Daniel’s hand went to the back of Dev’s neck, tangling with the hair he found there. He tugged and got into Dev’s space. “I will process this later in a very physical way.”
“I look forward to it.” Dev took a long breath, and the lust that had taken over was replaced with the smooth politician he became when we needed it.
I had to find my will because they were right. I couldn’t walk out there like the shell-shocked mother I was. I couldn’t cry and beg for someone to take me home no matter how much I wanted to.
“Put it aside, my queen,” Dev whispered. “You don’t have to think about it right now. This evening when we’re alone, we’ll talk about what there is to be done.”
Daniel took my hand. “But for now I need you. The children need you.” He brought it to his lips, kissing my skin. “I know you have a thousand questions, and we’ll find the answers.”
“Do I look all right?” It was ridiculous but Dev was correct. Appearances mattered. We would need allies, and that meant giving them confidence in the crown.
We were the crown.
“You look beautiful.” Daniel leaned over and brushed his lips over mine. “You remember how to do this. We haven’t been formal with the exception of ceremonial functions for years.”
He stepped to the side and held out a hand. I placed mine in his. Dev moved to Daniel’s left. I straightened my shoulders and we began to walk.
We emerged from the tunnel to find a whole vibrant village under the mountain. A village filled with Fae and supernaturals.
There were trolls and brownies and sidhe. I thought I recognized a few werecreatures from the Council. There was a crowd of them, and they seemed to hold their breath as we walked through the entrance to this magical realm. Faery lights gave the place a soft glow, and Arwyna took off from Dev’s shoulder, joining the large kaleidoscope of pixies fluttering in excitement at the return of their queen.
There were hushed whispers, and then a great shout went through the crowd.
“Long live the king!”
“The king has returned!”
“Down with the wizard!”
I looked over and Evan was grinning, leaning against a tree, with Fen by her side. Rhys and Lee stayed close to them, Lee’s eyes trailing over to where Dean stood with Kelsey. They both looked like they were happy to stay out of the spotlight.
A familiar face rushed through the crowd toward Kelsey.
“Casey’s here,” I whispered Daniel’s way as I waved to the crowd. “I pray that means the academics made it out all right.”
The academics were a specialized group of vampires. Marcus Vorenus had been the leader of the academics and Daniel’s greatest supporter. We trusted the academics always, and any war would be hard for us to win without their support and wise counsel.
Sure enough, I caught sight of Hugo and Henri at the back of the crowd. Henri’s companion was beside him. Kimberly Jacobs had a smile on her face as she joined the crowd in their cheers. Diana Spelling had an arm locked through Hugo’s, and I was so glad they’d all managed to get out.
I let go of my fears for the moment because they needed hope, and we represented that to every being in the crowd. How much had they gone through? How hard had these years been on our friends?
Out of the corner of my eye I saw another familiar face, this one making my blood chill. The elegantly dressed vampire stood at the edge of the crowd, leaning negligently against a fence.
“What the fuck is Alexander doing here?” I breathed the question, not expecting an answer.
Alexander Sharpe was a vampire I always stayed away from. He’d been around for more than a hundred years. The Victorian-age vampire had played an interesting role in history, an infamous one. He’d been Jack the Ripper, and despite his knowledge in the medical area, I wished the Council had never welcomed him into the fold.
Of all the vampires I knew, Alexander is the one I would happily have left behind.
But he was here. Here with the resistance. Here with my children. I didn’t like that idea at all.
“Rhys Donovan-Quinn!” A deep voice boomed over the crowd, and everyone stopped as though they did this man’s will.
I looked back and Rhys had stepped up, his shoulders going straight and chin coming up as though standing at attention. They’d all done it. Lee and Evan and Fen formed a line next to Rhys. Good soldiers. That was what the last twelve years had turned my children into, soldiers, and the big vampire striding toward them was obviously their general.
Sasha.
He wore jeans and a dark sweater, combat boots on his feet. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with dark hair and harsh features that somehow worked together to form a starkly attractive face. I’d spent a few weeks with Sasha the previous year… Well, in this timeline it had been thirteen years ago. We’d taken a couple of weeks to help Sasha through his transition. I liked the man, though he’d been quiet and contemplative when I’d known him. At that time, I’d wondered if he would ask to walk into the light. He’d learned his wife was dead and his daughter lost to him. He’d made some hard decisions, and one of them had been to live.
Now this man stood in front of my children, his hands on his hips and a frown on his face. “What did I tell you? Has your hearing gone, Rhys Donovan-Quinn?”
I started to walk toward them but Daniel stopped me. He had to stop Dev, too, because my faery prince clearly had the same reaction I did. Neither of us liked the idea of our kids being dressed down by someone who wasn’t their mom or dads.
“Don’t. He’s been their leader for years,” Danny whispered.
“No, sir.” Rhys’s expression had gone stony. “I heard you, sir.”
“Then why did you defy me?” Sasha asked the question on a low growl, his Russian accent thick.
“Because you were wrong, sir,” Rhys replied.
“We had four different dates, and we decided on one.” Sasha loomed over Rhys despite the fact that they were roughly the same height. “We agreed that summer of next year was the most likely date for the return of the royals. We only had enough magic for one attempt at rescue.”
“We don’t need another,” Rhys replied, his eyes coming up. “We don’t need another because we saved them. I know you and the academics and Trent used logic, but sometimes we have to go on feeling, on instinct. I felt them coming. I felt it in my soul. You thought that feeling was hope, but I knew it was right. I accept any punishment you feel you must dole out, but my siblings and Fen are blameless. They were following orders.”
Evan snorted. “As if I would follow your orders blindly. We all agreed.”
Sasha shook his head. “Lee has never followed orders once in his life, and you could not make Fenrir do something he did not wish to do. Even for all the beef jerky in the world. Only Evan can control him.”
“She makes really good jerky,” Fen said with a grin.
All of the kids had relaxed, as though they knew they’d gotten through the worst of it.
“Yes, that’s the reason,” Sasha said with a shake of his head. He put a hand on Rhys’s shoulder. “You followed your gut. You are a true leader, Rhys Donovan-Quinn. I wish you would have fought with me, made me understand, but I also know I am a stubborn ass much of the time. You brought your parents out and you lost no one. You are everything I trained you to be.”