Clearing my throat, I motioned Rand to bring the tub closer. “Would you mind sharing these with the rest of your friends?”
Kylen’s eyes went wide, but he nodded. Dorn stepped forward to pick the tub up and returned to his place. The boy kept sneaking glances back at the tub until Arella finally gave him a small push back toward Dorn, watching him over her shoulder.
Rand leaned over to me. “I definitely think you won him over.”
I hoped so. If a box of toys could even begin to make up for what he and the other two children had gone through or remove even a little of the haunted look that still remained in Kylen’s eyes, I would make sure they received a new box of toys every day. But even I knew it wasn’t that simple. Sighing, I returned my attention to Olen and Arella.
Arella tapped her mate’s arm, communicating silently to him. He considered whatever she’d said for a moment, then gave a small nod.
“Our children are our greatest treasure. We wish to acknowledge that we are forever in your debt for what you did to bring them back safely to us.” He went down to one knee, bowing his head low. Arella went to both knees, the others following her to the ground, their heads bowed. Only the child still stood, looking slightly bewildered, the toy still in his hands.
“No, please get up. You don’t owe me, or any of us, anything. You are under Devraux protection and as such, your children were as much my responsibility to find as anyone else’s.” I’d been afraid of something like this and had discussed appropriate responses with Sam earlier in the week. I had just hoped it wasn’t the reason Olen had called for the meeting. “In the meantime, I’ll be extending the protection spell further out to make sure your colony has added protection. If there’s an area out at sea that you would deem safe for your people if it were protected, I’ll cast a spell there, too.”
Olen stared at me. This time it was Arella who answered. “If you do this, it would mean much to our people. To have a safe area in the ocean to raise our children . . . this would give them the chance to grow healthier, stronger . . . to survive. It might even mean . . .” She looked up at her mate, her face so cautiously hopeful I could almost see what she was thinking. The ocean would hold the potential for more successful breeding seasons for their people.
Now that I’d met them, I hated to see them leave, but I knew they needed more space and less polluted waters. “You’ll always have a place here if you want it.”
“Thank you. Even if we take you up on your offer and no longer reside here,” he gestured at the river. “We will gladly come to your aid and fight by your side, should you ever need it.” He reached inside his robes and pulled out a small box inlaid with mother of pearl and silver, stepping forward to present it to me. It was beautiful, I noted as I accepted it.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t you wonder what it is for?” he asked, looking like he was trying to repress a smile. Arella nudged him.
I frowned down at the box. It wasn’t much bigger than my hand. There was a slight buzz of magic coming from it. “Dare I ask?”
“If ever you need to reach myself or any of my people, simply speak their name and your message into the box and close the lid. The message will reach the one it is intended for, if they are in the water. If they are able, they will come.”
Well, that actually sounded kind of useful. I looked down at my wrist. Too bad they hadn’t shared this magick with the pixies.
Hey, I heard that! Trixie glowed a soft, pulsing blue on my wrist. That was new.
I was kidding. Kind of.
“It is time for us to take our leave.”
Holding the small box carefully, I accepted hugs from Arella and Kylen, a handshake from Olen, and a curt nod from Dorn. “Thank you for this.” Hopefully, I wouldn’t ever need to use it, but still . . .
As a whole, the small group turned and made their way into the river. Dorn pulled the large tub of toys into the water with little effort. Kylen gave me one last wave before diving in.
Tess let out a mock dramatic sigh. “Ghosts, pixies, witches, shifters, and now water fae . . . you’re making all kinds of magickal alliances, Roxie.”
“I couldn’t have done any of it without all of you, you know that right?” I let my gaze rest on each of my friends. When it fell on Sam, she was staring off into the water, watching the ripples from the water fae.
“As much as I hate to say it, with those Paragons still out there, I have a feeling we’re going to need all the help we can get.” She tore her gaze from the water to meet my eyes.
As if her words were a portent of things to come, a large bank of clouds passed over the sun, casting a shadow over the estate. I shivered as the air suddenly chilled. Rand pulled me closer and I leaned into him.
“Um, guys, what’s Toby doing?”
Rand turned at Tess’s question, releasing me. With one last look at the river, I followed as his sharp gaze searched for the German Shepherd who had been sitting at Sam’s side a few minutes ago.
“He’s just playing with Jake, isn’t he?” I asked. I could see Toby racing
