With a few more pleasantries and goodbyes, Angelique leaves, and Seren and I prepare to do the same. John and Celeste fuss over their daughter, worry clear in their eyes even when Seren tells them there’s no reason to be concerned.
It would seem they know their daughter too well to believe that.
“Ready?” Seren asks as she meets me by the door in a set of clothing that’s different than what I’ve seen her in before, much more like the other human garb I’ve seen so far.
Dark blue pants, and a short-sleeved black shirt with an olive green jacket pulled on over it.
I miss her tight tan breeches and her blousy white shirts and her cloak. I miss seeing her look like she’s more a part of my realm than this one. It’ll be better for us as we try to blend in, but the change is still jarring.
She gave me some of her father’s old pants and something called asweatshirtto wear in this new form after she stowed my armor in that bottomless bag of hers, promising we’ll stop somewhere along the way and get me a few more things to wear here in this realm.
Being without my armor makes me even itchier than wearing the glamour, but I suppose I’ll just have to put up with it.
Back at the car, I climb in—fitting much more comfortably this time—but Seren pauses before getting in the driver’s side.
“I’ll… be right back.”
Before I can ask where she’s going, she walks back up the path to the house where her parents are still waiting, watching, making sure their child has a safe departure. She hugs her mother first, then her father, exchanging a few quiet words I can’t hear from this distance before she turns and comes back to the vehicle.
Inside, she doesn’t look at me as she starts the car and begins to back out, at least until she feels my eyes on her.
Seren looks over with a sigh. “Don’t say it.”
“Say what?”
“My parents. I know they can be… a lot. Especially mom. Was it awful?”
“It wasn’t awful.” I chuckle and reach over to grab her free hand. “Your parents seem like lovely people.”
She snorts as she turns us back down the narrow drive toward the larger road. “Yeah, sure.”
“I mean it.”
Her eyes are inscrutable as she studies my face, as if she’s looking for some lie there.
I’ve got no lies to offer.
Her parents are lovely. Even her sister, in a more abrasive, no-nonsense way. Seren’s entire family very obviously loves and cares about each other, and I hope my mate can sense it.
And maybe she can see the truth of it in my eyes, because she lets her arguments go and focuses on the road ahead.
“So,” I begin, changing the subject. “Where are we going?”
That earns me a smile. “To stay with a friend. You’ll like her. She’s got a demon mate, too, so the two of you can bro out or whatever while we catch up.”
I should be focused on the larger part of what Seren said. A friend and her demon, the place we’ll be staying tonight, but one little word catches in my ear.
Too.
She’s got a demon mate,too.
Whether or not she knows it, my mate’s just claimed me.
And that’s enough to make me feel like I could take on an entire realm for her, face any danger we might endure on our hunt for the fae queen’s prize.
27
Seren
