27. Amick #3
“Everything is pretty quiet for now. Well, aside from the million times I’ve been asked if I have an update.”
“Val or Meridamus?”
“Are we back to Val now?” he asks.
Thayla takes a deep breath and releases it very slowly.
“No. At this point, calling him by his name rather than saying Dad makes me feel like I’m being a petty teenager. Everything’s still fresh. It…”
“It’s always been a lose-lose situation. For all of us. It’s never been fair and I don’t know if or when it will be,” Derivius says, reaching over and patting her hand. “Yes, your father’s been nagging at my mind all night. He doesn’t want to cross a line by reaching out to you directly.”
She blows out a breath and picks at Creed’s shirt.
“Where is he right now?” she asks.
“Wandering around,” Derivius says, “waiting for word about all of you.”
She nods, tightening her lips as she stares at the wall over Creed’s head. He grunts low, patting her thigh until she meets his gaze.
“I heard you want to go see your mom.”
“That’s not important until you feel better,” she says.
“If you’re having second thoughts or want to wait a day or so, then that’s fine, but as for me, I just need a shower, and I’ll be good to go.”
Normally, I’d be inclined to argue, but he is already looking much better. Color has completely come back to his cheeks, and there are no longer bags under his eyes.
If she wanted to use his condition as an excuse not to go, she won’t be able to now. She’ll just have to admit she’s changed her mind.
“If you don’t want to see her anymore, that’s okay, gorgeous,” Kyzen says as if he heard my thoughts.
“No, I do. I’m honestly afraid if I don’t now, I’m going to miss my chance to, but…” She sighs as she tilts her head back. “I’m nervous.”
“Understandable and expected,” I say, reaching forward and lacing my fingers through hers. “Being nervous has never held you back, though. If this is something you want to do and you’re afraid of missing this opportunity, then you need to do it.”
Her expression and her grip on my hand tighten like she’s thinking hard about how it may make her feel to lose this moment. We have no clue what will come from our father’s retaliation, but we do know it is going to be consuming. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about that.
“I want to go,” she mumbles.
“Then we go,” I say. “Go shower, Creed.”
He scoffs at me but leans up until his lips meet Thayla’s. He passes her over to Riven with ease and uses Derivius’s shoulder as leverage to get himself out of bed.
“Would you like me to let your father know what you want to do?”
“Hold on, Creed,” she says, then glances at Derivius. “Can we even go tonight? I mean, it’s after midnight.”
“This is the best time to go. Fewer listening ears and watchful eyes.”
Her mouth parts, then she grunts her agreement.
“Okay. Then yes, let him know, please. We need to know where he wants us to meet him and all of that as well.”
“You’ll meet him at the barrier, and I’ll escort you there myself.”
“The two of you already planned this?” I ask.
“Not in its entirety, but yes, once you all asked everyone to leave, he, Meridamus, and I began forming a plan. Your father has worked tirelessly, Thayla, to keep your mother protected. Kira needed and still needs to be as unaware of her as possible. You can imagine what he’d do if he found out Val had someone in his life that he cared about like that. ”
“I don’t want to think about that,” she says low.
“None of us do, but it is something that we’ve had to consider.”
None of us get another word out as his gaze grows a tad distant. We wait patiently for him to relay the conversation he and Val are obviously having.
A small smirk stretches across his mouth and he coughs to cover the chuckle that escapes him.
“What? What was that noise for?” Thayla asks.
“It’d seem you aren’t the only nervous one,” he says, and she smirks. “He’s going ahead to the barrier by your favored hot spring, and he’ll wait there for us.”
She lets out a long breath and shakes her shoulders out.
“Okay, I’m going to go change. Should I wear armor just in case?”
Riven, Kyzen, and I share a look with one another.
At this point, I’d rather be safe than sorry.
“Yes,” the three of us say at the same time.
She hops out of the bed with a mumbled, “I’ll be back. You all get ready.”
I wait until I know she’s made it to her hallway before I speak.
“Anything we should know to prepare ourselves?” I ask, holding Derivius’s gaze.
“There’s no preparing yourself for something like this, Amick.
She’s about to come face-to-face with her mother for the first time in twenty years.
Prepare for tears, probably some cussing.
Hell, who knows. She may see her, then turn around and say never mind, I’m not ready.
You just prepare to comfort her through any reaction she may have. ”
Not incredibly enlightening, but most certainly achievable.
We will be here for her no matter what.
“Very well,” I say as I stand. “Let’s go get our armor on and prepare to leave.”
Time to meet our mother-in-law.