Coat #2
He dropped his hands to my neck. “Aleksei wants more information before he tells her. But he’s going to have to tell her because she’s going to have to know where you are.”
“Give me the heads-up when she knows.”
“I will.”
“Now, you have shit to do, and I need to go down and make sure Zyr hasn’t risen from her case to bean her husband unconscious.”
That was when I got the wet and wild kiss I was hoping for.
It was wetter and wilder than I expected.
But I was not going to complain.
When he finished it, he rested his forehead on mine and whispered, “You’re fucking perfect.”
That felt so good, it was a wonder it didn’t transform me into a pile of goo.
Since it didn’t, as I was Catla Truelock, I replied, “No duh.”
And then I got the best thing I could get from my male.
He yanked me into his arms and burst out laughing.
“If you don’t get him out of here this instant, we’re going to have survived an aerial bombardment only for me to kill him with an ano-scanner,” Zyra warned.
All righty then.
I clasped Manny’s arm and tugged. “Come on with you. We’re taking Hurley for a walk.”
“I don’t—” Mangold started.
“Half an hour,” I haggled.
“Make it an hour,” Zyra demanded.
Manny opened his mouth.
But I whispered quickly, “She needs some time. And she needs to know you’re all right, just like you need to know the same for her. You don’t sit on her at home. Give her a modicum of normalcy so she knows you’re all right.”
He shut his mouth and allowed me to pull him out.
Manny’s eyes never left his wife the whole way, like she’d go up in a puff of smoke if he didn’t have sight of her.
I waved to Zyra on the way, relieved that she looked relieved I was trying to take her husband’s mind off things.
Hurley just trotted with us, and since he was so short, he didn’t really catch anything.
When we were in the hall, I said, “You get your coat and I’ll get mine. We’ll meet at the north door. I’ve noticed there are some balls for Hurley to chase in a basket there.”
“Coat?” Manny asked.
“Coat,” I said firmly.
“There’s not even any snow out there,” Manny said.
“It’s still cold.”
“It’s not, lass.”
Oh my gods.
These beings.
No, it was not nearly as cold there as Sigil.
But it was a heckuva lot colder than it was in Nocturn.
“Okay, then let me, the thin-blooded Fallian, get a coat,” I said.
I was gratified by his lips hitching up before he replied, “I’ll take Hurley out the north door and meet you there.”
I reached up to give his bristly cheek a kiss before I hurried up the steps to the ground floor, which held state rooms, reception rooms, entertaining rooms and some family spaces, to the first floor, which held mostly bedrooms along with family spaces.
I was in the closet, exchanging my heels for the cute boots Tanyn bought me when we were at Sigil when my Palm went.
It was a text comm from Tanyn that said, Laura knows.
Okay, good. I hated beings I loved to be in the dark.
I texted back, Thanks, honey.
I then commed Laura.
“Oh gods, are you okay?” she asked as greeting while I stood and went to get my coat.
“I’m fine. Tanyn whisked me away within ten minutes of the attack happening.”
“Good.”
Shrugging on my coat, I told her, “I’m more worried about him, because this shit is relentless and has lasted a lifetime.”
“I can imagine.”
“And, some news, I’m up here for the duration.”
This was met with silence.
“I can’t not be here, Laura,” I said softly as I exited the closet and entered Tanyn’s chamber. “The very idea of leaving him here to deal with this all by himself makes me physically nauseous.”
There was a loaded moment before she said, “I completely understand that. Though, just pointing out, he’s not exactly by himself. I mean, he has friends too. And Aleksei told me those beings who helped raise him—”
“Mangold and Zyra,” I named them.
“Yes, Mangold and Zyra are there.”
“I know, I just can’t—”
“I know. I get you, babe.”
“I need to take Manny out for some fresh air to give Zyra some alone time. And they’re moving her from a medi-case to a bed, and Manny will want to see she’s settled after they do that. So I can’t talk long.”
“All right. Just as long as you’re okay.”
“I’m fine.”
“Good. Do you want me to tell Gayle and Mon about this?”
This was one of those three-besties problems. You took pains not to show favorites.
“No. After I spend some time with Manny, I’ll give them a comm.”
“Okay, honey. Speak soon.”
“We will. Much love and hugs.”
“Back at you.”
We ended the comm.
I arrived at and exited the north door.
Hurley was already racing back to Manny with a ball in his mouth.
I joined them, we walked the grounds, and for my part, I introduced myself to them.
And found, to no surprise, even in the dead of autumn, they were beautiful.
I was at the queen’s desk in the queen’s study at the lapcomp, replying to email and sorting a work schedule for the next two months so the gals could carry on without me.
I didn’t expect to be there two months, but who knew?
I wasn’t good at my job only because I knew great art.
I was good at it because I was organized and never unprepared.
I’d also had a conversation with Lua, putting her in charge while I was away, and perhaps hinting that she might want to do more than her normal good job because there might be a promotion in her future.
Added to this, I had conversations with Monique and Gayle, letting them know what was going on, and that I was okay.
Last, a convo with Dad and Mom, also letting them know what was going on, and I was okay.
I was surprised Dad didn’t say he was packing Mom in their craft and heading up right away.
But he didn’t.
Zyra was out of the case, in her bed, and with Manny having had some time to come to terms, they were no longer bickering. Instead, I left her napping and him in a chair beside her bed, watching some screen.
Hurley was hanging with me.
I’d lunched at the desk while working, it was coming on time when Tanyn was going to head to Gehenn, and I wanted to catch him before he left so I could say goodbye, when there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I called.
A member of staff walked in and announced grandly, “Ms. Mira Loreling to speak to you, milady.”
Belatedly, I realized none of the members of staff had introduced themselves, like they were full beings with lives outside their jobs, and instead they behaved like they were just bots scurrying around doing someone’s bidding.
And I felt guilty because I hadn’t asked.
I did not request her name (for now), nor did I share I was not (yet) aristocracy or royalty, so she didn’t have to refer to me as “milady.”
“Thank you, she can come in,” I said, rising from the desk.
Mira came in, appearing rushed but not distracted.
“Hello, Mira,” I greeted when the staff member closed the door behind her.
“Ms. Truelock.”
I went to the couch, Hurley following me, and gestured to it while saying, “Catla, please. I believe we’re going to have a relationship where we needn’t stand on ceremony.”
She gave me a quizzical look before we both sat on the couch, Hurley settling on his belly beside my feet.
“What can I do for you?” I asked.
“The king has shared you’re going to be here for an extended period of time.”
I nodded my confirmation of this fact.
“Well then,” she continued, “as that’s the case, I feel it necessary to inform you that His Majesty has also told me you intend to approach Barret and Camaryn about the staffing levels of the castle, which you consider too high.”
Which you consider too high.
You.
Hmm.
Before I could also confirm this, she went on.
“I’ll need to ask you not to do that.”
I hadn’t planned on doing it now, or anytime in the foreseeable future. I wanted to request a conversation with whoever did this kind of thing for Queen Calisa at the Celestial Palace so I knew what I was talking about before I did it.
However, I was curious as to why she would ask me not to.
“Can you explain why?” I requested.
“You are to be our queen,” she said. “And, before even being coronated, as a demon from the Fall, a member of one of the traitor families, one of your first acts being firing Edgian demons from their jobs and robbing them of their livelihoods is not a good first look.”
I sat very still.
Oddly, Hurley let out a low growl.
Regrettably, Mira noticed neither of these and kept talking.
“We need to gauge how our citizens react to King Tanyn’s decision about you. We need to do some spin to give them your best face. You’re a female of style and substance, we need to drive that home. Perhaps some charity work—”
“Stop speaking,” I demanded.
She clamped her mouth shut even as her body gave a slight, surprised jerk.
“I had not intended to sack anyone, though, you didn’t ask. That being said, I’ll still point out the obvious. There are other, far more pressing matters at hand, I’m sure you know,” I stated.
“Yes,” she agreed cautiously.
“And as queen, I believe it will be a matter of course where I would have the running of this castle. Maybe not on a day-to-day basis, but I’d work closely with this Barret and Camaryn, who I’m assuming are the butler and the head housekeeper.”
“Camaryn is our steward. But yes, Barret is the head housekeeper,” Mira informed me.
“Though, I think you know that King Tanyn gave the direct order that you are to be regarded as their queen, their superior, and bottom line, their employer, so I don’t think it’s outlandish that they, and I, who has received this same edict from His Majesty, would have some concerns about an unknown suddenly having your position. ”