Page 6 of A Fate of Blood and Magic (Fated #2)

Chapter

Three

TEDDY

I took the tea Everly offered, not bothering to hide my grimace at the small mug that warmed my hands. While the tea my fae friend brewed every morning after our training session wasn’t awful, it was a piss-poor substitute for the coffee my body still begged for.

Then again, everything felt like a poor substitute when Elias was gone.

I’d only been able to share a few quiet hours with him before he roused Brenton, Hayden, and Finley from their rooms to prepare to go back into the human world.

Unsurprisingly, Alastor was already waiting for them at the foot of the castle’s stairs by the time we’d made our way down.

Three days had passed since their departure and every day seemed to drag longer. I was glad Brenton had gone with him, hoping beyond hope this mission to find the missing fae would be far easier than any of us anticipated.

My muscles groaned when I sat on the porch swing Brenton had built for our front patio.

While this morning’s training session with Everly wasn’t any more grueling than other sessions, my body burned in places that hadn’t yet healed from the previous morning’s exercise.

Especially my right leg, from my ankle to my calf.

“You should see Leah,” Everly suggested, mentioning the castle’s head healer who oversaw all treatment for the royal family.

A slight breeze made the spheres of fae lights Elias had put up across the ceiling of our patio jingle as they swung. The fae lights were a strange phenomenon where the lights floated in the air without being anchored to anything. It was as wondrous as the rest of the magic the fae possessed.

I rubbed a particularly sore spot on my right calf but stopped when all I did was make it hurt worse. If Elias were here, he could heal it in that gentle way of his.

I missed him in a way that echoed in my chest. But more, I hated that Elias wasn’t here to celebrate Javier’s seventeenth birthday with us. At least we had a present hidden away that we’d give him together when Elias returned.

“Elias gave me a massage when?—”

Everly nudged her shoulder against mine. “Oh, I heard all about your massage.”

My neck and face warmed, but I barked out a laugh, careful not to spill any of my tea. “Hayden didn’t strike me as the gossiping type.”

“I don’t think he meant to gossip, but when his ears reddened, much the same way your face is, it didn’t take much for Ryenne to dig the rest out of him.”

“I liked you better when you were prim and proper.” I kicked the side of her foot.

The rising sun unfolded before the frozen ground of my front yard, her rays like warm fingers that couldn’t quite reach us.

At least the endless winter in Niev was warmer than what we experienced back in Colina Verde, my small hill country town in Texas.

And unlike those left behind in the human realm, the kingdom of Niev was accustomed to this winter and had magic to keep their world going.

Unlike my yard in Colina, grass grew around our large cabin, which we now called home in Reignom, while snow collected outside its borders.

After having experienced nothing but snow for several months, Hee-haw, our pet donkey, was content to graze in the grass.

But even where the snow settled, it wasn’t too deep, and most days, I hiked the trail Elias and George had paved for me with Hee-haw trotting beside me.

It was a nice change of pace that I still hadn’t completely acclimated to since we were kicked out of the human realm three months ago.

Now that the kids had made friends, their adjustment seemed seamless. Although he had just turned seventeen years old, Javier was independent and took care of his younger sisters, while also including Victoria in every adventure they went on.

But at the beginning and end of every day, I took on the parental role.

Everly huffed out a laugh. “What’s your plan for the rest of the day?”

I shifted, tucking my feet beneath me as I brought the tea to my lips.

My right ankle immediately protested. I winced and dropped it, settling onto my other foot instead.

“After I take the kids to school, I’m thinking about buying some pastries to take to the orphanage.

I’m sure the kiddos there are missing Brenton something awful. ”

Just as I was sure Brenton missed them. Whenever he was in Niev, he carved out a few hours to visit with the kids. It didn’t matter how busy his schedule was, he made time.

It made me all the more grateful that whatever magic had bound us had made him my brother.

“Do you mind if George and I go with you?” she asked.

I rolled my eyes. “Doesn’t George have to train our warriors ? ”

“If you care for me even the tiniest bit, please don’t mention that to him,” she begged. “Elias left days ago, and he’s still complaining about it. If he doesn’t stop soon, I’ll have to rehome him.”

“Rehome him?” I snickered, eyeing her with amusement.

She waved her hand in front of her face. “Ryenne threatened to rehome Nate the other day, but said something about no one wanting to pay the rehoming fee. It sounded like a good threat, though.”

Hee-haw stood, ears twitching and the moment we heard someone moving inside the house, he trotted toward us.

As he did most mornings, he paused at the bottom step of the front patio, gave it a dramatic nudge with his head and let out a derisive snort.

It was his daily protest against the stairs.

Then, with great reluctance, he climbed up.

Everly scratched behind Hee-haw’s ears as he nudged his head along her leg. “When are you going to build this precious babe a ramp, so he doesn’t have to suffer all those steps?”

All those steps? “He has two steps to climb. Don’t encourage him.”

Everly grinned. “I should go, but tell Javier to go to dinner with us tonight or he’s not getting his present.”

I shook my head. “It’s his day. I’m sure he’d rather spend it with his friends than us. ”

After a quick wave, Everly left, and I did my best not to hobble into the house. Having already bought a pancake mix from Somnio’s baker, I busied myself at the stove. Once I finished, I set the table with food piled high on each plate.

Since fae didn’t use candles, the same baker gave me candy melts shaped in the same form as one.

She’d promised it’d burn cleanly and safely, and the birthday child could eat it afterward.

I placed the makeshift candle atop the mound of eggs I’d served him just as I heard him close his bedroom door and yawn.

He walked into the dining room with his hands stretched high above him, lifting the hem of his shirt. When his attention landed on the plates, he frowned slightly.

“What’s this?”

“Your birthday breakfast.” God, why was I so nervous? But the way he studied the plates made me wonder if I’d done something wrong.

“How’d you know today was my birthday?” He stared at his plate.

My stomach twisted. “We had to give your birthday to the school when we registered you.”

His eyes finally met mine, and a smile tugged on the corners of his mouth. He rubbed the back of his neck. “And you just remembered?”

“I mean, yeah.” I shrugged, trying to act casual.

It was on the tip of my tongue to apologize, to ask if I’d mis-stepped, but then he laughed.

“I didn’t think I’d be celebrating it this year.”

Relief unfurled inside me and I let out a soft laugh as well. “Why didn’t you tell me? Birthdays should always be celebrated. ”

He shrugged, a little sheepish. “I didn’t want you to think I expected something.”

“Okay, to be clear, my birthday is January twenty-first, and I expect a whole week of celebrating.” I grinned. “Maybe a whole month.”

“Oh, you’re one of those month-long celebrators.” His smile grew with his tease.

“Come here, you turd,” I said. “Give me a hug.”

He did, just as the girls came storming in.

It took a little wrangling, but I managed to get the girls settled at the table, where we sang Happy Birthday to Javier before digging in.

I’d never seen him smile so openly in the months I'd known him. Honestly, it was a relief. He was such a kind soul, and after losing both of his parents so suddenly, he’d carried far too much on his young shoulders.

But now...there was less grief in his eyes and a little more peace.

By the time I showered and Javier helped me get the girls ready for school, my right leg and ankle hurt in a way that didn’t feel normal. I did my best to hide my limp, but Javier noticed anyway.

“You okay?” he asked when we neared the girls’ school.

“Fine.” I patted the top of Victoria’s head, careful not to disturb the braid Everly had done for her the previous night. The girls wore braids almost every day, usually with flowers twined through if any of the male fae were around. “Everly kicked my butt this morning.”

His brows pinched together in concern.

“I’m fine, Javi,” I said, inwardly cringing at the nickname I’d let slip aloud. I relaxed when he seemed unbothered by it but instead worried about my leg. “I’ll pass by the castle after drop-off to see if the healer can treat me.”

“I can take the girls,” he said, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “It’s right next to my school.”

“I know,” I said gently. “But I like seeing y’all off. Although I promise I’ll never get closer to your school than I do. I wouldn’t want your friends to think you’re not cool.”

He gave me one of his lopsided smiles. “They’re not like the kids back home. They don’t care about looking cool or any of the stuff we did in our realm. It’s different, but I think I like it better. With them, I don’t have to try so hard to be someone I’m not.”

“Between you and me, I think you’re pretty cool without trying.”

He bowed his head with a chuckle.