Chapter 20 #2
“Are you really, brother?” Aleana stepped out of the house, hands on her hips, glaring at all four of them. She was clearly not in a mood to make nice.
Tor straightened up, his smile only slightly strained, but at least that told Sloan he wasn’t immune to the tension that was surrounding them. “I am. It is good to see you, sister.”
“You’ll have to pardon me if I don’t believe you. What is it you want?”
Riley was glancing back and forth between Tyr and Aleana and Tor, his expression a little stricken.
Then he looked at Sloan. Did I make a mistake bringing him here?
Riley asked, and the voice was clear and perfect in his head, but Sloan could tell that no one else had understood.
That was quite an advancement for Riley as well.
I don’t know. I hope not. It’s the feast time, after all, and we’re celebrating family. I just know that there is some history with these siblings that maybe we don’t know the whole story of yet.
Riley made a face. I’m sorry. I thought I was doing a good thing.
Sloan clapped his brother on the back. You are doing a good thing. You’re home, and I’m so happy to see you. Brayden and I missed you, and there are so many things we need to tell you.
Riley jerked his chin in response. I’m here for it. I’m ready. I just needed to go out and see what there was to see of this world before I decided what I was going to do.
Sloan tilted his head, still watching Tyr and his siblings. And do you know what you’re going to do now?
Riley chuckled, but his gaze was back on Tor and Tyr and Aleana, who almost looked like a pack of wild dogs who were circling each other, looking for weaknesses.
I think you and I should talk about that later along with Brayden.
For now, maybe we could all go inside and have something to drink and eat. I’m parched after our long flight.
Tyr met his gaze and then gave Riley a wide smile. “Welcome back, braedor Riley. Bright blessings. You both must be tired. Why don’t you come inside, and we’ll have something to eat and drink?”
“I told Sloan I’ve been dreaming about your honey cakes, Tyr.” Riley rubbed his belly. “I hope you have some.”
“I do. I also happen to have some of the Rocky Mountain clutch’s cinnamon buns.”
Riley moaned. “Man, I would do some pretty sketchy things for some of those.”
Aleana scoffed. “At least you would not do sketchy things just because you can.”
Tor scowled. “What is this sketchy? What does it mean?”
“It means dishonest.” Aleana turned on her heel, tugging Fredda along with her and walked back into the house.
Tyr asked, “So, Riley, where did you meet Tor?”
“He introduced himself to me.” Riley grinned at Tyr. “I didn’t know that this would be a problem.”
“It’s not a problem.” Tor stared at Tyr as he said it. “Is it?”
“No, of course not. It’s a little unnerving. I never expected you back, Tor. I think that’s fair to say. But not bad in the least.”
Tor frowned a little again. “I didn’t know that you felt that way.”
“Honestly, I didn’t know that I’d never see you again when you left. And then you didn’t come back, and I thought it was for good.” Tyr’s expression was so earnest. It hurt Sloan’s heart to see him uncertain.
“I went to the city, not to the stars. You don’t have to be so insular.”
Tyr’s lips firmed. “You don’t have to be so dismissive.”
“I’m not trying to be dismissive. I just wanted to spend some time with you. And meet your mate, especially after I met his brother.”
Tyr waved a hand. “We can talk later. Fredda will have a thousand questions, maybe more. And we all need something to drink.”
Brother, I feel bad, Riley said. I just— He was charming.
The family resemblance is clear. He knew about all of us and Fredda and the baby, and he wanted to come see everyone.
Especially Tyr. I guess because he was pregnant, or maybe just because he was mated, or maybe just because he was lonely. I didn’t know.
“You’re fine.” That was Tyr, calm, as always, at least outwardly. “This is my twin and it is the feast week. All are welcome. He would be welcome regardless, because he is family. We have history. Brothers fight, yes? You should know that.”
Riley chuckled, the sound wry. “Do I ever?”
Sloan had to tease. “What, you mean I wasn’t the perfect big brother? Wasn’t an absolute angel?”
Scoffing, Riley whacked his arm. “You’re a staunch defender, brother, I love you, but you’re kind of a butthead.” Riley chuckled when they got inside and scooped Fredda up for a hug. “How is my girl?”
“I’m not your girl. I’m Papa’s girl.” She was so matter-of-fact, and Sloan bit back a smile.
“Okay, well, can you be my niece?”
“I am your niece. This is good. Like Ewyrml Tyr is good. Ewyrml Tor, are you good?”
Tor chuckled, the sound altogether too ironic for his taste. “I try, child, I do try, but whether or not I accomplish it… that you’d have to discuss with your mother.”
“Mama, is Uncle Tor good?”
“Not even close. But he is your ewyrml.” Tyr’s glare at his sister obviously had an effect. “And he is welcome, and we do love him. Even if he is an argumentative, dismissive pain in the bottom who deserted his family in their time of need.”
“Sister,” Tyr chided. “Be gentle. We’ll discuss this later, after supper. Maybe down in the pool where we can all relax.”
Riley blinked. “Wait, you have a pool? What the hell?”
Brayden was the one who nodded. “Man, you should see it. Sloan made it. There are two pools, actually. There’s a cold one and a hot one. The hot pool is huge. The entire family could come and just hang out and swim.”
“So you really have made this place your own.” Tor’s tone was unreadable.
Sloan nodded, absolutely refusing to be intimidated. “I have. I was honored when Tyr invited me to share his home with him. Absolutely honored.”
Tyr took his hand, giving him a soft smile.
“Are they always so sickly sweet?” Tor asked, turning to Riley.
Of course, Riley nodded. “Oh my God, yes; it’s awful.”
Tyr stuck his tongue out at Riley. “I am in the business of sweet, you do realize.” The little comeback made them all stop for a second and then the laughter started, even Aleana joining in with it.
“Come, let’s get everyone a room. The house will be full. It’s a joy and a blessing. It’s a little bit overwhelming. Hopefully, we have enough blankets for everyone. I know there are enough beds.”
“It will be fine. If we have to, we’ll get some blankets from up at the mountain; you know there are tons there. The beds would be the important part, right?” Sloan soothed his worried mate, hand on his lower back. “Thankfully, there are spaces for everyone.”
Brayden had a room, of course. Riley came next. Then Tor. Fredda would stay with her mama, of course. And by the time that they got to their big room Tyr looked exhausted and near to crying.
“Come have a seat and talk to me.” Sloan patted the bed.
“We need to make sure that there’s enough for everyone.”
He didn’t remind Tyr that this home was magical like all of the other places in this entire world, and that every room they went into seemed adequate, if not well-appointed.
Pillows, beds, bedding. While none of the rooms were large, they were cozy and more than comfortable.
Fredda even had a teeny tiny bed that pulled out from beneath Aleana’s as a trundle. It was sweet as it could be.
And Sloan had no doubt that if their family was uncomfortable in any way, it had nothing to do with the rooms.
Tyr slumped down on the bed next to him. “I feel wrung out.”
“Of course you do.” Sloan scooted back up against their headboard before he opened his arms to his mate, beckoning him.
Tyr came to him right away, crawling up to sit between his legs and lean back against his chest.
Sloan stroked Tyr’s chest and then put a hand over his belly where the baby bump was evident if only to his fingers. “I know you’re not upset about the house,” he said. “Is it Tor? Is that why you’re so stressed?”
Tyr heaved a sigh, belly rising and falling against his hand. “I love my brother, but I worry.”
“Is there something off about this visit? Do I need to worry about him maybe not actually being your brother?”
That caused Tyr to break up laughing, the sound merry. “No, no that dragon is totally Tor, and I can tell you that both Aleana and I feel him here. What I worry about is what he wants.”
“I can see that. Is it bad that he’s here?”
Tor did seem like he didn’t really want to be here, and frankly, that made Sloan nervous. That false cheer was unnerving. Honestly, Tor seemed like a man walking into a situation that he dreaded completely.
“No, absolutely not.” Tyr pulled away from him and turned to put his head on Sloan’s shoulder, hand on Sloan’s chest so they could look at each other as they talked.
“He’s just always been more ambitious than either me or Aleana, so when he left, we honestly never expected to see him again.
The fact that he’s back leads me to believe that he knows something that we don’t, and it concerns me. ”
“He’s very extra, love.”
Tyr snorted. “Yes, well thanks to you, I know what that means now, but you’re right. His magic is very over-the-top because it’s trained magic. It’s not just wild energy like all of us possess. You’ll definitely feel it when he’s near.”
“All right. How do we get him to tell him what he wants?” Sloan wasn’t above threats. He really wasn’t.
“He will tell me when he’s ready. You may well imagine he won’t tell Aleana. She is still very, very angry at him.”
“I can see that.” In fact, she looked a little murderous. “What does she means when she says he left in your time of need?”
Tyr stroked his chest, clearly contemplating that answer.
“I think she exaggerates that somewhat. What she means is he left when we were all just coming of age, and I think it took us a lot of time to figure out how to get by without him. The wasting sickness had just ended, and he went off to university without so much as a blink.”
“He ran away from the bad stuff, huh? And that’s what you fought about.” Shit, he could see Tor doing that. If they had all been grieving, and they needed to heal and he had just left…
Dragon society wasn’t like human society. A dragon could go out to university at any point during their lifetime without any of that non-trad stigma. Why had Tor needed to leave immediately after their parents had died? Shit, Sloan would resent that too.
“We fought all the time anyway. Tor and I are so much alike in many ways—we’re both very stubborn, we both want what we want, but I believe the village and the bees are a vital important part of our lives.
Neither of my siblings ever wanted to be involved in the hive.
” Tyr sniffled a little. “I thought it was ridiculous for Tor to go to the city. I felt it was dangerous.”
“Sometimes we have to let them go,” he said softly.
Riley leaving had gutted him; it had been the three of them against the world for so long, and then Riley had taken off once they got to Lunastra.
At first, Sloan had thought it was because Riley was pissed at him, but then he’d realized it was just because it was time.
Riley felt like he had the freedom and the safety to do it, and that Sloan was settled for the first time in their lives and would be where he left him when Riley came back.
Tyr nodded. “Sometimes we must. Do you really think that we are all right with the house?”
“I think our house gives us everything we need, and don’t forget we have a house spirit now. He’ll be helping out, cleaning up after us, providing linens and pillows and blankets whenever we need them.” He kissed Tyr’s cheek.
“I suppose we do! Sometimes I forget he’s here.” Tyr said that in a very low voice, a little smile playing around his mouth.
“I won’t tell if you don’t.”
Tyr leaned harder, and Sloan thought he might be dozing. So he eased his mate down on the bed, bending to kiss him gently. “Rest for a bit, love. I need to go start supper. I invited a whole bunch of folks.”
“I can help…”
“In a bit. You’ll need your energy later.” He stroked Tyr’s forehead until he drifted off, then headed down to the kitchen.
He had five extra mouths to feed tonight, so he needed to get busy.