“Unless you erase my memories, I’ll never be able to be a child, and I’d never consent to that. There are some things I’m not willing to give up.” Clayton held up his and Mal’s clasped hands.
Mal kissed their overlapping fingers and said, “Thank you, Red. I’d wait for you, but I’d miss you.” Something in his core felt soft and unusual at Clayton’s announcement. It feltnice.
“Mum, Dad, can you two take care of Merry and Tommy?” Tears were streaming down Clayton’s face, but he smiled through it, as if as long as he tried hard enough, he’d convince himself he was fine with his choice.
Elena stroked her son’s face. “Carwyn, baby, of course we will, but there has to be another way. I don’t want you to age and die in the Real. I can’t lose you so quickly after missing out on your childhood. The universe owes us.”
Elena’s eyes were fierce and half feral, and Mal wondered if she was going to need a body to start stabbing again. He might need to pop out and find one because the royal guard had carried what was left of Kendric’s body away with the rest of the prisoners.
“I think I can offer a solution,” Here interjected.
Clayton perked up, clearly ready to grasp at any lifeline he could find. “What’s your solution, Here?”
“Being hijacked was an incredibly unpleasant experience for me. I would prefer it never happen again, and you need somewhere to live outside of the fae realm and the Real. Ipropose you live inside me. If you keep your visits to each realm brief and stay in each place in equal amounts to the other, you should be fine.”
“How do you know this?” Clayton asked.
Here’s misty face was reminiscent of a frown emoji. “I’m a magical being over a billion years old. You pick up on things after a while.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about being invited to live inside a guy I just met. It’s giving major stranger-danger vibes,” Holly said, eyes narrowed.
“You can trust it,” Mal said.
“How do you know?”
“Because it knows what will happen if anything happens to any of you. Right?” Mal allowed Here to see his true self in his eyes for a brief moment.
Here gave a misty-soundinghumphand said, “There’s no need for threats, Mal. I know exactly what you are. Why do you think I’m making the invitation? I’m offering to tie my life to yours for the safety of us all.”
“So, you’re asking to be a part of our family?” Merry asked. “Are you an orphan too?”
Here’s form stilled, and its facial features faded into nothing, leaving behind a blank, vaguely head-shaped bit of mist. “I suppose you could say that.”
“Clayton, can we stay?” Merry’s eyes were devastatingly huge.
“Please, Clayton, please! We want to stay with you!” Tommy held Clayton’s leg so tightly that it was as if he was trying to meld with Clayton’s body.
Merry and Tommy both cried and pulled on Clayton’s clothes.
“He’s an orphan like us. Here needs a home too!” Merry’s eyes glistened wetly, and Mal was certain she was giving the performance of her lifetime.
Clayton looked to Mal and Eira, and they both shrugged. The decision was entirely Clayton’s. It washisfamily. They were just the lucky fucks who got to benefit from it.
“I guess we’re staying. Us strays have to stick together, right?” Clayton gave his family a soft smile.
Merry and Tommy’s cheers would have been deafening if Mal’s ears hadn’t been constructs. Clayton, being at ground zero, however, had to cover his ears and wince.
“I brought more crumpets, but there’s some smoke in the kitchen. Someone should go check on that,” Grampy said as he came out onto the deck. His hat was smoldering, but he smiled grandly as he held out a platter.
Mal hurried to take the platter and extinguished the fire on Grampy’s hat with a thought, replacing it with a new, identical hat, sans flames.
“Those are pancakes,notcrumpets,” Clayton stated loudly.
Unfazed, Grampy asked, “I don’t want to alarm anyone, but did you notice we’re in a cave now?”
“It’s our new home,” Mal said.
A beautiful smile broke out on Grampy’s face. “Wonderful! I prefer to live underground. Water and kirians don’t mix well, you see.”
