Evander could see the other four envoys standing, staring at the pile of ash where the vampire had been.
“We’re taking the children back to the house,” Cullen snapped. “Will you help us, Father?”
“Of course, my son.” Bron strode over to pick up Cosmo, who was still incredibly pale, his eyes closed.
“I’ll help.” Evander’s brother, Kristofer, who had taken Isabelle from Bron so he could pick up Cosmo, also grabbed littleElliot, grunting at how heavy he was. Evander knew how that felt. “I can go at least as far as the door.”
“Thank you,” Corbin bowed to his brother and then looked at his other two brothers. “We’re going to need you to help us figure this out. I’ll stay until we decide what has happened.”
Alyster smirked a little. “Are you sure you want to do that? You three are far stronger together.”
Corbin grinned, showing his dragon teeth quite a bit. They were impressive. “If I called my brothers, they would come flying. Literally. Don’t worry.”
Gregor stared back and forth between the two of them. He looked nervous. So maybe it was time for Evander to pull him aside and find out what he knew.
He’d really hate to kill his brother. But if that’s what it came down to, he would do it to protect what was his.
Chapter
Nine
Corbin felt incredibly shaken by what had just happened. He had never seen someone who was infected with vampirism who had been able to make it into the Land of Summer. He knew such things were rumored, just as he had heard stories about vampires on Lunastra. But to see it with his own eyes, to watch her crumble, had been incredibly unnerving.
He walked over to his mother and knelt, taking her hands in his. “Where did she come from, Mother?”
“I’m—” Mother blinked, shook her head, and then took a deep breath, looking over the others as if to count them. “The Court of Bells sent her. She arrived as we were leaving.”
The Court of Bells was the farthest flung of the Seelie Court, except for perhaps the Court of Dreams. He’d met very few of their members, but in his memory, they were a joyful lot that went about singing merrily, bringing music everywhere they went.
However, she had to have traveled quite a distance.
“We need to send someone to them. We need to ask questions. We need to know if the entire court is infected or if it happened on her travel here.” Having a vampire who couldwalk in the daytime was a terrible, terrible situation. “I can go,” Corbin said. “I can fly.”
“No. I’ll send Forrest. He can choose a tree and go from root to root. It will take him no time, and he’s fully fae.” She held up a hand when Corbin would have protested. “They are an insular lot. They will be suspicious of you.”
“They should be suspicious of me.” And there was his dragon, fully formed and grumpy. “They attempted to attack my mate, my child, my family, my mother.” He glared at her. “We may not be the closest of friends,” he said, “but I love you, and I will destroy anyone who harms you. This is my family, our family.”
She touched his arm, her hand cool now and not trembling. “We are your family, and I owe you an apology, son. I was unkind. Fear made me forget to trust my child, who has never done anything to earn that disrespect. Forgive me.” She looked up at Evander. “And you as well. Welcome to the family, and do please know that I am sorry for any disrespect.”
Evander bowed deeply. “Lady, it is hard. And I understand now, at least I’m beginning to, the worry that someone might have for their child.”
We’re going to go home. We’ll wait for you at the portal. But the children are frightened.To be honest, Cosmo didn’t sound really stable as it was.
I think the children are probably madly in love with their new grandfather-in-law. Let’s be honest, between Lord Archer and our dad, no one would hurt them. Regardless, you should go and give everybody comfort. Somebody start food, we’ll be home after a while. I think they want us out of here, at least for now.
Personally, he thought he needed to stay with Mother just until Dad got back. He didn’t like leaving her like this. To be honest, he wasn’t completely sure there weren’t going to berepercussions for turning a member of the Court of Bells into greasy ash.
That was an awful thought.
He glanced up at Evander.Yeah, well. At least I don’t remember it.
No? I do. It was quite intense. Have you all always been able to do that?
When it’s necessary. Yes. We can do it when it has to be done. We can’t just do it at will.
He waved his brothers off and then sat there with Mother and looked at all of Evander’s brothers.
“This isn’t exactly the way that I wanted to meet you all,” he admitted.
