Valentine screwed up his face. "Why? I did my part and found them."
"Because you're a part of the family. Also, Yelena and Avallach are going to be there. You are going to want to hear what they have to say."
Valentine growled. "What are you all thinking? She shouldn't be out of bed yet."
"She can make that choice for herself. Besides, Apollo sent her a potion, and she's been doing much better since she drank it."
"What fucking potion? What was in it?" Valentine demanded. They should have let him check it first for fuck’s sake.
Reeve only smiled like an asshole. "You will just have to come to dinner and ask her yourself, won't you?"
13
Valentine adjusted the lapels of his new jacket for the seventh time before adjusting the ties of his shirt.
After a few days of trying to deal with the fae in the mountain city, Valentine had bought clothes from one of the markets. The less human he appeared, the more the fae seemed to relax around him. He didn't mind the shirts that wrapped one panel over the other and tied at the side. Kian still preferred to wear that style of shirt too, so he knew how to wear them in a style that the fae did. The coats and pants were also leanly tailored in a way Valentine liked.
He could blend in and disappear when he walked through Mag Argatnél now, and he liked that most of all.
Valentine leaned closer to the mirror and checked his eyes. His dragon had been calm and quiet since they had gotten Yelena and Avallach back to safety, but his eyes had remained the color of blood. It was like the beast wanted to permanently remind him he wasn't going to be locked up again.
Something for him to worry about later. He brushed his hair back and went to find where everyone else had gathered.
In the end, all he had to do was follow the noise. Taranis and Quinn sat at the end of a large wooden dining table with the knights, Reeve, Charlotte, and Yelena on either side of it.
"Ah, there he is at last," Owain called.
Valentine took the seat opposite Yelena. "I had forge grime to get rid of," he said and dared to look across at Yelena and Avallach. "Should you two be out of bed?"
Avallach shrugged and then winced. "Can't keep a dragon down for long. Charlotte and the healers have done their work well."
"And Apollo kindly sent some healing elixirs that are speeding things up," Yelena added.
Valentine finally dared to look at her properly. Her wounded arm was in a sling that was bound to her chest. She still looked tired, but there was a glow about her cheeks that hadn't been there when she had first woken. It was hard for him to look at anything else when she was in the room. It had always been a problem he had struggled with. He tried to focus and not get lost in the blue sea of her eyes.
"Yes, about those elixirs. I'd like to know what my brother put in them," he said, poorly hiding his annoyance.
"Whatever it was, it has helped," Yelena said with a slight shrug and sipped her wine.
"You still shouldn't be out of bed yet," Valentine grumbled, his hand clenching under the table at her nonchalant attitude for her own well-being.
"I'm able to judge what my body is capable of, thank you, Valentine," Yelena replied, a flash of heat in her eyes.
Valentine's dragon twitched, sensing the alpha in her—a challenge.
"Have some wine, Val. You look like you need it," Taranis suggested, sliding a glass toward him.
Valentine forced a tight smile and drained his entire goblet. Reeve elbowed him in warning. He took some deep breaths.
Calm down. She's not challenging you,Valentine tried to tell the dragon rolling to the surface.
Pin her down, the beast insisted.
The rest of the table went on talking as Valentine shut his eyes and did his breathing exercises again. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Yelena was watching him, her head tilted a little, studying him. No one else seemed to notice the war he was fighting except for her. She held his gaze, and the dragon finally relented. Then he felt like he could breathe again.
"Valentine?" Quinn said, making him snap his attention to her.
"Yes, Auntie?"
