Page 17 of Queens Will Play

“Hey,” I said, but laughed.

“Well, I have to admit, you’ve become about as diplomatic as I think you’re ever going to be able to be, but you’re still who you are, and that means blunt,” she said. “What is it?

“When we were here on Monday night, I’m sure I saw Chase’s spirit. He waved at me.” I waited. As we headed up the stairs, Delilah answered.

“You’re not wrong,” she said. “Chase has been hanging around since shortly after I took in Astrid. I asked him if he wanted to move on—I could help him, you know. But he said no. He wants to watch over his daughter as she grows. So, yeah…he shows up now and then. Astrid knows when he’s around, and she knows he was her father. Chamiya can see him too. So can Shade. I could force him through the Veil, but the truth is that I don’t want to.”

“You want to give him the peace of knowing his daughter’s safe,” I murmured.

She nodded. “He died saving you, Camille. We owe him. And I’m the one who can repay him, so I am. Does that make sense?”

It made perfect sense. It would do no good for Chase to hang around my Barrow—his daughter was with Delilah. And he probably didn’t want me to think that I needed to help him on his way. Morio and I could force him using our death magic. But Chase had made the choice to stay, and he knew he was dead, so it wasn’t like he was a lost spirit.

“All right. I feel okay about saying hi if I see him,” I said.

Delilah let out a sigh and unlocked the door. “I’m so relieved. I thought you’d fight me on this, so I didn’t want to say anything.”

“Of course, I’m not going to fight you—you’re the Death Maiden and the one who deals with ghosts,” I said. “So, I trust your judgement.” I wrapped my arm through hers as we headed toward the kitchen. The men followed. “By the way, does the Autumn Lord send you out still, now that you’re a mother?”

“Yes. Recently he sent me out to destroy the soul of a local businessman who was running a sex-slave trade via Only-Fae.” She shrugged. “I can handle it better than I used to be able to. In a way, having children has made me more capable, because I keep thinking—if it were my daughters being hurt, I’d destroy the guy. That sort of thing.”

The kitchen smelled as I remembered it—cinnamon and apples, roasting meat and soup bubbling on the stove. Hanna swung around, smiling.

“I had a feeling we’d be having company for lunch, so I made enough for an army,” she said. I gave her a kiss on the cheek. Hanna and I shared memories both of us would rather not have, but it had bound us in a way where she became family to me.

“What can we do to help?” I asked, motioning for the guys to help set the table. As Delilah broke off to greet her children, my phone sounded, and I checked my text messages.

camille, i hate to bother you, especially since it’s been so long since we talked. i know you’re busy, but could you drop over to the café sometime soon? i need your advice. it’s important, or i wouldn’t ask.

It was from Marion Vespa. I hadn’t heard from her in ages. She owned the Supe-Urban café, a thriving hot spot for the supe-community. They made the best cinnamon rolls I’d ever tasted. Worried, I texted back.

are you all right? what’s going on?

A moment later, she replied. i’m having a problem at home, actually. there’s something hiding on my land, and i don’t know what’s going on. at first, i thought it was a ghost, but now i’m thinking maybe some sort of goblin. whatever the case, it’s scaring the hell out of my chickens and now i feel under attack, as well.

Marion and her husband had rebuilt their house after a massive fire a few years back. For some reason, they had sold it and moved, and now they had an urban farm, and raised chickens for their eggs and chicken at the café. They also grew a massive garden, so most of the produce at the café was fresh. There was a reason they had been nominated for best lunch spot in Seattle two years in a row now.

I glanced over at Delilah. “You want to have dinner at Marion’s tonight? Just us?”

I didn’t want the guys hanging out with us. I needed to breathe, and that meant ditching my husbands occasionally. As much as I loved them, being constantly followed by both them and the bodyguards was too much.

She started to say something, but I gave her a little shake of the head.

“Sure,” she said. “Shade, do you mind taking care of the girls tonight?”

Shade, a shadow-dragon shifter who adored Delilah and had been sent to watch over her by the Autumn Lord, nodded. “Of course,” he said. He turned to the guys. “You want to stay and watch a game or something?”

Much to our dismay, our husbands had gotten into watching some of the games—especially once the Supe-teams formed.

“Sounds good to me,” Smoky said.

“I can’t,” Vanzir said. “I need to be at Aeval’s Barrow at 6:30. So either you’ll have to take me home, or I’ll call a Rideshare.”

“Another time, then,” Morio said. “Delilah, can you drop Camille off after your dinner?”

Delilah nodded. “Sure, not a problem.”

Relieved, I texted Marion back and told her we’d be there around seven. After that, I texted Menolly, asking her to meet us at that café as soon as she was up and dressed. Another thought crossed my mind.