One of those longing type of sighs because he was so big and badass and yet totally sweet when it came to her.
“You honor me,
“How can I not? Don’t let it go to your head though.”
He laughed and snuck a quick kiss. “Too late. I want to do this as soon as possible. When can you get away?”
“Right now? I really don’t know. I . . . things are hectic and I just took on this new job. I know you want to do it and I absolutely agree. But I’m not sure when I’ll have that sort of time.”
“When things calm down we can go for a few weeks and stay. I want you to know Lycia.” He took her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. “But I want to do the binding as soon as possible. We’ll only need a few hours for it.” He paused. “It will make you stronger. The link between us will enhance both our natural power and also we’ll share of each other. I don’t know how it will work for me. Simon tells me he’s faster now. That he can shift with more ease and more often without fatigue. His senses are heightened. I imagine it will be similar for me. For you? Your life will be longer. You’ll be physically stronger and have more endurance.”
He smiled then and it made her tingly. The rogue. But then he quickly got serious again. “And that means you’re better equipped for this damned war. I can’t do what I really want. Which is to grab you and run as far away from here as I can. You have a path. I can wait however long it’s necessary for the binding. But it can help you. And that would make me really happy. Along with all the rest of it. Please?”
It was the please.
Oh, who was she fooling? She wanted it too. And that he wanted it for reasons that were more about her than him touched her deeply.
“Go ahead and see what you can do. It’s not like you can call home though, right?”
“No. But I can call my brother and if he’s here, he can go home and have them put things in motion. Cardinian, not Simon.”
“Ah, he’s the one with a Fae wife and a Fae husband too, right?” She waggled her brows and he laughed.
“Yes. He and I share a mother, so he’s also half demon. Mei, his wife, is Fae royalty. You’ll like her. She’s a warrior like you. As is Card’s other spouse, Jayce. Card likes to live here and split his time in Tir nA nOg where Mei and Jayce have family.”
“You and Simon are lagging behind. No princesses in this lot of sisters.”
He brushed a hand over her hair a brief moment. “I’m the luckiest of all.”
She smiled because he knew he got to her with all his sweet talk. But it was sweet nonetheless.
“I’m going to call him to get things moving. I’ll come for you in an hour for dinner.”
She wandered back into her office and got to work. She had enough to stay long past midnight, but she promised her mother they’d be at dinner and she supposed they had an announcement to make anyway.
HE’D shown up at her office door and stood there glowering until she finally got herself free and came along with him to the car.
At least she’d eat well at her parents’. He’d feel better once they were clear about how seriously involved they were and they could announce the binding too. That, and he knew Rain would make sure her daughter was taking care of herself.
“Card is headed to Lycia tonight. He’s going to get everything set up for the binding. He’ll contact me when he gets back. He’s excited to meet you and Lark both. He was in Tir nA nOg when Simon and Lark performed their binding. Might I invite your parents as well? I know it will be a quick trip there and back so there’s no pressure for them to stay over or anything.”
“I think they’d really like that. And so would I. You’re very good to me. Thank you. I mean that. I don’t say it often enough and I apologize for that. But you take care of me and I want you to know I see it and it makes me happy.”
He took her hand, kissing her fingertips. She had no idea how happy she made him. And when she said things like that it only made things better. “I was made to love you. It pleases me. But thank you for saying so. We take care of each other, no?” He knew the way she’d agreed to the binding had a lot more to do with how it made him feel than the fact that she’d get stronger afterward. Knew too that the little things he found at his desk, a cinnamon roll, a cup of coffee or a sandwich, were her way of saying how she felt about him.
“We’ll ask them tonight then. So I convinced you to move into an enclave. How much work do you think it would take to get your mother and father to do it?”
She scoffed. “It’s never going to happen. My mother has woven her power and her magick into the ground here for nearly forty years. She won’t go. This is her land. And I understand it. And my dad, well, don’t tell him this, but he thinks he’s strong enough to protect them here. And maybe he is. The neighborhood is one they’ve lived in a long time and they haven’t had as many problems as others have experienced. But that also means they’re known. Lark and I are worried, but there’s only so much you can do when it’s your parents.”
Faine laughed. “Yes. I know. It finally took all of us to gang up on my father and urge him to let Pere take over. Pere is strong. He can take a beating and not even bat an eye. But my father, well, he’s getting older. It’s hard to deal with the constant dominance battles a Pack leader has to deal with when you’re his age.”
“Like how old is he? I mean, if you’re four hundred and Simon is six hundred. What’s the life span?”
“My father is thousands of years old. He doesn’t give any exact dates, he’s wily that way.”
He told her about Lycia. About the places he loved and planned to show her. He thought about the house he had there and the way he wanted to make her comfortable in it. Perhaps add a nursery when she was ready.
“Oh, crap. I forgot I said I’d bring something sweet. Make a right up here. I’ll run into the grocery store ahead. It’s got a great bakery.”
He did as she asked. “You don’t have to come in,” she said as he pulled into a space. “I’m just going to run inside. It’ll take me five minutes.”
He frowned but got out, moving around to open her door.
“Really, Helena, I don’t know why you bother to say those things. We both know I’m coming in.”
She took his hand with a smile. “I know. But I don’t want you to feel obligated.”
He frowned at her, but it didn’t have any actual menace. She knew it and grinned back.
The store was pretty empty as it was just after seven and all the folks who’d stopped in on their way home had cleared out. She led him through the aisles toward the back where the bakery was.
“We don’t have anything like this in Lycia. The first time I came here, in recent time anyway, and I stepped into a grocery store, I think I stood in front of the toothpaste for about half an hour. Dazzled and a little stunned by the sheer variety.”
“So what do you have then? Outdoor market stalls and stuff?”
He nodded as she gazed at the pies and realized she couldn’t hear a nod. “Yes. But also stores. Usually though they’re more like your bodegas. Small with a limited stock.”
“I guess you probably get things fresher though. I mean if I had a boulangerie nearby I’d eat fresh bread every day. Also I’d weigh a million pounds because I am powerless against bread. Most carbs really. When I’m on vacation I make bread. And then I eat it all. I tell myself I’m going to give it away but I’m a total liar when it comes to bread.”
“Shouldn’t you be looking for vegan pie?”
She laughed. “Though she does love to talk up vegan baking and about half of what she makes is vegan, she’s not totally there. She is very health conscious. But she loves baked goods and she will totally have some of this really yummy Dutch apple pie. And I’m bringing real whipped cream to go with. Maybe some ice cream too. I’ll have to run extra tomorrow, but it’ll be worth it.”
“Come on then. Let’s get the rest. I don’t want to be late the first time I eat dinner at your parents’ house. That’s bad form.”
She grabbed the whipped cream and some vanilla ice cream as well and they headed out.
