Yes. Clayton would be keeping her.
“It’s what Samantha calls her, and we allow people to define themselves as they see fit, don’t we?” Clayton raised his eyebrows at her and gave her a prompting nod until she reddened and nodded back.
“Yes, obviously. Sorry. I’m sensitive about… well, everything, really, and that’s not going to change any time soon.”
“That’s okay, Holly. You’ll fit right in. Clayton riles up easier than anyone I’ve ever met, and we still love him,” Eira said, giving Holly a loving squeeze around the shoulders.
Holly sagged into her hold, and Clayton saw a visible difference in the shield around them. It had begun to flickerunder the onslaught of Kendric’s forces, but now it blazed brightly.
For a brownie new to her powers and family, Holly was impressively strong. She was yet another surprising blessing the universe had thrown at Clayton today. He was going to have to create files for all of them and then document them properly when he had the chance.
“Okay, Holly, lesson number one,” Clayton said grandly, hoping to infect his new pupil with confidence. “Focus on how it feels to be part of our family.” The shield went blindingly bright at the wordfamily,and Clayton winced but forged on. “You’re unanimously welcome to be here, and I’m delighted to have you. Always remember this. Now, look deep inside yourself. Brownie magic can see into the hearts of people, so you should know whether I’m telling the truth or not.”
Holly looked doubtful, but she closed her eyes and concentrated. Her scrunched-up little face was absolutely adorable, and Clayton wished he could take a picture. After a few seconds, Holly’s eyes flew open in surprise, glistening with tears.
“You really meant it. You actually like me. How could you like me? You barely know me.”
“How could I not? You stalked Mal to my door and made yourself at home without asking.” Clayton chuckled softly. “You’re a weirdo, and weirdos should stick together, right?”
Holly chuffed, wiped her eyes, and said, “Fine, but you’re weirder than me. Like, way, way weirder.”
“I can’t argue with you there.” Clayton rubbed her head, messing up her hair. “Can I trust you to keep the rest of our family safe while I go get my parents?”
Holly nodded, instantly as serious as a soldier on a battlefield. “I promise.”
“Me too, Wynwyn. I can keep us safe too!” Merry grabbed Clayton’s arm and jumped up and down.
“Me too! Me too!” Tommy echoed, grabbing Clayton’s other arm and jumping with every ounce of energy a small boy could muster.
“Yes, absolutely. You’re both incredibly important. Holly needs your support to keep the shield up. I need you to hug Holly and imagine sending a tiny thread of light into her. It needs to be teeny tiny,” Clayton emphasized. He didn’t want them to drain themselves.
How did he even know to say that? He’d studied magic his entire life, but he knew next to nothing about fae magic.
Something inside his head pulsed. It was where he got headaches when his bad luck would rear its head, only it didn’t hurt right now. Instead of being painful and annoying, it was more like a small but strong source of energy was flaring to get his attention.
Why would he have magic in his head? It would be ridiculous for that to be the case. He’d have to be an alien or something to break such a fundamental law of magic…
Suddenly, everything fell into place. The pounding in his head. The bane of his existence. It was Clayton’s magic. His own essence, muddied and hidden away due to the bullshit between two gods acting like squabbling children.
Everyone in the Real kept their magic source in the center of their bodies. It wasn’t a thing anyone questioned because there were no exceptions to the rule.
Until Clayton came along, that is. Of course he’d be carrying his poor, confused essence somewhere else. If he was powered by chaos magic, why wouldn’t his essence present in a way counter to everything he’d learned in the Real?
He poked the spot in his mind, and it flared. It was no longer some raw, angry thing that liked to ruin his days. It felt whole and at ease. It felt friendly.
It was telling him that he was saying the right thing to his children, and that everything would be fine as long as he spoke from his heart. It was telling Clayton to trust himself no matter what.
Merry and Tommy abandoned Clayton’s arms and swarmed over Holly, telling her all about their lives and all the things they were going to do together once the elf-pirates were gone.
The shield around the boat glowed brighter and brighter, and Clayton shared a smile with Eira over the children’s heads.
He’d never felt more complete, more right, than he had in that moment. Before him, all he could see were endless possibilities.
“I’ve got it from here, Clayton. You can go to your parents,” Eira told him. “Are you going to be okay? You’re not exactly…” Eira trailed off, obviously not wanting to hurt his feelings, but still not wanting to let him run out into battle like a useless dumbass begging to get killed.
“Eira, I’m going to be absolutely fantastic.”
Clayton didn’t know why, but he believed every word he’d said. Something huge inside him had shifted, like everything that had been holding him back had fallen away. Like his soul was healing from too much exposure to the Real.
