Oh, Goddess. I had to secure my daughter. Fear shot through me as I laruked to Twilight.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I arrived in the nursery, standing before Mirielle's empty toddler bed.
Spinning, I shouted, “Sever!” I ran out into my bedroom. It was empty. “Severriel!” The hallway was empty. “Oh, fuck this. You think you can hide from me? I can laruk right to you!”
“Seren,” Sever's voice came from behind me.
I spun. He was coming up the corridor, a leather bag slung over his shoulder and Miri in his arms. She looked so small against his chest, even with his wings folded against his back. She sat on Sever's forearm as if it were a swing, her wings flapping in excitement and one hand on his broad chest.
“Mama!” Mirielle called.
“Miri!” I raced over to them.
Sever handed her over to me without hesitation. But then he said, “Seren, you need to let us go.”
I clutched my daughter so tight that she smacked me. “Sorry, baby,” I said to her before glaring at Sever. “No, this is stupid. You're safest here. Angels can't laruk to Fairy without an invitation.”
“No, but they could walk a rath.”
Which is why Raza wanted the raths warded. I'd considered that possibility too when Star had made his threat.
“Seren, I don't want to take her away, but this is what's best for Miri.” Sever's hand went to my cheek. “I know this wasn't your fault. I don't blame you. And I don't want to be parted from you either. But Miri must come first. That's what it means to be a parent.” He looked at her, then back at me. “Have you considered this could all be a plot to abduct her?”
“What?” I gaped at him.
“With you weakened and distracted, fighting with us, it would be easy for someone to creep in here and take her.”
“Then we'll watch her better. We don't leave her alone. Not ever. And we don't let anyone into the castle.”
“Seren, once an Angel got into Fairy, they could simply laruk into the castle. We are not safe here.”
“You're not taking her from me.”
“Whoa, what's going on here?” Killian walked up holding Rowan's hand.
I looked at Rowan.
“I'll go play in my room,” Rowan said.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” I said. “I'll stop by before I leave again.”
“Okay, Mom.” She gave her father a strange look before going into her room.
Once Rowan's door was shut, I growled, “Sever wants to take Miri to Earth and not tell me where they are!”
“What the fuck, dude?” Kill gaped at Sever. “Did you take a tumble while flying and land on your head?”
Sever crossed his thick arms. “Miri may be in danger, Killian. We discussed this.”
“Yeah, but that's no reason to go hideout on Earth. How is that good for Miri?”
“She's young enough that she won't remember this. Fairy isn't safe for her.”
My father had said something similar about me in Fairy. I winced.
“Seren, you don't believe that,” Kill said.
