Chapter 7 #2
“Maybe one more,” Avaleigh said, encouraging her to finish making her breakfast for them all so that she wouldn’t feel that her entire plan fell through.
“Yeah, I was thinking that, too,” Angelle said, refusing to allow herself to be upset that the male she’d allowed to kiss her, the male she’d actually thought was different, the one she’d let herself believe was actually for her and her alone, had left in the middle of the night without a word.
~~~
Lily opened her eyes long before the sun came up, but lay there for a few moments trying to determine what woke her. Finally, she smiled to herself and slipped out of bed.
“You okay?” Carrik asked when he felt her get up.
“Yes! I’m going to start breakfast. Tempest is here.”
“In the house?” he asked. “I have to start paying more attention. I should have felt her.”
“No, but she’s in Whispers. I can feel her magic. She’ll be here soon.”
It was just as the sun began to break through the darkness, and the birds began singing to greet the day that Lily and Carrik heard the front door open.
“Mom? Dad? Surprise!” Tempest called out.
“Double surprise,” Boon added as he followed Tempest inside.
Lily set her spoon down and hurried into the living room. “I knew it! I knew you’d come by!” she exclaimed as she made a beeline for Tempest.
Tempest hugged her mother like she hadn’t seen her in a year. “I missed you!”
“I missed you, too,” Lily said. “Where’s the baby? And Brandt?”
“I left them home.”
“Why?”
“She’s helping me get my house in order,” Boon said. “Plus, she said she never gets to be the baby anymore so we were coming here before going back.”
Lily laughed. “Kind of sneaks up on you, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, but you always had to share your parents. I didn’t. Now suddenly, I’m not the baby anymore, and even my husband is focused on the baby. I’m the one that had him, shouldn’t I be getting a little of that nurturing?” she demanded playfully.
“And that’s how we know there’s a little bit of Lore in there,” Carrik said, walking into the living room to shake Boon’s hand and hug Tempest. “You’ll always be my baby,” he said, hugging her tightly.
“See?” Tempest said like a toddler, tossing an ‘I told you so’ look at Boon as she snuggled against her dad.
Boon chuckled.
“What are you cooking? It smells wonderful!” Tempest said, her nose in the air, following it toward the kitchen as she let go of her father.
“Grits with debris! And hot, fresh French bread for dipping,” Lily said.
“You didn’t make the debris just for me did you? That’s a lot of work,” Tempest said.
“Oh, no. We had venison roast yesterday, so all I had to do was shred the little bits remaining and whip up some extra gravy.”
“And the bread?” Tempest asked, tearing off a still warm piece and folding it around a pat of fresh butter.
“I kind of brought it here. I didn’t have time to make it myself,” Lily said, daring anyone to criticize her because she’d just brought them there from wherever she’d imagined them.
“Ohhh, is this the bread from that bakery in France?” Tempest asked.
“It is,” Lily said, raising one eye brow. “It’s the best.”
“It so is,” Tempest agreed.
“Have a seat, I’ll serve y’all,” Lily said. “Want some coffee or tea?”
“Coffee, please,” Boon said, taking the chair he usually took while dining at his sister’s house.
“Same,” Tempest said.
After all four of them were seated, Lily looked directly at Boon. “So, tell me about Angelle.”
Boon grinned. “She’s just… everything,” he finally settled on. “Just perfect.”
“I’m so glad. And she’s agreed to come live here with us?”
“Not exactly,” Boon said.
Lily looked back and forth between Tempest and Boon. “I thought Tempest was helping you with your house. Isn’t it for Angelle?”
“Yes, if she decides to stay. I’ve made my intentions clear — I think. And she agreed to come spend some time here and meet my family and friends and see how we live. But I couldn’t bring her here and expect her to live in a hut. So, I asked Tempest to come help me.”
“At two in the morning. Which is actually why I left Eli with Brandt and just popped over here.”
“Is the house done? It’s done, right? I felt the magic swirling,” Lily said.
“It is. It’s so perfect,” Tempest said.
“It’s so much more than I planned,” Boon said. “But I’m grateful, and I think Angelle will be surprised, and hopefully like it as much as I do.”
“I made extra bedrooms, for lots of kids,” Tempest said, reaching for another piece of bread and adding butter to it.
“You’re going to turn into bread and butter,” Carrik teased as he reached for his own piece.
“It’s okay. Brandt loves me fluffy, or in shape,” Tempest said.
“Are you going to be heading home soon?” Lily asked.
Purple mists began to swirl in the far corner of the room and Tempest eyed it immediately. “Company’s coming,” she said.
Boon grinned when he saw it.
Lily lifted a hand and waved it across the table, doubling the food already there.
“Company’s here,” Lore’s voice said mere seconds before he and Evangeline materialized.
“Uncle Lore!” Tempest exclaimed, jumping up and rushing over to hug him and Evangeline.
“Tempest, my dear. How I’ve missed you. I knew that it must surely have been your magic I sensed earlier this morning.”
“You were right. I came back with Boon to help him get his house ready for his mate.”
“Oh, a mate, is it? I’m glad you’ve finally decided to settle down,” Lore said distractedly.
“I love your home, Boon. We stopped briefly to take a look,” Evangeline said. “It is very beautiful, and so like you while still being welcoming to a female.”
“Thank you, Evangeline.”
“See? She gets it,” Tempest said. “That was exactly what I was going for.”
“I’d say you nailed it,” Boon said.
“I think so, too.”
“We’ll go over after breakfast and take a look,” Carrik said.
“I do have one question,” Lore said, as he strolled elegantly across the kitchen to the living room, then peered curiously down the hallway toward the bedrooms before turning to face them all again.
“What’s the question?” Lily asked.
“Where is the baby? I have yet to meet the baby.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Uncle Lore. I didn’t bring him this time. I was planning to be here just a few hours.”
“Do you not think that all of us here, not just myself, would appreciate the chance to meet him?”
“I didn’t think I’d see anyone but Mom and Dad and maybe Grand-Papa and MeMe.”
“You are aware that without his Uncle Lore’s influence, he may not reach the heights he’s meant for. I have so much knowledge to pass on to a little one.”
It was clear that Lore’s feelings were hurt.
“I’m sure that you’ll meet him soon,” Evangeline said, hurrying over to Lore and patting his arm reassuringly.
“One day. Perhaps,” Lore said, returning to the table and dropping dramatically into a chair.
Tempest shared a knowing look with Lily, then with Boon. “When I return with Boon and his mate, I’ll bring Eli and Brandt and we’ll stay for a short visit.”
“It’s not necessary. You shouldn’t worry about me. I’ve become quite accustomed to being only an afterthought,” Lore said, as he ended his statement with a long, drawn out sigh.
“But I want to. I should have before now, but I was still recovering from his birth.”
“Well, if you’re feeling up to it, it would be most appreciated, though, I don’t wish to put you out at all,” Lore said.
“It will not put me out at all. And I insist! You are Uncle Lore and Eli will fall in love with you, I have no doubt,” Tempest said.
“Good! Exactly what time today will you be back?” Lore demanded, dropping all pretense of heartbreak and going right into being pushy.
“And there it is,” Carrik said.
Lore smirked at Carrik, then at Lily as she laughed.
“It simply will not do that I’ve not met the lad. Eli? Is that what you’ve named him?”
“Elijah Brandt Marchande’, is his given name. Eli for short,” Tempest said.
“And his mists?” Lore asked.
“No sign of them yet. But he’s only a few months old,” Tempest said.
“Yours were evident by then,” Lore said.
“They sure were, and purple. But now they’re green,” Boon said.
“Really?” Carrik asked.
“I think it’s because I’ve been more actively healing, rather than just conjuring for fun,” Tempest said.
“And because you’ve got so many gifts swirling through you.
It is not unheard of to have mists adjust themselves as one grows into their own and explores more of their gifts.
I’m not surprised at all,” Lore said. “But, I am away. We’ve got plans for the day.
I shall return to see Elijah later. He will love his Uncle Lore. ”
“I have no doubt,” Tempest said. “But I’m not sure it will be today.”
“Where are we going?” Evangeline asked as she took his arm and they began to mist away.
“To let Destroy and Enthrall know that I shall meet little Elijah — today — before either of them do,” he said, casting a meaningful look at Tempest.
“Lore!” Lily exclaimed.
He didn’t answer as his mists dissipated.
Lily shook her head as she looked at her family sitting around her. “He’ll never change.”
“He loves to stir trouble,” Carrik said.
Lily laughed. “This kind of trouble I’ll take. At least he’s not causing trouble like he used to anymore — no lives are hanging in the balance.”
“This is true. Very true,” Carrik said.
“What time do you think you’ll be back?” Lily asked.
“I have to speak with Angelle first. I’m not sure if it will be today or tomorrow, or even the next,” Boon said.
“You haven’t asked her yet?” Carrik asked.
“I asked if she’d come for a visit. We didn’t specify exactly when. But I’m sure it was sooner rather than later. I will have to speak with her parents, though.”
“Bring them, too. It’ll be for the best,” Carrik said. “They are welcome to stay here with us.”
“You can’t be serious. They already don’t trust me, and you want me to expose them to Lore, and Destroy, and Odin, just to name a few? They’ll never let her live here with me,” Boon exclaimed.
“If she’s your mate, and she loves you, they’ll have no choice. Not only is she an adult, they’ll want her happy.”
Boon nodded slowly. “She’s an adult, but she never planned to leave her family.
She prefers being alone. She’s not good with a lot of people around her.
She likes to be outside, camping and fishing.
Don’t get me wrong, she loves her people, but she’s just more comfortable alone.
So her family has always run interference for her so she’d feel safe.
Her mother I’m sure wouldn’t keep her from coming to Whispers.
Her father… that’s a completely different issue.
He is so against me in her life in any way.
I’m pretty sure he would just as soon feed me to the shifters in their clan. ”
“It sounds like you’re describing yourself instead of your mate. You two are perfectly suited. You have to win her father over,” Lily said.
“How? I don’t even know if that’s possible. We almost came to blows the last time I saw him.”
“Why?” Lily and Tempest both asked at the same time.
“He didn’t like that I was there asking to see Angelle. He thought he could intimidate me into leaving. I invited him to try,” Boon said.
“Boon!” Tempest snapped.
“I didn’t actually say the words. But he knew what I was thinking.”
“He’s a Dragon, Boon,” Tempest said.
“And I’m a Gargoyle. I don’t really care what he is.”
“You’ll have to play nice. Antagonizing him won’t work,” Carrik said.
“I tried.”
“Try again,” Carrik said.
Boon shrugged, but he knew if he ever wanted a smooth relationship with Angelle, he’d have to make peace with Daniel.
“Oh, I know! We’ll have a party. Everyone will come!” Lily said. “They’ll all want to meet Angelle and her family.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Tempest said.
“Why not? It’ll be fine,” Carrik said. “They’ll all want to meet Eli, so the focus won’t be fully on Boon’s mate and her family.”
“He’s right,” Lily said, confirming what her mate had already said.
“I guess we could go home and get them,” Boon said.
Tempest shook her head. “I just got here. Can I at least eat first? Besides, I’m still not sure about this. All of Whispers, in one place? This is sure to blow up. And you and Angelle will not even know because you’ll be hiding from all the people.”
“I’ve got this. It’ll be fine,” Lily repeated.
“One can hope,” Boon said, shaking his head.