Page 32 of Forgotten Arcane (Broken Ashes #6)

Neith

W e take the circular driveway around to the back of the house so that we don’t disturb the big table being set up outside the front.

I have to admit that it feels good to be back here.

One of my favorite things about growing up was the banquets.

They were always amazing and always filled with laughter and dancing.

It was like we were all one huge family.

Everyone was, or rather is, an uncle and aunty, and I know for a fact that the majority of them aren’t related to Van at all, and yet they wouldn’t have either of us call them anything different.

It was awesome, and I have really fucking missed it.

Nerves start to stir in my belly.

I’ve been so focused on Calia and Eamon’s reaction to me coming back after the way that I left, that I completely forgot about the aunts and uncles. They’re going to be pissed.

I wince.

Van chuckles as he somehow catches my expression in the mirror.

“Let me guess, you just remembered the aunts and uncles?” he asks.

My eyebrows hit my hairline. “How the hell did you guess that?”

Van grins and then winces slightly, “Because I may have forgotten about the aunts and uncles too, and I haven’t been to visit for a while.”

“Oooo,” River exclaims, looking extremely amused. “You’re both in trouble!”

The whole car starts laughing, and Van and I share a sympathetic look with one another.

This is either going to go really well, or we’re about to get our asses chewed out. Is it bad that I’m grateful that it won’t just be me?

As soon as the car stops, the back door of the house burst open, and Calia and Eamon come rushing out. We all quickly get out of the car before we get pulled out of it.

Calia pulls me into her arms, as Eamon wraps his around Van, and then continues to greet the other guys.

“I am so fucking glad that you’re back, and you’re with SID,” Calia says quietly, still hugging me, her voice thick with emotion.

I swallow. There is nothing quite like getting a hug from the only mother figure that you have ever really known.

“I’m so sorry that I left and didn’t keep in contact with you,” I reply.

She is owed an apology, but I really hope that she doesn’t ask for an explanation because that will lead to the story about the cell, and I don’t want to relive that. I don’t want to tell that story, I’m not really sure that I can.

Scratch that, I know that I can’t.

She squeezes me tightly, “I’ll have none of that. It happened. It's in the past. All that really matters is that you’re here now.”

I smile, and she hugs me tightly again.

“Mom, I know Neith’s always been your favorite, but you could at least pretend that she’s not for a minute and give me a hug too?” Evander teases, and Calia grins.

She pulls him into a tight hug and then goes around and hugs the others, too.

When she gets to Coen, she says, “It’s about time you came home.”

Coen’s eyes lock on mine while she pulls him into a hug just like the rest of us, and it’s obvious to see how much her words have affected him. I smile softly in response.

“Right, come on,” Eamon says as he leads us back into the house, “I think we should probably have that conversation before we start cooking.”

“Eamon’s right,” Calia agrees. “We’ve got a little bit of time before we have to start getting things ready.”

Van nods, “Yeah, I think it may be best to get it out of the way.”

We all follow them inside, and I inhale deeply as we walk through the doors. There’s nothing quite like the smell of home, and this place was my home for a good few years before I left. I grew up here, and it’s the only childhood home that I have known.

Sure, living here came with a few complications.

I wasn’t a supernatural, and I was living in the big house with the leaders of the compound, and they actually liked me and treated me as if I were a part of their family, and while almost all of the adults that lived on the compound were absolutely fine with me, either because they weren’t assholes, or I now suspect it was because they were more than aware the Calia and Eamon were actually their King and Queen, the kids weren’t so nice.

I had quite a few problems with them, after all, kids can be damn cruel.

It calmed down for a bit, but as soon as the girls started taking an interest in Van, there was a whole new set of problems. To be fair, by that point, I was old enough that it didn’t bother me, and I actually found it more amusing than anything else.

Don’t get me wrong, there were times when it got too much and I wished to be anywhere but on the compound, but those moments were few and far between.

Plus, I have always had an instinct for protecting myself, so it only took them a couple of times to try to jump me, and me taking down a good few of them in the process, before they gave up with that and just used barbed words instead.

For the most part, living here was good, and I never felt like I was unloved or unwanted. Quite the opposite actually, and when I left, it didn’t take me very long to want to go back home.

Unfortunately for me, by the time that I realized that I was in way over my head, and in far more trouble than I thought I was, it was too late to go back to the compound and to ask Calia and Eamon to help me.

I was actually caught on the way back here, and I can’t help but wonder just how different everything would have been if I had made it back here instead of being kidnapped and tortured for years before Coen and Dimitri saved me.

I bet that I would have met the guys a lot sooner than I did. I may not have found Betty though, and definitely wouldn’t have known Dimitri, especially since Coen never took the guys to the Keep, at least that’s what I’ve managed to put together from what has been said.

No, I’m glad that everything has worked out the way that it has.

Calia leads us all into the office that she and Eamon share, and we all take seats.

Van looks at me, “Do you want to start?”

His question has his parents' eyebrows rising with curiosity, but they refrain from asking any questions just yet.

“Actually, you go first,” I reply to Van.

I know that it’s been driving him mad that his parents are royalty, and he never knew.

Van nods. He turns to his parents and says bluntly, “So, you’re royalty and so am I.”

His parents smile, expecting the blunt way that Van asked the question, although there wasn’t really a question in Van’s words.

“Yes, we are, and we also know that Sully has already told you why we didn’t tell you,” Eamon replies.

Van nods, “Yeah, and to be honest, I get it. I understand why you didn’t tell me when I was a kid, but I’m not anymore, and it would have been nice to have been told about it.”

Calia nods and frowns slightly, “Yes, I see your point and agree that we probably could have told you before now.”

“So, I know that you aren’t in Trieneliea anymore and don’t have access to your kingdom, but do all of the water supes still come to you like they would if you were?” Van asks curiously.

“Yes,” Eamon replies. “We still run things as we would, in the sense that we still handle disputes, laws, and all of that sort of thing, and of course, we own this compound, and a lot of water supes choose to live here.”

“That’s really cool, actually,” Reed chimes in, and they smile.

Calia looks at Evander, “You won’t have to worry about taking over, or even beginning to learn what it takes to rule, for a good few years yet, and even when you start to learn, you won’t take over for a long time.”

“Thank fuck for that,” Van mutters, making his parents laugh. “You guys choose to have everyone treat you informally.”

“Yes,” Eamon replies, even though again it wasn’t really a question. “Which is why you didn’t realize for so long exactly who we are.”

“Yeah, I did have a few weird interactions that I brushed off,” Van admits, and some of the guy’s smirk.

I bet there’s a story there.

“Do you have any other questions?” Calia asks.

Van nods, “We know that you used the kelpies in the war, and you, of course, now know thanks to the Choosing that we have Bonded kelpies.”

They both smile proudly as they look around at all of us.

“Yes, that was quite a surprise. The kelpies haven’t accepted a bond since we came over here, we haven’t been able to get near them, and our Kelpies were left behind,” Eamon replies. “Only a few came over with us, and of course, there were kelpies already here and in hiding from the humans.”

My eyebrows rise, “Really?”

Calia nods, “Yes, nothing that we have tried to do has worked, so we were quite surprised when you all managed to call a kelpie to you when you needed one.”

“It seemed like they had been yours for a while as well, since their coats were so bright,” Eamon adds.

Van nods, “We hadn’t been bonded to them for that long. Neith nearly got eaten by kelpies, and then she saved the one that turned out to be her one while escaping, and then we saved them all from scavengers. It’s a long story.”

Calia smiles, “You proved yourself worthy of the bond.”

“I have a question,” I say. They both look at me, “Why is the whole herd changing color? Sully told us that ours would, but he didn’t say anything about the whole herd changing alongside them.”

“They’re changing slower than our Bonded Kelpies, but they are still changing. They’re not nearly as dull in color as they were,” Raiden explains.

“Plus, we had no idea that they were on our property until Neith nearly got eaten by them,” Griff adds, and then frowns. “In fact, we are all pretty much one hundred percent certain that the lake wasn’t there.”

“Are you sure that it wasn’t there before?” Eamon asks.

Evander nods, “Absolutely. I always know where the nearest water sources are, and it was found close to the house. There’s no way that we could have missed it.”

“Is there anything else that has happened with the kelpies that you know to be out of the norm?” Calia asks.