Chapter 19
Ro stood on the balcony of her quarters with Gabriel and JT, who’d just come out. Raphaela was inside, waiting for him. A teal blue dragonfly zipped past. The sun inched closer toward the horizon.
“Anything yet, Mom?” he asked.
Ro shook her head. “No.”
“Should be soon,” Gabriel said.
“Send word when you hear something,” JT said. “Raphaela and I are going to do some sparring.”
“Be safe,” Ro said, already knowing he would be, but it was a mother’s right to give unnecessary advice.
He smiled. “We will be.”
He left and she turned back to Gabriel. “Shouldn’t they be back by now?”
He kept his gaze focused southeast. In the direction of Silverglen. “There’s no telling how long it took to find him.”
“If they found him. That census was a year old. He could have moved. Or died. Or who knows.”
“People don’t move often between villages unless they—”
Gabriel stopped speaking so abruptly that Ro had a sudden, bad feeling. “Unless they what?”
He shook his head. “I’m sure that’s not what happened.”
“What are you talking about? Say it.”
He frowned. “I was going to say unless they get married. You don’t think Michael would have remarried, do you? How many years has he been gone from the mortal world?”
“Five.” She swallowed. That was more than enough time to adapt to the change of being in the fae realm, more than enough time to dampen the pain of being separated from his family. More than enough time to meet someone else, fall in love, and decide to start life anew.
She bit her bottom lip. “I really hope that’s not what happened. How do I present that to Dove? How do I tell her that her late husband is alive in a different realm, but married to someone else? He might have other children by now.”
She groaned softly.
“I pray that’s not true.” Gabriel touched her arm, then pointed. “Look. Riders.”
She moved closer to him, following the direction of his arm. “I see them. I see three of them. How many did you send?”
“Two. Come on. Let’s go down to greet them.”
Together, they hurried to the palace’s grand entrance hall. The riders were nearly there.
Ro studied the man between the royal guards. It had to be Michael. Who else could it be?
The three riders came to a stop, dismounted, and approached Ro and Gabriel, the man in simple clothes following the guards.
All three bowed when they were within a few feet. The highest-ranking guard spoke. “Your majesty. We found the man we were sent for, Michael Engells. He requested that he be allowed an audience with you.”
Ro stepped forward. “Thank you.” She turned her gaze to Michael. He was a broad man with kind eyes. “You’re Michael Engells, husband to Dove and father to Mason?”
He pulled off his hat and nodded nervously. “I am. Are they all right? Or has something happened to them?”
“We’ll speak inside.” As much as she wanted to think the guards wouldn’t talk, she didn’t need more rumors being added to those already swirling through the kingdom. This conversation would be private.
“The main sitting room?” Gabriel asked.
“Yes.”
“Let me make sure he’s not a threat first.” Without waiting for Ro’s response, Gabriel stepped forward and patted the man down. He had two daggers on him, one on his belt and one in his boot, both of which Gabriel removed.
Her Silversmith dagger hadn’t warmed in the slightest, but she wasn’t about to tell Gabriel how to do his job.
He said something to the guards, who left with all three horses. Gabriel escorted Michael closer. “Your horse will be seen to. Right now, the queen would like to talk to you privately.”
Michael glanced at Ro, his gaze filled with apprehension. “Yes, of course. Please, your highness, just tell me if my wife and boy are all right.”
“As far as I know, they’re fine,” Ro answered. She turned and went inside, knowing Gabriel would bring Michael.
His concern for Dove and Mason touched her. Not only did it seem genuine, but the fact that he would immediately assume this was about them and not him spoke to how much they must still be on his mind. Even after all these years.
Once they were in the formal sitting room, Ro in a chair, Michael on the couch, Gabriel standing nearby, Ro began. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I sent guards to find you.”
Michael gripped the brim of his hat tightly. “I am, your majesty. I assumed something had happened to my wife or son. Something that would have…brought them here.”
“That isn’t the case, I promise. They are both still very much alive in the mortal world.”
He exhaled. “That’s good. Thank you.”
“Your mother-in-law, however, is not. She has arrived in Summerton.”
“Oh.” He frowned and looked at his hands. “I am sorry to hear that. Dove relied on her mother a lot. And Mason loved his grandma very much. They must be devastated.”
He cleared his throat before looking up. “Is Star all right? Do you need me to take her in? I can, it’s not a problem. I have a small house, but there’s room for her.”
To say Ro was surprised was an understatement. “You like her well enough to offer her a place in your home?”
He nodded as if he didn’t quite understand the question. “I do. She was a big help to us right after Mason was born. She came to live with us and took care of him at night so Dove could sleep and recover. The birth was hard on her. And afterwards, she struggled a bit.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I doubt you’re interested in all of this.”
“No, I am.” Ro exhaled. It was time to tell him the truth. “Star is my birth mother. Your wife is my half-sister.”
Michael’s eyes rounded as he stuttered out a question. “How-how is that possible? Star never mentioned she had another child.”
“She was young when I was born. She dropped me off with my aunt and disappeared from my life.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you. I had no idea.”
Ro smiled in an attempt to soften the situation.
“I suspected as much, but even if you had known about me, it wouldn’t have mattered.
From my perspective, Star has never been the most reliable figure.
That’s why those guards were sent to find you.
I needed to know if she was telling the truth about Dove and Mason. ”
“What truth?” Michael asked.
Instead of answering him, Ro asked another question. “You were injured in a construction accident?”
“I was. I really don’t remember much of it, other than a few waking moments in the hospital, but apparently those injuries were too much for my body to endure and…here I am.”
“Yes, that’s what Star told me. What she also told me was that after your death, Mason began to exhibit some strange behaviors.”
Michael’s brow furrowed. “Strange how?”
“Magical-powers strange.” Ro had to tell him the whole truth now. Anything else would be unfair. “He turned the dog blue—”
“He turned Bean blue?”
“That’s what Star told me, along with a few other things, like changing the television channels with his mind and making it rain.
These things have caused Child Protective Services to question Dove a few times.
She’s concerned, and rightly so. Because of that, she’s been homeschooling Mason to keep his abilities as private as possible. ”
Michael rubbed his forehead. “My mother warned me about this.”
“What do you mean?”
“All my life she claimed she came from a line of gifted people. Things like her grandfather being able to find water with a divining rod. Or her mother telling accurate fortunes from tea leaves. She claimed to have a cousin who had dreams that came true.”
Ro said nothing, just let him talk. It seemed to her that as Michael was obviously fae, then Mason did indeed qualify as aetheryn, having come from two fae bloodlines.
“She told me to watch my son. That there was a good chance he’d have some kind of gift.” He sighed. “I never really took her seriously. Not until I ended up here.”
“Is your mother in Summerton, too?”
“Not that I’m aware of. When I was still in the mortal world, she was living in a memory care retirement community in Arizona.”
“I see.” She hesitated, choosing her next words. “Lord Nightborne and I will be traveling to the mortal world to speak with Dove. If she truly fears for Mason’s safety—actually, if she just desires to leave the mortal world—I am prepared to bring her and her son here.”
He nodded right away. “That would be an incredible gift.”
“They would need to stay here, though. In the castle. They would have to live here.” She glanced at Gabriel.
“We believe Mason may be something known as aetheryn. A fae exceptionally gifted with magic powers. If that’s true, he would need to be protected.
He might need to be protected anyway. Both he and Dove, seeing as they’re related to me. ”
He took that in. “Because of everything going on with Malveaux.”
“Yes, exactly. You would be welcome here. I wouldn’t keep you from your family.”
“You would allow me to live in the castle?”
“Yes.”
For a few moments, he said nothing. Then, “I never imagined this was how my day was going to turn out.”
Ro let out a little laugh. “No, I don’t suppose it was.”
“I don’t want to sound ungrateful at all, but would I be able to keep working? I like my trade.”
“You’re a carpenter, right?”
“I am. Working with my hands, building things—it makes me feel useful. It helped me deal with missing my family so much.”
“I’m sure something can be arranged.” Again, she looked at Gabriel.
He nodded. “There is always work for a skilled craftsman. That won’t be an issue.”
Michael gave a sigh. “That would be good.” He seemed unconvinced about it all, though. “You would really allow us to live in Castle Clarion?”
“I believe it would be for the best.” She spoke to Gabriel. “We need to make plans to visit the mortal world.”
“I have already begun, my lady.”
She smiled. “Good. Michael, there is one thing you could do for me before I leave.”
“Anything, your highness.”
“Write a letter to Dove. She may not believe what I have to tell her. I think it might help her if my words were accompanied by a letter from you. Make sure there’s something in it that only you would know.”
“I can do that.”
Gabriel started for the door. “I’ll send for pen and paper.”
“Thank you.” Ro still wasn’t sure what Dove was going to think. “I’ll have some dinner sent in for you as well, Michael.”
“That would be appreciated. It was a long ride.”
“Accommodations will be made for you here. If Lord Nightborne and I are able to bring Dove and Mason back, I think it best that you be here to greet them when we return.”
His smile went ear to ear. “I would love that. I can’t wait to see them.”
Ro hesitated. “Would you like to see your mother-in-law, too?”
“Very much so.”
Ro got to her feet. “I’ll have word sent to her, then.”
Michael stood. “Thank you, your highness. I’ll get to work on that letter right away.”
She nodded. “The sooner the better.”