What things? I had already thought we discussed Delinda and his acceptance of her.
“So do we,” Devon says decisively, sitting up. “Alone.”
“Not now,” I say to him. “I need a minute. My head is mashed.”
“I know,” he says, climbing off the bed. “This isn’t about Delinda. It’s something else.”
“What?” I ask, suddenly anxious at his tone. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, fine,” Devon says hastily to reassure me, but of course, his use of “fine” does little in that area. “But I need to talk to you, soon.”
“So do I,” CK announces, standing up.
“Right, I get it,” I snap at them, losing my temper at all of this posturing. “But, please just let me rest a moment, alone.”
Neither of them is all that pleased that I don’t want them with me, but I have too much to think about. After much fussing about, CK finally leaves me alone after a soft, lingering kiss, taking a sulky Devon with him. I sink even further back into the pillows and close my eyes. Time to start coming to some decisions.
Unfortunately, I fall asleep almost as soon as I close my eyes, and I awake with a start when Delinda comes racing in and jumps on me in glee. Tabetha rushes in behind her, apologizing profusely, but I tell her it’s okay. I want my daughter near me. I struggle to sit up with her wriggling about on my lap, telling me all of the things she likes about this place and I am glad that she is happy here. But I am going to have to tell her soon about her father and that is a conversation that I am not looking forward to. I curl her hair behind her ear, and she beams up at me.
“I should take her from you,” Tabetha says. “Your father is expecting you downstairs.”
“Can’t it wait?” I ask with a frown.
“No,” she says, pursing her lips. “He was quite adamant that you go to him as soon as you awoke.”
“Great,” I grumble. I can only imagine what everyone has been discussing about me in my absence. I am fairly sure that all of them did not hold back either. Too bad, I’ll never know what was said. No one would dare.
“I’ll be down in a minute,” I tell her, and she bobs her head, leaving Delinda and me alone for a moment.
“I miss Papa,” Delinda suddenly blurts out with tears in her eyes.
“I know,” I say to her, holding her close. “We will talk about your Papa when I get back from seeing Grandpa.” What else can I say right now?
She snuffles into my gown, but she nods her head stoically. I feel so awful about what I must tell her.
“Go now with Tabetha,” I say to her gently as the Faerie returns. “I will be back to see you soon and we can go on an adventure.”
Her eyes light up and she dries her tears. “Yay!” she says, clapping her hands. “Can we go into the forest?”
“Anywhere you like,” I indulge her with a smile, even though Tabetha is shaking her head in disapproval. I ignore her and give Delinda a kiss. “See you soon, my sweet girl.”
“Bye, Mama,” she yells, bounding off my lap and leaving with Tabetha.
Well, at least she seems to be happy here for the moment, her slight sadness about Remiel aside. Hopefully once she learns that he is not her father, it will ease her sadness slightly. Oh, who am I kidding? This is a fucking nightmare. With a deep sigh, I heave myself off the bed and make my way down to the meeting hall.
I am greeted with a tableful of my people, Drake, Maurelle, and Pyleah, all waiting anxiously in silence for me to show up.
“I’m here,” I say, and they all look up at me. “What is this about?” I am quite suspicious to see them all looking so grim.
“Close the door, girl,” Drake says quietly.
I bang the door closed with more force than is necessary given my current agitation.
Drake stands up and places his fists on the table in front of him. Whatever this is about, he is the one who gets to do the talking. My men probably think I will listen to him over anyone else right now.
“Aeval,” he starts. “You must hear me out completely before you say anything.”
I cross my arms, already defiant in the face of that comment. Whatever it is, he thinks I am not going to like it. I clamp my lips together and he purses his at me, seeing my annoyance.