“Nothing helps the soul like a meal cooked with love,” she said.
She’d know.
“Hungry?” Iric asks as he steps beside me.
“I could eat,” I say, giving him a small smile. “How’s it going in there?”
The question feels pointless the second it leaves my mouth. Like there’s any version ofthisthat’s going well.
“As expected at a time like this. Laney and Annalise have completely taken over the kitchen. She’s coming out of her shell with half the people gone now.” A small huff of amusementleaves him as he glances back at the door. “Although she does keep asking when Creed will be back.”
I let out a quiet laugh.
Yeah. That tracks.
Out of everyone, of course she latched onto Creed.
He, Riven, Amick, Sevryn, Nero, and Derivius went back to Oddian not long ago to gather her things. When he knelt in front of her and asked if there was anything special she wanted him to grab, she’d gone still for a second—really thinking about it—before deciding, with absolute certainty, that everything she owned was special.
He didn’t even hesitate. Just smiled and agreed like it was the easiest promise in the realm to keep.
She threw her arms around him like he’d just handed her the realm itself.
My chest tightens when I think about how his face softened like her easy acceptance and touch loosened the guilt plaguing him.
While they’re there, they’re supposed to check in withMeridamusand bring their parents’ bodies back.
Bring back…
That feels wrong.
Lambrit hasn’t said exactly what he plans to do once they’re here, but he definitely already has it mapped out down to the smallest detail. He just doesn’t want to say it out loud in front of Laney. Or he’s not ready to say it period.
“Is Laney…” I trail off, scrubbing a hand over the back of my neck. “I’m not even sure how to ask what I’m asking.”
Iric nods like he understands anyway.
“She’s handling it like any nine-year-old would. There will be mornings—like this one—when she wakes up confused. It’ll take her a moment to realize it wasn’t a dream.”
I swallow the acid that burns my throat. She scared the fuck out of me when her shrill bursts from her lips, and she screamed for her mom. It killed me watching Thayla rock her in her arms.
My brothers aren’t faring any better. I’m surprised Riven hasn’t absolutely flipped his shit.
Well…his Harmony’s been working overtime, so that probably has a lot to do with it.
“She’ll feel it again,” he continues after my silence stretches another moment. “The sadness. The loss. And then, like now, she’ll move into distraction. Distraction in children is different than in adults. We use it to avoid what we’re feeling.
“For them, it’s natural. Their minds don’t stay fixed in one place for long. They don’t have the same weight of responsibility pressing everything down. When theydofeel it, though, it’s overwhelming. They don’t know how to carry something that heavy yet.”
A harsh breath leaves me.
“How do we help her when that happens?”
“We do exactly what we’re doing now. We stay and listen. We answer her questions. We don’t lie to her. No ‘it’ll be okay,’ or dismissing the conversation if she wants to talk. No rushing her through it. We let her feel it fully, and we remind her she’s not alone while she does.” His lips tilt faintly. “She’s surrounded by more love than most people ever experience in a lifetime. With Annalise here, there isn’t a better presence for something like this than the true Goddess of Affection herself.”
I hum in agreement.
That’s the truth.
