18. JED
JED
“I need to speak to you about something.” I didn’t usually groan when the love of my life walked into my office wanting to talk to me, but I made an exception this time.
“Please tell me you’re not bringing me another problem from the mortal realm. I’m still recovering from that situation with the shifters last week.”
Seth had promised me that the realm more or less ran itself these days, but I’d had to deal with my first Guardian issue the day after he left. Granted, Theo had borne the brunt of it, but it had still served to remind me why I’d decided to walk away in the first place.
“Not from the mortal realm, no, but it is a bit of a problem. Don’t worry though,” she added brightly, “I’m bringing you a solution as well. I hope.”
“That didn’t sound as reassuring out loud as it probably did in your head,” I said, pushing my chair back from the desk and stretching out my legs. “Come and sit down and tell me what’s happened.”
She settled herself on my lap rather than in a chair, then worried me further by burrowing into my chest and just sitting there silently for a bit before saying anything else.
“It’s about Tilly,” she finally said in a rush.
“You know she hasn’t been herself lately and she made me promise not to tell you what’s going on with her.
But I think that was only because she thought her plan wouldn’t work if you knew, and I know exactly how to help her now, so it doesn’t really matter anymore.
But if it doesn’t pan out, you have to promise to pretend you don’t know anything, or she’ll be devastated that I broke her confidence. ”
“Well firstly, vixen, you really do need to try and remember to breathe between sentences. And secondly, this is Tilly we’re talking about, right? The woman who wouldn’t be able to keep a secret even if she was tied up, gagged and locked in a broom cupboard.”
She giggled. “Don’t be mean. I know she’s a dreadful gossip, but she would never betray my confidence over something that really mattered.”
That was probably true when it came to Phoebe.
“Alright. I promise to feign ignorance if your cunning plan doesn’t come to fruition. Now are you going to tell me what this is all about?” She took a deep breath then let it out on another giggle when I told her, “Little and often works better when it comes to breathing you know.”
“So, you know how Tilly’s been acting a bit outrageously lately?”
“I have noticed that, vixen, as you well know. Although she seems to have toned it down a bit now thank the gods. Dare I hope I’ve finally been granted clearance to know why?”
“It’s because she’s bored and she wants to leave Avalon.”
I was obviously missing something here, because I failed to see the connection.
“At the risk of sounding heartless, why hasn’t she left then? She’s not a prisoner here. I know you’d miss her, but you wouldn’t pressure her to stay if it’s not what she wants. Would you?”
“No, of course I wouldn’t. It’s not me that’s stopping her.
It’s her father. He’s expressly forbidden her to leave, and she can’t bring herself to go against him.
He’s convinced that she just needs to get married and have a few babies to keep her busy, but she dreams of exploring the other realms before she settles down like that.
Then he started trying to find her a husband and she decided she had to do something.
That fox shifter she was seeing last year offered to go to the mortal realm with her and she thought if she could act outrageously enough, you’d banish her, then there’d be nothing her father could do to stop her from leaving. ”
“But that’s ridiculous. I might have been tempted to throw her in a cell a few times, but I would never banish her.” Especially now she’d come to mean so much to Phoebe.
“I know you wouldn’t,” she said. “And I’ve managed to convince her that it won’t work, which is why she’s given up on that idea. But that still doesn’t solve her problem.”
“What about this shifter you mentioned? Couldn’t she marry him? If he took her to the mortal realm after they were married, her father wouldn’t have anything much to say about it.”
She shook her head. “No. They’re not that serious.
They dated for a while, but I think they’re more just friends now.
He offered to take her to the mortal realm, but marriage was never on the cards.
And even if they were more than friends, I wouldn’t want to see her rush into marriage with someone just to avoid the one her father is set on. ”
“So he’s found her a suitor? Who is it?”
She grimaced. “You’re not going to believe this, but it’s Quinn.”
“Quinn?” I echoed in disbelief. Who in their right mind would see Tilly and my head of security as a suitable match?
“Well, I can’t speak for Quinn, but definitely not Tilly,” she said when I voiced that question.
“Which is why I’ve come up with the perfect solution.
I want to send her to stay with Zara. She’s rattling around the manor on her own while Seth’s off saving demonkind and it would do her a world of good to have some company to take her mind off things.
She could take Tilly out and show her the sights, maybe even take her to Fae.
Tilly has family there that she should meet.
Her father’s family may have disowned him when he came to Avalon, but her mother’s side were more sympathetic.
It would be good for her to connect with them, and if anyone can understand that, Zara can.
“And the best part is that if we ask her to go and keep Zara company as a personal favour to us, her father wouldn’t dare try and stop her.
And,” she finished triumphantly, “if I ask Zara to invite her as a personal favour to me, she won’t be able to say no either and then she’ll get the company she needs. What do you think?”
“I think that you are quite possibly one of the most devious people I’ve ever met.
And that it might just work. But,” I added before she got too carried away, “I’ll only go along with it if they both agree.
It sounds as if Tilly will probably jump at the chance, but I’m not going to inflict her on Zara if she doesn’t.
She’d be an absolute nightmare to deal with if she didn’t want to be there.
And you can’t try and pressure Zara into agreeing either.
If she says no, then we’ll just have to think of another way to rescue Quinn from his terrible fate.
Ouch.” I rubbed my shoulder where she’d just punched it.
“Quinn would be lucky to have her. I’m going to go and sound Tilly out about my idea. If she’s up for it, I’ll call Zara later and ask her for her help. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck,” I complied obediently, after claiming a kiss before I let her up. Although to be fair, I didn’t think she was the one who was going to need it.