“She’ll feel better about it in a few days. Once she sees that Laney is okay and having fun, it’ll be easier for her.”
I stare at Kyzen.
He’s being hopeful but incredibly unrealistic.
She’s going to be pissed about this for a while.
My gaze slides over to Iric’s grunt and the way he glances at Kyzen. The two of them have some damn secret conversation with their eyes, and mine continue to narrow on them when they don’t pay attention to me.
What the hell is that?
I stalk behind them as everyone leaves Laney’s room and makes their way back to the backyard. The second Doren seesthat Yemi’s arrived, he hauls ass off the porch and the other three follow him like love-sick animals.
I don’t have room to talk.
My soul is snuggled up against my Binders right now.
It’s desperate for her and some normalcy.
Whatever that is now…
“How did it go, my fearless public speaker?” Doren asks as he wraps his arms around Yemi.
“Fearless is the last thing I’d call myself. Rose kept her hand on my back the whole time. It was scary as shit having all those eyes on me. I stuttered a few times.”
“She did spectacularly. All the Attendants hung on to every word she spoke. I think her expressing her and Thayla’s relationship made a realm of difference in their confidence about these changes. I also believe it settled the nerves in those who had been going to the Court until recently,” Ellian says, smiling at Yemi with pride on his face.
“So you think they’re all going to come back?” Thayla asks. “I mean, I kinda gave my whole speech about them giving me their all, then I disappeared on their asses.”
“You didn’t disappear. You had very important things come up, and I explained that. Well, to an extent. I explained that when someone needs you, you’re ready to run headfirst into danger no matter what. That actually seemed to comfort them. All the new additions we brought back fromyou know wherewere bragging about how you weren’t willing to leave them behind. It’s hard for them not to talk in detail about where they came from, but they have each other. I think they think you’re their bonified bodyguard.”
Thayla rolls her eyes at Yemi, but the smile dusting her lips belies her worries that she’ll return to an empty Court. Before she can get another word out, Amick starts his shit, peppering Yemi and Rose for every little detail.
Sevryn and I share a look with one another.
“Bye, you guys. Love you,” Laney says as she runs up to us, cheeks already red from smiling and playing.
Her arms wrap around Thayla and Lambrit together, but before she can pull away, Thayla grips her shoulders.
“Whoa, hold on a second. Why are you telling us bye? We aren’t leaving.”
“Why not?”
Thayla blinks at her question, then looks at Lambrit.
“We just want to make sure you’re comfortable and okay before we go. Is that okay?” he asks.
“I’m fine. Me and the other girls are going to decorate my room.”
“Oh,” Thayla says, clapping her hands together before bending down until she’s eye level with Laney. “How about Yemi, Rose, Annalise, and I join? It’ll be just us girls. No boys allowed.”
Laney scrunches her nose. “Just little girls. No adult girls or boys.”
“Oh, okay.”
That ‘oh’ was way sadder than the last.
Laney tears out of her grasp and makes her way to Lambrit. She gives him a kiss on the cheek that’s so quick, he doesn’t have time to wrap his arms around her. Everyone gets a rapid hug and a see you later. When she gets to me, I kneel to her level.
