“Yes sir—Kal,” Manny amended.
Sera’s mother stepped in to give Manny a hug. “And you can call me Dah,” she introduced herself. She turned to face the others. “You must be Elyse and Killian.” She smiled broadly at them, her eyes crinkling into tiny lines. “And Killian’s mother, I presume.”
They exchanged pleasantries along with handshakes and hugs, all while trying not to trip over the trunks still scattered across the floor.
“We’ll take care of your things,” Kal assured them. “Supper is almost ready if you’ll follow me to the dining room.”
“We have plenty of food if you’d like to join us,” Dah offered Mrs. Southwick as the others followed Kal down the hallway.
Mrs. Southwick smiled, shaking her head. “That’s very kind of you, but I ought to get back before I lose my nerve. I only came here so I would be able to transport here again, if needed.” To herself, she muttered, “Gods, I hope it’s not needed.”
Killian tried not to smirk. “I’ll see you back, Mum,” he said, taking her by the hand. “I’ll be back soon, Dah. Thank you for your hospitality.”
Dah nodded and disappeared down the hallway.
Killian peered down at his mother. “Ready?”
“No,” she grumbled.
“Good,” Killian said, and threw a transportation potion down at the floor without any warning.
A split second later, his mother was screaming at him. “Don’t do that!” she hollered as she clasped a hand to her chest. “Killian, you are the devil’s child.”
Killian gave a hearty laugh. They’d landed outside the palace gates, and two guards bearing halberds stared at them with inquisitive expressions.
“No, Mum, I’m your child,” he pointed out.
Mrs. Southwick only glared at him as she continued to pant.
“Hey, did you notice that—” Killian began.
“That Manny and Kal share the same height, build, and hairstyle?” his mother finished for him. Still breathing hard, she smirked up at him. “Yes, I noticed.”
Killian’s heart might have exploded right there. He would never understand how his mother always seemed to read his mind, to say all the right things, but he would appreciate it to his last breath.
“Take care of yourself,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
“Me?” she asked with some incredulity. “I’m not the one going off to fight a demon-man.”
“Seriously. Don’t go outside the palace walls, and keep your wits about you.” Killian pulled a few vials of transportation potion from his pocket and slid them into his mother’s hands. “If you need me, you know where to find me.”
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “You just worry about getting back to me in one piece. No more bargains with Death.”
“Yes, Mum,” Killian promised, and pulled her in for a hug.
“I love you, Killy Bean,” his mother murmured against his chest.
“I love you, too.”
They embraced for a long moment, both reluctant to let go. Finally, his mother patted him on the back and said, “Go back and enjoy that dinner.”
Killian didn’t know why his eyes were welling as he pulled away. He would see his mother again, he was sure. So why was it so difficult to leave her?
“Elyse needs you more than I do right now,” she urged him.
Killian nodded and took a deep breath. His mother was right. She would be fine. “I’ll see you soon enough,” he said as he pulled out one last transportation vial.
Before he disappeared into a wave of blue smoke, he heard his mother greeting the guards by name and promising to save them a plate of dinner for after their shift.
