Page 88 of A Fate of Blood and Magic (Fated #2)

There was still so much I didn’t know about my mage magic and from the look of awe on Alastor’s face, I wasn’t alone.

“Does that mean I get to help heal Respandora?” Goosebumps rose across my arms in anticipation.

“I believe so,” she answered. Her smile grew as she looked at Alastor before she returned her attention to me. “I’d like to monitor them and you a few times while you do your magic to be sure. Nothing that takes too much out of you, though. ”

“Thank you.” Etienne held a fist to his chest as he bowed his head.

“We’re both grateful for your help,” Finley added.

“Regardless of when or if the seizures return, we will not contact Brenton again,” Etienne said.

Alastor bowed, putting his hand on my back to guide us out. We made our way to their front door, and I couldn’t bite back my smile. It wasn’t just that using my magic had felt right, but that this peace, this elusive peace that came and left, washed over me and settled deep inside my chest.

Could my magic be healing for my babies? And not just me but the people of my kingdom as well as those I held dear to me. Back in my teenage years, I thought I’d wanted to be a doctor, but now, I realized I’d simply wanted to help others.

While I felt replenished in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time, Alastor and I took Hayden’s offered arm and allowed him to bend space and take us home.

“I appreciate you taking us back and forth like this, Hayden,” I told him. “I’ve been bugging Elias about finding someone else so you can do something that’s more at your rank or skill level or whatever.”

He bowed his head. “King Elias explained I’m the only one he trusts with his family who can bend space. I don’t mind. I enjoy being busy. After we arrested the traitors to our kingdom, George assigned me to lead the sword play training at the military school.”

“Do you enjoy that?” I asked. “Or would you prefer the patrol force? You have great instincts.” Afterall, it was because of his intuition that Garrison was questioned and later arrested.

“I do enjoy it. The younglings are lively and remind me of my own youth.” Hayden smiled. “Once the classes are over, I’ve been heading to the orphanage to help with cooking the evening meal.”

“You’re cooking at the orphanage?”

“Brenton said you and he wanted to get homemade meals to the kids daily.” He paused. “He asked if I’d be willing, and I agreed. Is that okay? I enjoy cooking, and the children seem to like it.”

“I didn’t realize . . .” Stupid, ridiculous tears welled behind my eyes. “I’ve been so busy with not being busy, I didn’t realize Brenton had moved forward with our idea. Thank you.”

Before he had a chance to respond, I hugged him. Reluctantly, he patted my back.

“I don’t think the king would appreciate us hugging,” he said.

“He’s right,” Elias said from where he now stood on our front porch.

“Eh.” I waved a hand toward Elias. “If my mate doesn’t know I’m a hugger at this point, that’s on him.”

“Why do I scent your tears again?” Elias asked, rushing down the steps with Brenton not far behind him.

“Because Hayden’s cooking for the kids at the orphanage.” I sniffled.

“Is his cooking bad?” Elias asked, his tone light and teasing. “Have the kids become ill from his food?”

I laughed, loving the way Elias’s arms wrapped around me.

“Don’t be an ass,” I muttered.

“While you two continue teasing Hayden, I’ll take my leave,” Alastor said.

“I’ll take my leave as well.” Before we could reply, Hayden bent space and vanished .

“Let me guess.” I tapped a finger against my mouth. “You’re meeting with someone again.”

Alastor smirked. “Yes.”

That was the fourth time he was meeting this mysterious person. Regardless of how much I badgered him, which was a lot, he remained tight-lipped.

“When do I get to meet this . . . someone?” I asked.

Already I’d asked the same question a few hundred times.

“Next time I meet with her, I’ll invite you to dinner.”

I gasped. “For real? Don’t play with my emotions.”

“Yes, I’ve had enough of her crying,” Elias said, and I smacked his rock-hard stomach with the back of my hand. “Ow.”

I rolled my eyes. As if that’d actually hurt him.

“Yes, for real.”

“Do I get any details before I meet her?” I asked. “Her name? How you met? Anything?”

His smirk grew into a grin. “No.”

I frowned.

When he held out his arms, I went in for a hug. It was one of his good ones too, where he added a quick squeeze at the end. He tousled the top of my hair, and I pushed him away.

“Give me a name,” I shouted to his retreating back.

Without looking back, he said, “No.”

With Elias’s arms on my shoulder, we headed back to the house.

Brenton held the door open for us, and inside, the smell of pizza greeted me.

Although Nate had started working at the pizzeria, and everyone swore it tasted better, my stomach turned at the thought of eating it, so I went to the kitchen to make a sandwich.

When Elias realized what I was doing, he kicked me out of the kitchen with instructions to talk to Brenton .

Brenton sat in his usual spot on our couch, so I took a seat next to him. I wound my hand around his arm and leaned my head on his shoulder, waiting for him to rest his head on mine. When he did, I started talking.

“Etienne said he felt better after we did our spell,” I said slowly. “He said the pain he usually has and the heaviness he feels that makes it hard to think or speak were gone. This, along with the medicine he’s taking, should help. It may not cure him entirely, but it’ll help.”

He patted my leg and left his hand on my knee.

“I told both of them not to contact you again.”

He stiffened and when he lifted his head, I turned to look at him.

“I meant what I said. You’re done with them,” I said. “Etienne’s getting the medical attention he needs. If Alastor and I need to repeat the spell, we will. The scholars will figure out how to replicate his medicine. So he’s no longer your concern. Even Etienne agrees. They’re done hurting you.”

We sat in silence for long seconds, and I watched each emotion that crossed his features. Mainly all I saw was the deep-rooted anguish I didn’t know how to pull out.

“A long time ago, I learned how to ignore the pain caused by Finley choosing him.” Brenton said each word slowly as if he weighed each one before he spoke them.

“I even convinced myself I was happy for her. Seeing her again, spending time with her again . . .” He rubbed his chest. “It makes it hurt all over again because I remember the many reasons I love her. She was my best friend before we knew we were mates. And even when we found out, we were too young to understand what it meant. She’s still that girl who I fell in love with, and I thought that if I helped her and saw her happy with him, it’d be enough, and I’d be able to move past it and ignore it again. I don’ t know if I can ignore it.”

I sighed, reaching for the hand he kept on my knee.

“I’m probably going to make you angry, but I’m going to say it anyway.

You keep thinking you’re not good enough for her when it’s the other way around.

She’s not good enough for you, Brent. If she was, she wouldn’t have used your feelings for her to exploit you.

She would’ve been the one looking for a cure or solution to what’s happening with Etienne instead of relying on you. She?—”

“That’s not fair, Teddy.”

My laugh came out dry and humorless. “What’s not fair is her letting you stay with them so you can sense a seizure before it happens. What’s not fair is you taking care of Etienne during today’s meeting as if he were yours to take care of.”

“He’s a good male.”

“I’m not arguing that,” I said. Because after today, I did believe he was a good male.

I just didn’t understand how Finley somehow got two good males to fall for her.

“I’m arguing that Finley isn’t good. She may be a good person.

I don’t know her well enough to know, but she’s not good for you.

She doesn’t—she doesn’t look out for you, Brent, and then she expects you to look out for her.

I remember what she said to you before the coronation.

Am I wrong in saying she expects you to have her best interests at heart while she doesn’t do the same for you? ”

“She has an intended.” The words came out so low, I barely heard them.

“She chose an intended and has no right to expect anything from you,” I said.

“It’s not that easy for me,” he said.

“I know it’s not.” I squeezed his hand. “Tell me what to do to help you because short of sending her to the bottom of the ocean, I don’t know. ”

He turned his hand over to hold mine. “I can’t see her. I can’t keep helping him. I have to be done with them.”

“Okay, so sending her to the bottom of the ocean isn’t completely off the table?”

He bumped his leg against mine.

“Why don’t you stay with us for a couple of nights?” I asked. “We can work on some plans for the orphanage and go by and see the kiddos. I’d love to get something on paper so we can work on the kids going home with families.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I’d love to see that happen. How do you feel after doing magic? Did Leah say how the boys reacted to it?”

I peered back at Elias, who watched us with my sandwich in his hand.

I signaled for him to join us. When he handed me the sandwich, I took such a large bite that I almost ate the entire square he’d cut the first piece into.

He settled on the floor between my legs, and I smiled when he leaned his head against one of my legs.

“Leah believes the boys love it when I do magic,” I said. “Both heartbeats strengthened to the point she could hear them clearly without the machine. After we finished, she said their hearts were the strongest they’d ever been.”

Elias turned on his knees, and when he pressed his head to my stomach, I held the plate and sandwich above him. He listened for a few seconds before he kissed my swollen belly twice.