoyles had hounded them and they had to move to America. The mansion had been their residence for a bit over three years, and it had taken Luce one whole year to get used to it. And now they were homeless again.

Luce associated moving with something bad. And Zeydan couldn’t blame her.

“I know you hate moving, Luce,” Zeydan said. “So do I, but we have to.”

Luce poked at a rock on the ground with a small branch. “Can’t we spend a season with Kerian like he said? It’s just too soon, and this house has bad vibes.”

Zeydan sighed. “Alright. We’ll stay a while longer while we find something better.”

Luce met his eyes, face bright like the sun. “Really?”

Zeydan nodded. “Really. I’m reinstating democracy.”

Luce flung herself into his arms. “Thank you, Uncle Zeydan.”

He hugged her back. “You’re welcome.” They separated. “Shall we go?”

Luce sprang to her feet and offered her tiny hand to Zeydan. “Yes, please.”

He chuckled and accepted her hand, letting her lead him back toward the back entrance, where Andreas and Evan awaited with approving looks for Zeydan.

They met Sandy and the others back in the kitchen.

“So?” the realtor prompted.

“We don’t think this house has the right vibes,” Zeydan said, giving her a closed-lip smile. “Thank you for your time, and best of luck selling this house.”

The human looked deflated but returned the smile. “I will find you the perfect house. Just wait and see.”

Luce wrinkled her nose at that.

Kerian stayed in the house talking with Sandy while Zeydan and his lot of maddening family members decamped back to the limousine. It was the only car that could fit them all comfortably enough.

Luce sat next to her father but curled into Evan, once again using him as a teddy bear, or teddy wolf.

Zeydan and Lex bracketed Gabby.

Mari sat across from Andreas, just so she could scowl at him from the best angle.

Kerian returned, tapping the roof and getting inside the limo.

The driver started the car.

Evan gave Kerian a speculative look. “Okay, I have to ask. Do you guys have side businesses with the mob or something?”

Kerian snorted. “Milla hates mobsters. Two wannabe mobster gangs tried to terrorize Darkwood about seventy years ago, back when we didn’t have the Court fully established.” He sighed wistfully. “Milla and I had a memorable feast.”

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