He nodded. “Jason and I knew we wanted children, but we just weren’t sure about the method we were going to use. Whether we were going to adopt or go with a surrogate. And then, the news about the twins came through the grapevine, and we knew exactly what we had to do.”
“Well, you and Jason are going to make wonderful parents. Now, if you show me how to use this, I’ll get a move on and get the rest of my day going. Take my credit card number and just charge whatever computer you think I need to it.”
As Tim dove into showing me how to use the loaner, I couldn’t help but wonder if by this time next year I’d have a child. On Samhain, in less than a month, Shade and I were fated to go through the last ritual that would pave the way for me to carry the Autumn Lord’s child. Remembering Grandmother Coyote’s message, I had also started thinking about adopting. I had always wanted a litter of my own werekitties, but Shade couldn’t give them to me and I wasn’t willing to look elsewhere just to get pregnant. Adopting seemed like a wonderful opportunity, and I couldn’t wait to get Shadow Wing out of the way so I could start my own family.
LATER IN THE afternoon, Camille, her men, and Vanzir showed up. They had brought Maggie with them, and Hanna took her to play in her room while we decked out the house. Camille sent Smoky and Morio out for KFC and other treats, while she, Trillian, and Vanzir helped Shade and me decorate the living room and kitchen.
“Does Iris know we’re throwing her a party?” Camille asked.
I shook my head. “No, I just told her to come up for dinner. So she and Bruce will be bringing the children with them. They’re leaving tonight, around eight.”
“Good, that gives Menolly a chance to get here and see them before they take off. I can’t believe Iris isn’t going to be around anymore.” Camille gave me a forlorn look. “Sometimes it’s hard to believe that I don’t live here anymore either. The Barrow is beautiful, and I wouldn’t change my life if I were given the option, but even good change is stressful and takes getting used to. It’s been almost four months since I took the throne, and I’m getting used to the life, but sometimes even a Barrow full of people can seem terribly lonely.”
I set down the banner that I was tacking up and gave her a long hug. “I feel adrift too,” I whispered. “Growing up can be awfully hard, can’t it?”
Camille nodded, sitting down beside me. “I miss our father. Sephreh and I had our problems, but he came around at the end. Mostly. After the war is over… After we take down Shadow Wing, do you want to make a trip back to Otherworld to see Aunt Rythwar? I kind of feel the need for family right now.”
“I understand what you’re talking about. I’ve been feeling that lately myself. Maybe it’s the stress we’ve been under the past few years, or maybe it’s that we seem so close to the end now. Whatever it is, I’m feeling a little fragile.”
“Are you two all right?” Vanzir asked as he passed by, a balloon bouquet in hand.
I nodded. “Just talking about sister stuff. How are you doing?”
In some ways, Vanzir had had one of the hardest transitions. When Aeval found out she was pregnant, it had come as a big surprise for him. It was even harder when she requested that he join her as her consort, out at the Barrow of Shadow and Night. The Fae weren’t quite so quick to embrace a dream-chaser demon as their Queen’s consort, but he was slowly winning them over.
Vanzir grimaced. “That question is debatable. Aeval is fine, and so is the baby, the pregnancy is coming along as it should according to the healers. It’s difficult to know exactly how the genetic mix of Fae and demon is going to turn out, but everything looks okay. I’m having a hard time adjusting. I’m not used to people treating me with any sort of deference. And I keep thinking that they’re mocking me, which is led to a few arguments that could have been avoided if I had just asked questions first. I guess everything’s okay. This is not how I expected my life to turn out, I can tell you that. I’m not unhappy—it’s better than I expected—but it’s so sudden that I still don’t how to deal with it.”
It was just about the longest I had ever heard Vanzir talk about himself.
“You do have a choice,” Camille said. “Make sure you want to be there, because having someone there who doesn’t want to be around can be worse than being alone.”
Vanzir shook his head. “I already know that I want to be there. I never expected to fall in love with the Fae Queen—especially one like Aeval. I’m not sure what drew us together, but it seems to be lasting and she seems happy. It’s just hard to wrap my head around everything that’s happened.”
“I think we all know a little bit about that,” I said. “All right, someone help me get this banner up.”
We were finished decorating an hour later and I had to admit, the balloons and the garlands and the pretty sparkling faerie lights that we hung up helped my mood immensely.
The men returned as Hanna called us into the kitchen to show us the three-tiered Black Forest cake she had made for the party. There were also platters of cookies covering the counters, and cinnamon buns, and bags of chips waiting to be opened, along with trays of lunch meat and cheese, and boxes of crackers. On the table were paper plates and several buckets of chicken.
“Early dinner before the party tonight,” I said, motioning to the table.
We gathered around it, handing out pieces of chicken along with the biscuits, and Camille commandeered the mashed potatoes and gravy as Roz walked in, carrying a massive bouquet of pink roses.
“Do you think she’ll like these?” he asked.
“I think she’ll love them,” I said, starting to look for a vase, but Roz stopped me.
“I bought a vase for her to take with her so she could carry them along.” He pulled the crystal vase out of a box, and arranged the roses in it. After he finished, he carried them into the living room and then returned, joining us at the table. As he filled up a paper plate with chicken and mashed potatoes, he finally sat back, letting out a soft sigh.
“I know you all think I’m in mourning, but I’m not. Really. Yes, I fell for Iris pretty hard. But she’s married to Bruce and I respect that, and she could never go for someone like me—not an incubus. And really, it was just infatuation. I’m over her, now. I love her, yes, but as a friend.” He met my gaze, strong and steady, and I actually believed him. He looked calm, though sad around the edges.
As we began to eat dinner, Camille said, “So what do you think about this Joreal business? I can’t believe we’re actually going to meet Trytian’s father.”
“That’s going to be an interesting little soiree,” Morio said. “So what’s the schedule for tonight then? Party here and then we’ll head over to Menolly’s mansion?”
“That’s about the size of it,” I said. “Menolly will be here shortly after dusk. And Iris and Bruce are supposed to show up around six thirty. We meet with Joreal at ten tonight.”
“The Keraastar Knights will meet us at the mansion. Chase is arranging for transportation.” Camille glanced at Hanna. “Do you mind if I leave Maggie here while we’re over at Menolly’s? We’ll swing by and pick her up on the way home. I just wanted Iris to be able to say good-bye to Maggie too. I should have brought her high chair so she could sit in the kitchen while we eat.”
“I think we have an old one in the storage room. Remember? We borrowed one at first, before we bought one for her. Let me go check,” I said.
I hurried to the storage room and sure enough, there was the old high chair that we had forgotten to return to… I couldn’t even remember who we had borrowed it from now. I hauled it out and dusted it off, carrying it back into the kitchen, where I set it up. Hanna hurried back to her room, bringing Maggie out and snuggling her into the high chair so she couldn’t get away. The baby gargoyle still fit the high chair, and now she giggled, looking at the entire table and clapping.
“Maggie enjoys life out at the Barrow, but I think she misses this. We don’t quite have the same type of dinners there,” Camille said.
/> I nuzzled Maggie’s fur, wishing I could keep her but once I got pregnant, it would be problematic. Maggie wasn’t good with small animals or children, she was far too rough in her play, and could easily hurt another child or a cat or dog if she were left unattended with them. Keeping up with a baby gargoyle was hard enough, but adding children to the mix would make it even harder.
Maggie yanked at my hair, which had reached my shoulders again.
“Dee-ya-ya! Dee-ya-ya!” She stretched out her arms, the calico fur blending into surprisingly beautiful patterns. She pursed her lips and I reached down and gave her a kiss, wondering how long it would be before she reached the point where she could talk in complete sentences. Gargoyles grew very, very slowly and while they were almost as long-lived as the Fae, their childhoods extended through several hundred years. It would be at least two hundred years before Maggie was running around like a teenager.
“I love you too, munchkin. And I miss you. I promise to come out and visit you more often, and maybe Camille can bring you here to play more often.” I gave Maggie another hug, then returned to my meal.
MENOLLY AND NERISSA arrived a few minutes before Iris, carrying a beautiful gift box that was about the size of a large dog. While both were incredibly strong, the bulk of the box made it difficult for them to get up the stairs and onto the front porch. They struggled through the front door while we were watching, Nerissa backseat driving all the way.
“Don’t bump it against the door jam, be careful—the wrapping paper is sturdy, but it’s not that sturdy.”
“I’ve got it,” Menolly said, giving her a roll of the eyes. “Everything looks intact.” She glanced at me. “Where can we put this?”
“Why don’t you put it in the living room? That’s where the rest of the gifts are.” I motioned for them to set it next to the fireplace, out of the way. While we hadn’t explicitly said to bring gifts, we’d all been thinking along the same lines because there was a pile of very prettily wrapped presents in the corner.
“I hope they’re going through a portal so they can take all of these gifts,” Camille said.
“They can pile the rest in ours,” Menolly said. “It’s a double-twin stroller.”
A tapping against the back door caught my attention.
“I think they’re here. Everybody hide.”
“Given the kitchen is filled with cakes and cookies and other goodies, I don’t think the surprise is going to be much of a surprise.” Camille gave me a shake of the head, laughing. “Let’s just meet them in the kitchen.”
I snorted. “Good point. Come on, let’s go meet them.”
We headed into the kitchen, just as Hanna opened the door. Iris and Bruce came through, pushing a double stroller with the twins in it. They were a year old and barely walking, but right now Iris had tucked them in securely. They were entering the phase where they were trying to get into everything, and she kept a close watch on them. She stopped short as she laid eyes on Maggie, and then everyone pouring through the entryway into the kitchen.
“I thought you might do this,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “You’re bound and determined not to let me get away without crying, aren’t you?”
“We couldn’t let you go without saying good-bye,” Menolly said, her voice husky. “This is hard, Iris. You’re part of our family. And though we want you to be safe, seeing you go isn’t going to be easy.”
“You too, Bruce,” Smoky said.
Iris left the stroller with Bruce and moved forward, as Maggie held out her arms. The little gargoyle started to cry, calling for Iris as the house sprite accepted a footstool to stand on so she could see her better.
“Oh, hello, little darling. I can’t pick you up, I’m sorry. But I’m glad to see you, too.” She leaned forward and gave Maggie a kiss on the top of the head. “You’re such a little love.”
The twins gurgled on the stroller, and Maggie waved in their direction.
“Play? Play?”
“I’m sorry, sweetie, but no, you can’t play with the twins.” Iris gave me a quick look. “I don’t want her to feel bad. Maybe somebody should take her in the back room and play with her for a while?”
“Come here, little girl,” Trillian said, swinging Maggie into his arms. “Why don’t we go for a little walk outside? Would you like that?”
Maggie giggled and threw her arms around Trillian’s neck. He glanced at me.
“She’s taken a shine to me lately. We’ll go for a little walk outside and I’ll let her play. I won’t let her get too cold.” He turned to Iris. “Go ahead and start the party without me. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
As he headed out the back door, I looked at Camille. “He’s really good with her.”
“I think Maggie’s got a little crush on him—you know, the little girl–type crushes that all little girls get, even if they are gargoyles.” She motioned to the table. “Why don’t we get started? I know you’ve got a long journey ahead of you. When do you have to leave?”
“The Duchess is sending a couple of her men who are good at transportation spells. We’re not going through a regular portal because we’re not sure how that will affect the children, but the spells are pretty safe. We’ve got all our bags packed and ready down at our house. We’ll lock up before we go. Bruce has a key for you, Delilah.”
As we loaded our dishes and then moved into the living room to watch them open presents, for a moment it felt like old times. We were just one big happy family celebrating a milestone. But as the clock ticked on, Iris finally stood and glanced over at Bruce. He was sitting by the new stroller that Menolly and Nerissa had bought for them.
“I hate to break this up, but it’s time,” Iris said. “If you could help us back to our house with these gifts, we’d appreciate it. But…I just want to say how much you’ve all meant to me. How much your support has meant. There’s no way to put it into words. I wish we could stay for this final battle against Shadow Wing, but it isn’t safe. We’ll be back, but… Things happen. Until then, please know how much the past years have meant to me. Without you… Without Camille and Delilah and Menolly, I wouldn’t have met Bruce, and I wouldn’t have my children. And I wouldn’t have all of you as a family.”
We were in tears then, all of us, even the men. We round robin hugged, and then Roz and Vanzir helped them down the stairs with all the gifts. Camille, Menolly, and I stood on the steps of the back porch and watched them as they traipsed back through the rain toward their house. At one point Iris paused, looking back. She raised one hand, then blew us a kiss, and then they disappeared into the thicket of trees around the house, and just like that they were gone.
Chapter 6
Camille
SHAMAS AND I were walking through the woods. The forests of Talamh Lonrach Oll were far older than they had any right to be. Oh, the fir and the cedar were grounded in the history of the woodland, but the Fae had planted oak and maple and birch when they bought the land, and in the few years since then, they had worked their magic on the trees and the plants of the forest, increasing the growth rate by an exponential amount. The woodland was thriving, and if I didn’t know better, I could swear the new trees were decades older than they were.
The magic permeated every root and branch, every speck of dirt throughout the Sovereign Nation, sparkling in the very air. I wondered what this forest would look like in a hundred years. Or in a thousand. And then it hit me. I’d be here to see it. I’d be wandering through these woodlands for as long as I lived, given I was the Queen of Dusk and Twilight. This was my home, forever and always, as long as I held the throne.
Shamas had asked me to come out with him so we could talk, and I welcomed the respite from the day’s duties. We were due at Carter’s shortly after sunset for the meeting with Joreal, but it was still afternoon.
“We haven’t had much of a chance to talk since I…” Shamas drifted off, his voice hesitant.
“Since you returned from the dead?” I found myself far more blun
t than I used to be. I used to think that being queen meant I’d have to be far more diplomatic than was my nature, but I had learned quickly that cutting to the chase had its benefits, and that diplomacy didn’t mean pussyfooting around uncomfortable subjects.
He nodded. “I’ve been remembering more lately, from right before I appeared when you performed that ritual.” He flashed me a sideways glance. “There are things I’d like to say, but I’m not sure how you’d feel about them.”
I bit my lip. Shamas had been in love with me for years. When we were young, we had been secretly betrothed, but his family interfered and he hadn’t had the courage to stand up to them. My half-human bloodline had offended their senses, and Shamas had broken it off rather than face their displeasure.
“I know you were still in love with me when you left to go back to Otherworld. Is that what you wanted to talk about?” I had tiptoed around the subject, but perhaps it was time to bring it out in the open and clear the air.
He sat down on a nearby nurse log, patting the trunk next to him. “Sit? Talk for a while?”
There were guards following us, but they were several paces behind us, as I asked them to be. They couldn’t hear us from where we were. I let out a long breath. Maybe it really was time to get this over with. I brushed away a pile of fallen needles that covered the damp, mossy wood and settled myself beside him.
Shamas and I looked a lot alike. We were cousins and it showed. His hair was as dark as mine, though he wore it back in a ponytail, and his eyes used to mirror my own before he returned from the dead. Now, instead of violet, flecked with silver, they were almost blood red. He had died in battle—valiantly—after a convoluted life of making the wrong choices. But he had returned to take up the ninth and last spirit seal, and now the ruby gem hung around his neck on a platinum chain.
I waited for him to begin as the forest whispered around us, the trees telling tales to one another. Small animals crept through the fallen leaves, skirting us cautiously. They knew we were safe, but Aeval, Titania, and I had set a limit on interacting with the wildlife, in order to keep them from losing their natural instincts.
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