Hazel covers her face, muttering “oh shit” over and over again, while Seiji bolts to the kitchen. I thought he wastrying to avoid an uncomfortable conversation, but he quickly returned with a mug of hot chocolate to soften the blow of whatever was coming.
I hold my breath and force the question out. “He’s dead, isn’t he?”
I grew up hearing Visha’s vile stories about killing my father. When he didn’t show up yesterday, they became a little too real for me.
After I found out my mate was alive and my kingdom had never been attacked, I started to hope that everything Visha told me was a lie, but maybe I was just afraid to admit the truth.
I’m busy imagining the rest of my life as an orphan when everyone suddenly shouts in sync, startling me. “No!”
So, they have bad news… but Papa isn’t dead?
“Then where is he? Why did he send amateurs to rescue me instead of coming himself?”
Seiji gasps. “Uh, excuse me? These amateurs saved you.”
“I saved myself.”
“But… B-but we’re taking you home!”
“Wow. How mighty of you. It must take a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to cross a fucking portal.”
Sure, they helped me near the end, but I got myself out.All on my own. I deserve at least 80% of the credit.
“That’s a lot of sarcasm for someone who lived in a dungeon for a decade. Who taught you? The rats in your cell.” Hazel snickers.
“Idiot.Iwas the rat in the cell.” I snort very un-princess-like. Hazel looks both stunned and impressed.
“Quiet,” Angel growls, and all our mouths snap shut.
When Grace scolds Hazel for making light of my trauma, Hazel’s chin dips in guilt. I let a small smile slip, and the second Hazel sees it, her remorse turns into a snarl.Oops.
Angel pinches the bridge of his nose and takes a deep breath. Without thinking, I run my fingers through his soft curls, copying the way he massaged my scalp earlier. His headdrops into my lap with a content sigh, his shoulders sagging in relief.
After a quiet minute, Angel realizes he can’t stall anymore. He looks over his shoulder to see if anyone else will volunteer to take his place, but the cowards avoid his gaze, looking everywhere but at him.
Taking my hands, Angel asks me for patience and not to jump to conclusions.
“Dean was searching for you relentlessly. It was consuming him. Drowning him. We were all working day and night, but he was… lost. Every time a team came back empty-handed, he got more depressed. He was losing himself, sweetheart.”
With every word, Angel silently begs me not to hold Papa’s absence against him. How could I when I am the reason for his suffering?
“Three years ago, Dean asked me to temporarily take over his responsibilities because he needed a break. He organized everything, even did his paperwork for a whole year in advance, before he left. Grace offered to help out in the office and took a lot off my plate so I wouldn’t be overworked and Dean could leave without worrying about his duties.”
So Papa hasn’t been home in threeyears?
Why did he finish a year’s worth of work if he only wanted a break? Did he get tired of putting his life on hold for me? Was he looking for a way out? What if henevercomes back?
“Dad will be back,” Grace says confidently, like she read my mind. “He didn’t want to leave, but he needed that break. Your disappearance broke him, Nevaeh. He was fading. He was barely eating and only slept when he crashed from exhaustion. I had to force him to take a step back.”
The thought of him wasting away because of me makes my throat close up. I picture him standing outside my old room, drowning in guilt and shame. His sadness. His anger. His remorse.
I look at Grace, wondering if she can help me bring him back home. I don’t realize I’m making her uncomfortable until hereyes sparkle with fresh tears.
Grace sniffs. “I’m so sorry. I won’t call him dad if it bothers you. He said I could, but I didn’t even think about how it might make you feel—”
“What? No. Where did that even come from? I was about to ask if your gifts could help me find Papa.”
Grace slumps back with a hand over her heart. “Oh, thank God. You have a mean resting face. It almost gave me a heart attack.”
