Page 434 of Commanding Scythe and Sky

“You hungry, son?” he asked, holding me at arms’ length to do the obligatory once-over.

“I could eat,” I lied. “Sorry I’ve been… busy.”

“Water under the bridge,” Mom decided.

“We understand. You know how proud we are, don’t you?” Dad added as Mom looped her arm through mine, tugging me inside their little apartment. Because of course Ansel had thought about families—mates—who’d need space together. There were no private kitchens or bathrooms, but they had a tiny gathering space and two compact bedrooms. They shared this unit with James, so it shouldn’t have surprised me when he was sitting across the table from Lana and Alec—who turned to me with a cocky grin and playful wink.

“Heya’ rookie. You in the mood to get your ass kicked?” He hoisted his cards, and I smirked.

“In your dreams, Carter.”

“Oh,” Alec scoffed. “Not by me, dumbass.”

It was about then that I got a clear shot of Lana’s ridiculous pile of chips. Forcing a smile, I shook my head.

“We finally figured out where Freya got her poker face,” James said bitterly. Lana just smirked wryly, the expression barely touching her hollow blue eyes.

Dad clapped me on the back before heading for what looked like a wardrobe they’d spirited away from their old house. Our old house.

My feigned enthusiasm didn’t pass the Iris radar, though. Those familiar eyes zeroed in on my face a beat before she demanded, “Sit,” and pulled me into a chair.

My lips lifted of their own accord as Dad returned with bread and cheese and some kind of jam. Mom set down a plate and a butter knife—also items from my forgotten life. I thumbed the engraved pattern on the handle as a pang of longing echoed in my chest—whether for simpler times or a place that felt like home, I wasn’t sure.

“Thanks, Mom,” I said, voice rough even to my own ears. A pleasant buzz started to hum in my chest, and I made a mental note to thank Jo the next time I saw her. Sucking down a greedy breath, I leaned back in my chair as my mother pushed my hands away and fussed over preparing a snack for me. “How you been? Doing any painting?” I asked. That hobby Freya’d gotten from our mother.

“Yes, actually!” she chirped as she spread a generous glop of preserves over the bread before setting both jar and knife aside in favor of the cheese block. “The delegation took a liking to my work, and they asked me to spruce up the mess hall!”

“That’s great, Mom.”

“I was debating between florals or mountains—nobody needs any more fucking desert, you know, given our setting.”

“Language, Iris,” Dad chastised halfheartedly, but she just rolled her eyes.

“I’m sure it’ll be beautiful.”

“Is that August?” Yet another familiar voice called from the bedrooms. My heart gave a painful squeeze as Fae rounded the corner, her daughter in her arms.

Any day now, I’d be calling on Aphaea. Pulling her away from her infant to track my mate inside House Balaskas. We were just waiting for Kade, the crown, or Vesper to give us a goddamn location. And this beautiful woman—my friend—with her soft edges and eyes full of wonder, would armor up and plunge headfirst into the lion’s den beside me.

My ribs tightened as I watched her, trepidation wrapping like a noose around my neck.

“You okay, rookie?”

I glanced at Alec, forcing a tight nod even as my stomach turned. “Fine.”

“Convincing,” he noted sardonically, tracking my gaze as his mate joined us. Mind-to-mind, he assured, She knows what she’s doing.

Yeah, I said back, shaking my head as I forced down a bite of bread and jam that must’ve been homemade with a great deal of care, but somehow tasted like sawdust in my mouth.

Most things tasted like sawdust these days. Forcing it down, I set it on the plate, rubbing my fingers together to rid them of oil as I eyed the door, trying to formulate an excuse to tuck my tail and leave.

Too much.

Too many voices. Too many bodies. Too many people I had no idea how to fucking protect.

Just as I made to stand, a wet sound had me glancing sideways to see Fae mid-baby-pass to Alec, both now covered in spit-up.

“Ohh,” she cooed, wrinkling her nose as Winnie made a happy sound. “Feel better, baby girl? Good.”