29. CHAPTER 29
Luke
The Capital
Kallum, Ciondo
For the first time in a month, Luke snuck away from work for lunch at home, something he tried to do every few weeks. He pushed the front door open, and before his boot landed on the hardwood floor, a squeal erupted down the hall.
“Daddy!” His daughter ran to him with little bare feet slapping against the hardwood and her arms outstretched. What had he ever done to deserve such pure love? Nothing. He knew that.
Luke caught her when she ran right into him.
“Daddy, you're home!”
He picked her up and nuzzled his face against her cheek. “I missed you, darling.” He sniffed. “You haven't had your bath, Ainsley?”
Her sweet face dropped into a mask of shock at being caught. “I was busy.”
“Were you? Busy doing what?”
“Well…” Ainsley leaned back against his arms and looked up at the ceiling in serious thought. “My dollies went to school. School's important. Mommy says that.”
“True. School is important.”
“And I got hungry. I ate oatmeal.”
“You could have taken your bath after your oatmeal.”
Her head lowered. “I'm sorry, Daddy.”
Luke couldn't pretend to be upset with her. “I forgive you, darling, but you have to take your bath tonight before you have dessert.”
Her mouth opened like she would argue and then she seemed to think better of it, because she closed it before nodding.
Luke passed the nanny on his way to the kitchen.
“My apologies about the bath, Captain.”
“It's no trouble.” Although it was some trouble.
Luke wanted his daughter to know his words meant something.
If he said she needed a bath, then she needed a bath.
But Ms. Dalia had been a professional and caring nanny who rarely made mistakes.
A great improvement over their last caregiver.
So, Luke said nothing. It was his fault, after all, that her mother wasn't home with her.
He couldn't complain about a mess he made.
Luke placed his daughter on the counter while he prepared sandwiches for them.
Ms. Dalia offered to make it, followed minutes later by one of the maids rushing to take over.
He sent them both away. Rarely did he have time to come home during the day, and he wanted to make lunch for his child for once.
“Is sissy coming home?” Ainsley asked.
“No. She's staying in school. It's just the two of us today.”
As much as she loved her older sister, she giggled at the rare treat of having him to herself.
If things had been different, would Nadia be here with them today? No. She didn't dream of staying home with the children like his ex-wife did. Nadia would be as busy as he was, determined to become the best surgeon in Kallum. They would squeeze in time to see the girls early whenever possible.
Foolish, foolish thoughts. It didn't matter that he loved Nadia.
Would have burned his whole world down for her—did burn it all down, when his fool of a brother left her feeling abandoned.
He'd betrayed two people he owed the most loyalty to.
In the end, even betrayed his own two daughters.
They didn't like splitting time between two houses.
They wanted mommy and daddy home together.
The house felt too quiet as they finished their lunch.
Ainsley wiped the crumbs from her face with her sleeve.
“Manners.” He tapped her napkin. “Do you want to see Grammy while I'm in a short meeting?”
“Yes! Now? I want Grammy now!”
“In a few minutes. I'll call the driver. We have a surprise for you.” He helped her down and paused by her little tea table. “A new drawing?”
“That's you, and that's me.” She pointed at a tall stick figure and a small one. “Gram is there. Mommy and Sissy. Ms. Dal-dal.”
Gold lines crossed through the picture of Luke and Ainsley. “It looks like we have something special.”
“Yeah. I got wings, too. Like you.”
Luke bristled but made himself smile. “Lovely.”
His daughter called the golden crest along his shoulder blades his wings, not understanding what the tattoo meant.
His children would never wear a soldier's band, and certainly not a crest for how many they killed for the Phaedra.
It displeased the emperor that he didn't plan to enroll the girls in the Academy, but he explained he knew his children were better suited for political office one day.
The truth was no one would ever hurt his girls.
Look at what the service had done to Zayne.
So far, Andi hadn’t suffered so much, but she looked far too young to enter the field next year.
His daughters were never fighting in the war.
Never facing what Luke and his siblings had.
And they weren't growing up in the Phaedra's study, catering to his every whim, with the empire sitting upon their shoulders.
Ainsley didn't need her own wings because he wore them for her. She'd stay pure and innocent while he kept their country safe for her and her sister.
When the driver picked them up to take them to his mother's house, he listened to Ainsley's stories the entire way. Her imagination astounded him. She told him everything she and her dollies had done for the day, which included an adventure through a forest filled with candy, apparently.
Once Luke opened the door to his parents' house, Ainsley sprinted inside, nearly falling.
“Careful,” Luke said. “Please walk.”
She skidded to a stop when Zayne stepped into the hallway.
A loud gasp burst from his daughter. His brother looked just as surprised.
“Uncle Z! Uncle Z!”
Zayne smiled and knelt, catching the girl when she jumped into his arms. “Ainsley.” For a few seconds, he looked more like he had before Dr. Cooper's, when he was still a boy, and not yet so guarded. On breaks from the academy, Andi ran to them like this at Ainsley's age. “You're so tall.”
“You're home, Uncle Z!” Her little feet kicked when Zayne rose with her. “Oh, I missed you!”
The smile started as warmth in Luke's chest at seeing Ainsley so happy. “I told you we had a surprise for you.”
“A big one.” Pulling back, she beamed at her uncle. “Plane time? Please, please, please.”
Zayne chuckled and lifted her above his head. Ainsley squealed so loud, kicking her arms and legs while her uncle spun her in a circle straight up in the air.
“Daddy! Look!”
“I see, darling.”
His brother tossed her and caught her, prying a terrified scream from her, with peeling laughter following.
Down the hall, Kira watched from the doorway, and Luke followed her line of sight to Zayne. If the stubborn fool refused to use all of his resources, then Luke didn't mind doing it for him.
One more toss, and Zayne caught Ainsley against himself. Strands of blonde hair stuck out from her headband, and her blue eyes sparkled. She and her uncle shared a rare grin together.
“You're growing up,” Zayne said.
His brother had always been good with his nieces. Luke liked having one normal thing between them, even if the strain remained beneath what they let the girls see.
It seemed like something the prisoner should witness.
“Again!” Ainsley pumped a fist in the air.
“There's someone for you to meet first,” Luke said.
Zayne's smile dropped, and he settled Ainsley on the floor before turning to see Kira. The little girl peeked at the woman down the hall.
“That's our cousin, Kira,” Luke said.
Lying to his daughter felt wrong, but he couldn't explain the situation to her.
“Hi,” Kira said softly.
“Whoa.” Never shy, Ainsley skipped down the hallway. “Your hair is just like one of my dollies. So pretty! I want red hair!”
“But your hair is pretty like it is.”
“Really?” Ainsley grabbed two handfuls and tugged to look at it.
“Really. It's nice to meet you.”
“Gram is looking for you, Ainsley,” Luke said. “She's in the courtyard.”
She raced past Kira, even while Luke reminded her not to run. Little feet pattered for a short while longer, and then a door slammed.
Quiet.
Luke strode down the hall to Kira, and Zayne matched his steps, not allowing him near the prisoner without him.
“You'll never be alone with my children.” Luke glared down at her. “Watch what you say to them.”
Kira nodded. “Of course.”
“One wrong word,” Luke shot his hand out, pretending to grab her. “And—”
A palm slammed into the crook of his arm, knocking him away. Zayne shoved himself between Luke and Kira, his chest pushing him back.
“What was that?” Zayne asked, voice low.
“Easy,” Luke said. “We don't need another broken collarbone.”
Zayne closed his eyes in the same way as when he was a boy and missed a target while shooting.
Confusion furrowed Kira's brows, as expected.
“Right. You don't know.” Luke held Zayne's stare even though he talked to her. “My brother broke Dr. Cooper's collarbone for you after the incident with the tank.”
Now Luke watched Kira, appreciating how his brother's care affected her, widening her eyes, deepening the shock into an emotion that must have struck her core. In real time, Luke witnessed Kira falling into a spell, unable to resist Zayne's raw fury and indignation on her behalf.
“Leave,” Zayne said.
Only hesitating for a moment, Kira looked at the back of Zayne's head and then left without any comment. It looked like she wanted to say a great deal but held back.
“I just handed you so many wins,” Luke said. “Use them and get to her.”
“I told you I don't need your help. Back off.”
“You do. You're too prideful to admit it. The Phaedra is moving you around his chessboard without telling you a thing. Why do you think he sent you to Caspador right when Kira moved in here? So, she and Mom could bond without you getting in the way.”
Zayne didn't take his bait. “You used your daughter. I haven't seen her in a year.”
“She missed you, and it's good for your prisoner to see this side of you. Nothing with her has been your doing yet. You found Kira at the perfect moment in the tank. You came home from Bluehaven at just the right time. Other people are doing the work for you.”