Page 11 of April's Fool (Northarbor Coven Book 2)

Visiting

Amorandes

“Did you ask him?”

I saw the tears brimming in my mama’s eyes. She knew what I was going to say before I did. “He’s not ready for so many people. Plus, his friend is there,” I said as gently as possible. “The castle is rather… neglected. Cody would like the chance to make a good impression on you both.”

“Oh.”

The one word spoke volumes. My son was the greatest gift of my life, but I hated being the one to disappoint my parents. They had been so good to me.

“They have an important business meeting tomorrow for the orchard, but they would like to spend the day with you a couple of days after that if you would like to meet them in town?” I was just making stuff up. On the call, there had been little time to talk to Cody about meeting my parents. I’d heard his hesitation and knew I’d do anything to make things right for both of them. I could bridge the gap between them. Once I got there, I’d convince Cody of my plan .

There was a small town not too far from Toth’s castle. Cody and Toth would want a more neutral venue for when they met Cody’s grandparents for the first time. I knew how insular my son-in-law was. He wouldn’t want strangers in his home and this way if something happened…

Not that I expected any issues. Both of them were introverted and seemed reluctant about the meeting. I guess it was understandable that both were hesitant over family, with their history.

“We can’t go to the castle? I’d like to see where my grandson lives.” My mama was a stunning demon and looked like she could be my slightly older sister, still it was jarring to see her pout like a child.

“Amoredessa,” Dad chided gently. Yes, my mama’s name was very similar to my own. They were sure they were having a female child and refused to change the name. “We discussed this. At their pace. We’ve had much longer than Cody to prepare for this day.” She brightened under his attention.

“You’re right, Hanandes, as always.” They traded smiles. Dad squeezed my mama’s shoulder and poured her another cup of tea.

Behind them, I caught Gregoris relaxing fractionally. As if I didn’t know how to handle my parents by now. I reined in my scoff, but his eyes narrowed at me, nonetheless. “We should pack,” he reminded me .

It took far too long to get packed up and start our journey deeper into the capital. Hellasburg was bustling with many scores of demons flying and walking the streets of the city. I wanted to get to a portal guild quickly and have a hellhound transport us to Djalling. It was a reminder of how flustered I was when I found out that Cody was in our realm that I’d forgotten such a thing existed. They were tightly controlled and very expensive, worth every coin in my opinion. Gregoris had put in our application as I had finished up packing my things. I’d packed for an extended stay, ever hopeful I would get to spend some quality time with my son.

My magic could open a door to the human realm easily. All demons could travel to the human realm and back, though it was taxing on their magic. The only species that could travel between places in our realm were hellhounds. It was something to do with the ambient magic in the air that I’d learned and forgotten as a child. I remember being told it was what we had wings for, which was fine. I was grateful for my wings. Loved them a lot and there was nothing like flying, but it was so damn time consuming. Okay, so I was a little envious of the ability hellhounds had.

The hellhound that opened our portal was very different from the hellhounds I was used to. This one was very stoic. He offered nothing in conversation and practically abandoned us on the other side without even a smile! The wonderful smiling face of Barr greeted us. While he still had that trickle of attraction to me, there was nothing on my end. All I felt was affection and a feeling of protectiveness. It was just a shame that Barr wasn’t in my personal employment. It would be good to have such a powerful hellhound in my service. Costly, though. He was better off at the hotel helping our customers.

Honestly, the sweet hellhound had gone out of my mind once I had met Cody and his friend. I knew Damon was staying with my son for an undetermined amount of time. All Cody would say was that Damon wasn’t telling him much, and he feared Damon was in trouble.

Damon was my son’s family, which should make him mine, yet I knew what I was feeling towards the young hitman was nothing a family member should be feeling. I was protective, but in a possessive way. I was drawn to the man and would do anything I could to get him under me.

Gone was the concern that he would hurt Cody. With my son safe in the demon realm and able to use his magic, once properly trained, of course, there was nothing here that could touch him. No one would risk harming the newest prince .

Perhaps Barr caught my eagerness to see Cody, Toth, and Damon, because he kept the chit-chat to a minimum and opened a portal to Toth’s castle quickly.

“Um, Prince Amorandes, sir.”

“Mori, please Barr.”

“Mori, I wanted to thank you for changing the management at the hotel, and for the pay raise. With you taking more time in this area, I just know the hotel will be much better for it.”

“Oh, uh.” It caught me off guard. I’d just reacted. Seeing others suffer unjustly was a tender area for me. I would always react upon seeing it. “You’re welcome, Barr.”

“Can I… could I give you a hug?”

This was more like the hellhounds I knew. Most of them were like overgrown puppies. I adored it. “Of course.”

I kept the hug short and friendly. His arousal was sweet and simmered under his skin. The energy was a welcome boost with a tangy flavor. We parted with a last squeeze. “Thank you, Barr. See you soon.”

The castle loomed in front of us, the wards still intact until Gregoris touched them, asking for entry. It was the equivalent of knocking on the door in the human realm. In just a matter of moments, Cody came rushing out of the front door and down the short hill to greet us. Toth walked at a slower pace behind him and reminded him to wait.

Despite the last minute nature of our invitation, we appeared to be welcome. I caught sight of Damon loitering at the doors, his lean frame leaned against the wall, looking for all the world like he was bored, not watching us carefully.

Toth lowered the wards and muttered a spell which would allow us to come and go freely, and even admit people ourselves. This was such a significant sign of trust that I couldn’t help but hug my taciturn son-in-law. He went tense in my arms before relaxing fractionally. I wasn’t about to push his boundaries, so I quickly broke away with a pat on his shoulder. Was he blushing?

As we entered the castle, I noticed it was in perfect condition. Yes, I’d told Mama a white lie to save her feelings. I knew the place had charmed Cody, he just needed more time before meeting his grandparents. The castle had all the modern amenities that Mama would like, with tasteful, though simple, furniture throughout. It was decorated as a man’s haven, which I guess it was. Toth had few friends aside from his employees, having believed that other demonkin would reject him just as his family had, so his home was built around his comfort.

I would have to confess to Cody about my lies later, before my parents come to meet my sons. Son-in-law was such a clumsy term. Toth would just have to be my son, too. We needed to be on the same page. Cody would know how to get me out of this mess.

The group of us lingered in the hallway, making our greetings. Things were awkward. I could sense that Toth wasn’t all that pleased to have so many guests staying with them. They were so new! Barely had days together before real life intruded.

More than once, I felt Damon’s eyes on me. He’d given me a tentative handshake, that same prickle of energy going through me at his touch. Even when we parted, he was there. Awareness of him skated over my skin. A pull I couldn’t deny. He looked good, dressed in a suit that probably cost more than most made in half a year. It emphasized the lean lines of his body. The cut of the slacks framed his ass so well my mouth watered.

Cody frowned at us both, catching us looking. Gregoris glowered, but quickly pulled on a blank mask of indifference. “Perhaps we should see our rooms. It’s getting late.”

“I’ll start dinner,” Toth offered.

“Okay, quick tour and then I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping. ”

The castle was gorgeous. There were more than enough rooms for my parents to stay if their first visit with Cody went well. Clearly, someone had aired out and refreshed the rooms with magic before we arrived. They showed Gregoris his room first, which was closest to the stairwell leading downstairs. It had a Jack and Jill bathroom, so he had easy access to where I was sleeping. Unnecessary, but it would keep him from complaining about his fears for my safety. As if there weren’t four demons staying in the castle. Well, three point five, but with Cody’s added witch power, we definitely had four very powerful beings keeping us all safe.

“Your room is here, Dad,” Cody said with a sweet smile. I glanced through the doorway at the movement opposite my door. My son caught me watching Damon enter his room. “I don’t care what’s going on there,” he leaned in closer to say, “but you will not fuck my best friend in my home, do you understand?” Cody’s eyes promised fire and retribution if I went against his wishes.

“So I can fuck him? Just not here?” I asked for the necessary clarification.

Cody flicked a look over his shoulder where Damon was lurking in his doorway, close enough to hear if we talked clearly enough. I had no idea what his human senses were like, though I wasn’t entirely sure that Damon was fully human. “You’re both adults. As long as it’s consensual, I don’t care. I will say this, though,” Cody leaned in even closer to bite out the words. “Don’t make me choose between you if this goes wrong. You might not like what happens.”

Well, that was charming. Not that I blamed him.