Chapter Five
Ama
“Ama.” My father attempted to soothe the situation as Finias appeared at my side again, his hand twitching as if he wanted to offer me a comforting touch.
I wouldn’t have been opposed to that, but it wouldn’t fix the situation at hand.
A situation where I was apparently now having to represent the entire House of Death at a Summit where I would have to deal with a new breed of hate compared to what I was used to around here.
It was one thing to hear the same sneering comments and grumbles every day, but to have the five other house kings and queens not only fully ignore your existence, but most likely also decide to band together to further the already abundant disdain for hybrids?
All while trying to create a productive and influential political atmosphere?
Yeah, not my cup of tea.
I wasn’t positive how much the other houses knew about me.
I knew my dad had never hidden my existence, but he was also protective, and with that came a certain level of discreteness regarding information about me.
So, I was positive there would be people who would be absolutely shocked at my appearance at the Summit as a princess of a house.
Which didn’t bode well for me because people tended to be even meaner when they were caught off guard.
They’d lash out at what they didn’t know and what scared them.
Because make no mistake—they feared change, and allowing a hybrid princess into their ranks?
That challenged their entire system of purity and their claims to their thrones.
“No,” I felt my jaw tighten. “No, no, no. Come on, Dad.”
The other Reapers talked in low, disapproving whispers as I pleaded with my dad, who offered me a firm look that had a groan building in my throat. I knew that look because it was the exact expression I wore in the occasional moments I was serious about something.
Fuckity fuck fuck. No. There had to be a way out of this, right? I mean…come on. I could not attend this Summit as our sole representation.
“I would like to talk to my daughter alone,” my dad insisted as I muttered a curse under my breath and looked up at Finias.
My heart tightened at the sight of the sweet elf staring at me with concern and a level of emotion I wouldn’t have expected from someone who had just met me.
Honestly, it was flattering that he seemed so interested in me after I’d spent the majority of my life as a pariah in my own home.
“It looks like you may not get your royal court meeting tonight,” I mused as the other Reapers stood and gathered their stuff. My hand drifted to Finias’ and as our fingers brushed, my cheeks heated. It almost felt like my first crush all over again.
Obviously, that wasn’t the case, but the sweetness that Finias regarded me with was breathtaking and made my stomach flutter.
“I think I met everyone I needed to,” he offered with a wink. “Besides, it looks like I’ll get to spend time with the most important person at the Summit now.”
I nibbled my lip and tilted my head, “Alright, you’re making the Summit sound a bit more appealing, I must admit.”
“It’s because of me, isn’t it?” he teased, tugging on my hair gently.
“Never,” I admonished, realizing that I was flirting with the man. “But hypothetically, if you were there, I would be really happy to see you and would hope that we could spend time together….” I trailed off, then rushed to add, “Since we’re butt warmth buddies and all.”
A beautiful smile graced his features as he stepped closer, tilting my chin up and speaking softly, “I would love to pick up where we left off in the courtyard right now, but I fear I won’t see tomorrow if I attempt to kiss you in front of your father.”
That and the fact that you would be dead. But no need to drop that bomb just yet.
I winced. “Yeah, that might not be the best idea.”
He chuckled and pressed a chaste kiss to my forehead before stepping back, “It was amazing to meet you, Ama. I’ll be seeing you.”
“You too.” I felt like fanning my damn face.
This man was swoon worthy. I swallowed nervously as he walked over to my father, who was eyeing him curiously, and offered him a respectful goodbye.
The two of them had a quick conversation that left my dad smiling, allowing me to relax a bit.
As he strolled from the room, Finias offered me a sexy wink.
Then the doors closed, leaving me and my father alone in the meeting room.
“So, the Prince of Runes?” my father mused.
Oh man. I could not handle talking about boys with my dad.
I felt myself blushing and grabbed a chair to sit on, crossing my arms across my chest and putting on my best “I don’t want to talk about it” face.
I had a feeling my dad was either not going to pick up on it at all or completely ignore it.
He seemed way too amused by all of this.
“He seems cool,” I offered quietly as my dad chuckled, shaking his head but letting it be for the moment.
Suspicious. I watched as he ordered dinner for us from the kitchen staff on call for meetings like this.
My stomach rumbled, and I was suddenly very glad we were going to eat.
Who knew meeting an appealing, dark elf assassin and watching him punch Drayven could work up such an appetite?
My eyes narrowed at the thought of the muscular Reaper. He deserved that, right? Yes. He’d totally deserved it.
“So, what really happened to Drayven?” my father asked curiously, moving to sit across from me as I leaned my chin on top of my crossed arms.
“He was napping…” I shrugged, “...sort of.”
“Ama.” My dad arched his brow while using that stern parental tone that said there was no getting around their request.
“He may have said something that was a bit demanding. And Finias may have forced him to take a nap,” I hedged, biting my lip before adding “With his fist.”
My father stared at me for a moment before chuckling.
“You know, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the prince and how close you two seemed, but I have decided I like him.
Good on him. I like Drayven, but he should know better than to attempt to boss you around,” he finished with a huff, pure mirth dancing in his eyes.
Good to know my life was so freakin’ entertaining to him.
“Damn straight,” I muttered, shocked by how well he’d taken that.
“Now, we really do need to talk.” His tone was softer as he leaned back in his chair and took a sip of the amber liquid in his crystal tumbler.
My dad didn’t drink very often, but during meetings, he usually did—it was one small enjoyable element in an otherwise horrible situation.
I knew he had been looking for an excuse to kick the others out of here, so ‘explaining the situation to his daughter in private” was a solid one.
It didn’t explain why the hell I was going to this Summit, though.
“Why can’t you go?” I asked sincerely. I knew my father wouldn’t make me go without a good reason, so while I was frustrated, I was also willing to listen. You know, despite the overwhelming panic and social awkwardness that I knew without a doubt would bubble up.
I also knew this would be testing my limits for how long I could go without feeding. If I couldn’t reap souls, I’d likely start to feel the drain and the thirst to use my succubus powers. I’d have to grin and bear it. I’d be back home before I knew it and would replenish myself with a mission then.
“There is something going on above, a natural disaster, and I don’t have enough Reapers to spare who could handle such a high intake. I need to go assist the influx of souls that need to cross over,” he explained, his expression serious as I deflated. Yeah. I was going to go to this dumb Summit.
Not because I cared about it, but because I could tell my dad wouldn’t have asked me if it wasn’t important. I didn’t want to disappoint him, and I did feel a bit of pride that he trusted me with such a monumental task, even though it was highly likely that I’d fuck it up on accident.
I frowned in realization, “Wait, how many souls are we talking about?” The concept that we didn’t have enough Reapers to spare meant we were talking about a massive amount of people dying. That…that was horrifying.
Just then, food arrived, and I felt my mood improve considerably as several plates were placed in front of us, along with some of my favorite wine. I poured myself a glass and dug into my alfredo pasta as I finally resigned myself to my fate.
I suspected my father had timed this food thing on purpose in a bid to make me more agreeable.
He finally answered, his eyes filling with sadness, “You don’t want to know, Ama.”
Fuck. It must have been really bad.
“I’ll go,” I grumbled as he offered me a thankful smile, “Of course, I’ll freakin’ go.
But if I mess this up, I am going to say ‘I told you so’ until you find a way to remove the phrase from common use vocabulary.
You will be that annoyed by how often I say it.
” I punctuated my tangent by stabbing my fork in his direction with my words.
“Deal.” My father held his glass out, and I moved my own towards it in a cheers motion before digging back into my pasta, letting out a sound of contentment. There was nothing better than a tasty meal, wine, and good company.
“Wait,” I tilted my head, remembering one small detail, “Why was Drayven supposed to be here?”
My dad offered me an amused smile, “You didn’t think I would make you go completely alone, did you? Plus, the other royals insisted I send someone with you. I felt like he was a good compromise.”
I swallowed a lump of pasta that was suddenly lodged in my throat, “So, Drayven and I are traveling to the Summit, together?”