Warrior Fae Princess (Warrior Fae 2)

“The ones you…date?” Charity asked with a grin.

Andy laughed. “Those girls aren’t interested in talking so much as—”

“Never mind,” Charity said, covering her ears.

“I mean, they do say a few words, like oh—”

“I said I didn’t want to know!” Charity felt the tightness in her shoulders loosen a little. Andy had a way of chilling everything out. She needed that right now. “I know this place is supposed to feel like home, but…it’s all so strange, you know?”

Compassion took over Andy’s expression. He entwined his fingers—he was listening.

It was amazing how quickly she was learning to read silent cues. Though these people probably thought she wasn’t learning quickly enough.

“I mean, if it was a pretty place at home—the Brink—that would be one thing. Like Montana, for example. If I suddenly had family in Montana, I’m sure I could acclimate pretty quickly. But…the sky is orange here. There’s gold sparkly dust floating around. And…it’s always pleasant. There are no clouds. No cold breezes to catch you unaware and make you curse the weather.”

“That’s what you’re into? Cursing the weather?” A goofy grin slipped on Andy’s face.

“I always thought California was just a little too nice, you know? Ninety percent of the time, the weather is lovely. Even in the winter, it’s mild and pretty. Not like Chicago. Those sudden shifts in weather in California, however rare, made me think of home. They reminded me of how far I’d come. But here…it’s like a fantasy land. I have no roots. I have no memory of where I’ve been and where I’m going. I’m a stranger, even though I fit in. Almost.”

“Almost?”

“I have a human mom. It’s something of a roadblock, apparently. I shouldn’t be this good at fighting, this powerful, this…fae-like…”

“Ah. Yeah, they are pretty close-minded about anything different.” He adjusted his positioning. She had no idea if there was a hidden meaning in there somewhere, and thankfully, he wouldn’t expect her to. “But you know what, Charity? That’s just because they’re locked out here in paradise. There’s nothing new here. No new ideas coming from different people. It’ll probably be tough at first, but if anyone can shove them toward a different way of thinking, it’s you.”

She nodded, taking that to heart. “It’s also weird calling a perfect stranger my dad. I never even called the guy I thought was my dad ‘Dad.’ And my grandmother is Grandmama? What am I, British?”

Andy burst out laughing. “I haven’t met Grandmama dearest, but your dad seems really cool. He is personally overseeing the revamping of the gardens out by our…lodgings. He called them ‘frightful.’ He’s got one helluva green thumb, that guy.”

Charity laughed with him, feeling lighter than she had since she’d woken up in the Flush. Maybe she should go over to see the pack after all. Hell, maybe she should move in with them until she was a little more acclimated to this place. They could all figure out how to fit in together.

“You’ll get used to all of this,” Andy said, crossing an ankle over his knee. “Santa Cruz was probably weird at first, too, right?”

She shrugged, allowing herself to absorb the truth of that statement. When she’d first moved, she’d felt lost for a good month. That feeling had faded with time, but she’d never felt the situation was permanent. Never laid down any roots.

Maybe that was the reason she kept collecting little grievances like they were armor—this could be home. It was paradise. Charity belonged here in a way she’d never belonged in Santa Cruz, or maybe any part of the Brink. She had family here, people who wanted her around, people who wanted to teach her. Maybe this was what her mother had wanted for her. She had, after all, left that picture of her dad for her.

Thankfully, Devon belonged in the Realm as much as she did. His regional pack had a castle here, for goodness’ sake. It wouldn’t be so out of the question for him to stay here. For all of them to stay, even. The shifters were magical, these people were magical—if she could learn to fit in, she was certain Devon and the others could do the same. Devon could already read the subtle nuances of their unspoken language, and respond in kind. He was already nearly as good as this place’s absolute best fighters, something Halvor had grudgingly acknowledged earlier when he’d put Devon on the short list of people Charity was permitted to spar with.

She smiled, and her magic flowered, filling the room with perfect harmony.

“Nice work, Arcana,” Kairi called in through the window. “You handled that surge all on your own. You’re starting to find your balance. Good work. You learn abnormally quickly, as the Second has noticed.”

“You don’t have much privacy, though,” Andy murmured.

“It’s just because of my magic,” Charity replied, stupidly not having checked if the window was closed. Oops.