“We’ll be out after we shower!” I called. “Don’t come in!” It never bothered me when my mother interrupted our sleep, but with my father, I felt the urge to hide Kipa in the closet. Curikan knew full well that Kipa had stayed, but even so, I had the disarming image of him charging in to save me from the clutches of a god.
Kipa laughed, lazily sitting up. The covers fell across his lap and his hair was tousled, trailing down his back. With his bedroom eyes, he looked sleepy and sexy and I wanted to wrap myself around him even more. I settled for wrapping my arms around his waist and kissing him on the neck.
“Morning, love,” I whispered, nibbling on his ear.
He glanced over his shoulder, arching his eyebrows. “Morning, gorgeous.”
We took a quick shower together, and while ten minutes wasn’t really enough time, we managed to slip in a quick tryst under the running water, with me pressed against the shower wall while Kipa ate me out, kneeling between my legs. I let out a sharp cry as I came—he knew how to work my body—and then lathered up with some shower gel and gave him a quick hand job as the water streamed over us. Momentarily satisfied, we finished rinsing off and while I blow-dried my hair, Kipa plaited his own into a French braid.
“Toss me my clothes, would you?” I asked from the vanity.
Kipa carried over the outfit I had chosen. I slid into black tights, then a kicky three-tiered black skirt. I fastened my bra—underwire was a must for my girls—and then pulled on a black sheer long-sleeved top over it. You could barely see the intricate designs covering my torso and arms through the shirt. I had elaborate birthmarks that rivaled the best tattoos. Scrollwork and Celtic knots trailed up my arms from wrist to shoulder, weaving across my chest and torso thanks to my father. My back was covered with the design of wings—a nod to my mother’s Bean Sidhe blood.
I shrugged on a cropped jacket with short sleeves over the shirt and then did my makeup—vivid dark eyeliner, purple shadow into a smoky eye, and a deep eggplant lipstick. I loved the intense, dramatic look and it suited me well. As I slipped on my granny boots and laced them up, Kipa sat on the bed. He was wearing an orange turtleneck, a pair of camo cargo pants, and brown suede boots. When I was done, he stood and opened the door for me.
“Thank you, sir!” I said, curtseying.
He laughed. “You’re welcome, milady.”
We hustled down the hall to the dining room where my mother was setting the table. Curikan was in the kitchen, and Raj was eating his breakfast—what looked like blueberry pancakes—in the corner.
I cleared my throat. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“Oh yes.” Phasmoria winked at me. “Sometimes Curikan and I revisit old times.”
“Okay, that’s enough of that.” That’s all I needed to hear. While the Ante-Fae were even less reticent about sex than the Fae, even we didn’t relish discussing our parents’ sex lives. “What’s for breakfast? Do I smell blueberries?” I took my seat and shook out my napkin. “I’m starved.”
Curikan appeared from the kitchen, carrying a massive platter of pancakes in one hand and a platter of bacon and scrambled eggs in the other. He set them in the center and then, after giving me a quick kiss on the forehead, took his seat. “I’m so glad I came. I get lonely out there in the hills.”
“Have you thought about moving closer to some of the Ante-Fae compounds?” Phasmoria asked. “You would be far less likely to harm anyone there and you could go out in public more.”
Curikan shook his head. “No, I’ve had my fill of accidentally hurting people.”
“You always had a soft heart,” my mother said, digging into the pancakes.
I handed her the syrup. “So, what do you want to do this morning? I have an appointment at two-thirty, but I’m free the rest of the day until around six. We could go somewhere…I could show you the sights.”
“No, I’m quite happy hanging around with you for the morning. Then you do what you need to. Your mother is taking us to that bar, and then we’ll come home and hang out with Raj.” He glanced over at the gargoyle. “Hey, Raj, you want company today?”
Raj looked over his shoulder. “Raj loves company. Raj can show you the programs he likes to watch every day.”
I tried to suppress a smile. “Now you’re in for it. Raj loves his shows.” Turning to Kipa, I asked, “What are you doing today?”
“I’m going to pass on the bar. Herne texted me and asked me to head over to the Wild Hunt for the better part of the day.” He shook his head, stabbing a forkful of pancake. “Everything is on tenterhooks right now. The world is poised on the fulcrum, and one misstep either way could unbalance everything and send it toppling over the edge.”
That sobered the mood. But he was right—the world was standing on a razor’s edge and Typhon was determined to destroy the way of life as we knew it. He intended to enslave the planet into a reign of terror and servitude. We had discovered that the Father of Dragons planned to enslave humankind, along with the Fae, the shifters, and anybody who could fall to the dragons. In his eyes, mortals were to use as slaves and food for the returning dragons. If we didn’t stop him, he could easily do just that.
I finished my breakfast and pushed back my chair. “So, let’s do the dishes and talk about how things are back in Connecticut.”
Kipa kissed me and, throwing on his jacket, headed for the door. “I’ll be back later,” he said, shutting the door behind him.
“I think I’ll take a pass on the bar, too,” my father said. “Maybe some other time?”
“Well, then, I’ll just return to my duties.” Phasmoria stretched, yawning. “The Morrígan doesn’t abide idle hands, especially from her Bean Sidhe.”
I watched as my mother and father gently kissed one another. They seemed so odd together—so mismatched and yet, they had great respect and love for one another, even though they’d never be together on a permanent basis.
Phasmoria kissed me on the cheek before she left, whispering, “Enjoy your visit. I’ll be around if you need me. Just text.”
I nodded, following her to the door. “Have a safe trip.” While Phasmoria could phase in and out without using the portals, it required a great deal of energy, which she preferred to save for her other duties as Queen of the Bean Sidhe.
As she vanished down the street in her rental car, I shut the door and turned to find my father watching me, a soft smile on his face.
“Your mother is one of those rare women who can fill a room by just stepping into it.”
I wasn’t sure whether that was a compliment or a dig, but I decided it was the former. Right now, the last thing I needed was for my parents to be snarking at one another, which they occasionally did. Overall, I knew they did love each other, but they weren’t a good match and never had been.
“Why don’t you put the dishes in the dishwasher while I take care of the ferrets, and then you can tell me what you’ve been up to the past few years, and how life is back in Hanging Hills.”
As Curikan headed into the kitchen, I checked on the ferrets. When I entered their room, Elise was awake, but Templeton and Gordon were still snoozing. I had to wake them in order to clean out their cage. They yawned, then began to race around the room.