His palm lifted to the back of his neck, and he tugged on it, cheeks now flushed with embarrassment. “I don’t know about that, but at least I got called into service early.”
“So it seems.” Fiora dusted off his leathers like a doting parent. “Your folks will still throw a Centennial for you though, yes?”
He lit up with a kind of excitement I wasn’t sure I’d ever experienced. “Yeah, they sure are. You and Uncle Myron are gunna come, right?”
Uncle? Whoa, I did not see that coming. Who in Lumnara was this kid?
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Now, as you were, soldier.” She threw him another wink before taking her seat.
His eyes focused on me with determination. Tugging the front of his leathers down, his chest puffed out slightly as he held his hand out to me. “Let’s try this again. My name is Kaelun”—this time I accepted his hand, his firm grip wrapped around mine—"and I’ve been posted as your personal guard."
“Sorry?” I said, taking my hand back.
“I’m your personal guard.” As if unable to contain his excitement, he bobbed a fraction on the balls of his feet, though the slight movements weren’t nearly as telling as the joy radiating off of him.
Seriously, who was this kid, and why was I suddenly wishing Artton’s surly face was here instead?
I looked to Fiora for answers she didn’t have.
It was hard to discern if I was more surprised that Artton followed through on his threat orwhohe’d chosen. Until then I hadn’t realized I’d subconsciously envisioned who would protect me—and it sure as hells wasn’t some kid in stiff leathers that hadn’t seen a day’s training. Stars, he didn’t even have a single weapon. I couldn’t help but wonder if the kid was chosen by Artton to make a point that anyone was more useful than me when it came to magic, and the mere thought that he’d be that petty set me into motion.
“Thanks for the breakfast, Fiora,” I said, leaning down for a hug. “Let’s do this again, but with Myron.”
“That sounds lovely.”
Releasing her, I passed my new shadow, grabbed my bandolier off the chair, and made for Tarrin’s suite hoping Artton would be there—we needed to talk.
“Hey, where are we going?” the kid asked as he scurried to catch up with me after giving his aunt a hasty goodbye.
I ignored him, anger rising with each step as I hunted for the summer fae with a chip on his shoulder.
As soon as I entered the last hallway with my new shadow in tow, I spotted Artton closing the guest suite door behind him.
“You!” I yelled, pointing a finger at him.
Caius’ second crossed his corded arms over his chest, brow cocked in amusement.
“Sorry, Uncle Artton, I?—”
“A fetus for a fetus,” I snapped, cutting the kid off as we approached with the words that had echoed in my mind since leaving Fiora. “Is that what this is?” I gestured behind me.
“Hey!” Kaelun objected. “That was mean.”
“Shush, the adults are talking,” I snipped.
He opened his mouth, hazel eyes bouncing between hisuncleand me before making the wise decision to shut up and take a step back.
“I see you met Kaelun,” he said, and stars above if his smirk didn’t stoke my ire.
“Maybe if someone actually trained me instead of berating me for not having control of my powers, I wouldn’t need a babysitter.”
“Maybe,” he countered with lethal calm, taking a step toward me, “if someone shared what’s going on with anyone from theSummer Courtthen we wouldn’t be blindsided.”
“Blindsided!” My voice raised as much as my indignation while I sidestepped his jab about Endymion. “Oh, poor Artton, did the primordial power not ask how high when you demanded it to jump and nowyou’reall out of sorts? Gosh, I’m so sorry for the hardship of it all. I can see how this has been a major inconvenience foryou. It’s almost like a week agoyouwere the one that found out your parents had been slaughtered by your lover. No, wait”—I snapped my fingers—"surely,blindsidedis when the Mother turnedyouinto a godsdamned fae."
I took a half-step forward, chin raised, all humor replaced with lethal, calculating ire as I bore into his soul. “Don’t you dare blame me for blindsiding you about powers I never asked for, in a body thatisn’t mine, in a land that is foreign, with fae I didn’t know. Forty-eight hours ago, I found out Lumnara’s fate is tied to mine, and yesterday I sewed the flesh of a man to whom I owe my life to. So don’t talk to me about being ambushed when I am one surprise from finding a way to carve this fucken power out of me and letting the lot of you fight over it.”
His pupils dilated, nearly eating away the dark-blue irises.
