I explained all this to my Coven-mates, along with telling them the story of what had happened in both the Summer and the Winter Courts—which took a long time.
Avery got so interested he almost let the chicken he was roasting on the spit burn. He rescued it just in time, though, and we all sat down to Second Supper to eat and talk as I finished telling my tale.
“So you’re with both of them?” Megan asked again, as though making sure. She stared wide-eyed at the way I was snuggled between Bran and Lachlan on the couch.
“I just couldn’t pick.” I laughed at her stunned face. “So I got Blood-Bonded to them both.”
“You know there was more to it than that, little one,” Lachlan murmured affectionately.
“Considerably more,” Bran said, and I knew both of them were thinking about the terrible pain we’d all endured when we were ridding my system of the Wicked Apple’s poison.
“Do you mind me asking if either of you is jealous of the other?” Saint asked, frowning at the three of us. “It seems to me that when one has chosen a l’lorna, one would not wish to share with anyone.” For some reason, as he spoke, his black eyes strayed to Avery, who was busy carving another piece of chicken for Jalli.
“Not a bit,” Lachlan said and Bran added,
“Not even a little.”
“Bran will be my consort in the Summer Court and Lachlan will be my consort in the Winter Court,” I explained. “So we won’t really be, er, sharing the way you might be thinking. Not that we’d do that yet anyway.”
“Emma is not yet of age,” Bran said formally.
“Which means we are waiting—all three of us,” Lachlan added. “And Bran and I don’t mind sharing our lovely princess—she’s worth sharing.”
“Our friendship has always bound us together and Emma’s magic binds us even more strongly,” Bran explained. He shrugged. “The three of us belong together. It’s as simple as that.”
“Well, it doesn’t seem a bit simple to me,” Avery remarked. “I mean, two people being in love with the same person and neither one of them being jealous?”
“That is the way it is with Drakes, though,” Ari said quietly. “My Drake and I both love Kaitlyn with all our hearts and neither of us is jealous of the other.”
“Of course, one would wish to share his l’lorna with his Drake,” Saint said darkly. He frowned down at his plate and murmured, “If only it was safe to do so.”
I saw Avery shoot him an uneasy look but then he grinned at me.
“Well, if it works for you, it works for us, Emmers. Or should I call you Princess Emmers now?”
I laughed.
“Call me anything you want—I’m just happy to be home! Of course, I’ll have to visit the Fae Realm every once in a while so the people can see their new leader…”
“Their new leader!” Avery crowed, his blue eyes sparkling. “Oh my Goddess, I bet it just burns Morganna’s britches that you’re going to be her new queen! What ever happened to her, anyway?”
I frowned.
“You know, I’m not sure. I know my grandmother, er, Queen Elia, forbid her court physician from regrowing her hair but I never saw her after that.”
“She’ll probably turn up eventually,” Kaitlyn said gloomily. “She’s like a bad penny—you can’t get rid of her.”
“Well, I say she got what she deserved,” Avery said decidedly. “She shouldn’t have been messing with Emma!”
“I know she’s a bully and a mean girl, but I still feel kind of bad about what I did to her,” I confessed. “I’m talking to my grandmother about letting her regrow her hair. It’s mean to make her stay bald.”
“Well, maybe it will teach her a lesson,” Megan said. “Maybe she’ll change her ways.”
Avery snorted.
“Right. Like Nasty Nancy and her crew changed their ways after the Headmistress disciplined them? I don’t think so.”
“People can change,” Saint said, surprising me. “Just because someone was evil in the past—or did evil deeds—it doesn’t mean they are beyond redemption. Does it?” he asked, and I thought his voice sounded hopeful—wistful, even.
“Of course not, roomie.” Avery reached over Jalli—who was sitting between them (her chimelings were asleep in the dorm room)—to pat Saint’s knee. “Of course there’s room for redemption,” he said gently.
“Thank you, Avery.” Saint gave him an intense look—so intense that I saw my Coven-mate flush and drop his eyes after a moment.
“Well,” Avery said briskly, getting up and starting to clear the dishes. “I think it’s time we got ready for bed. We have a long day tomorrow—or at least I do. Coach Vasquez had declared that we must all be tested for manliness—excuse me, I mean physical fitness.” He rolled his eyes and made a face. “Unfortunately, yours truly falls a bit short in her estimation, so I’m afraid I’m in for a struggle.”