Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Theo stood at the bow of the Barufakr, relishing the sea breeze and the open water for the first time in his life. He wasn’t afraid of what was below the waves or hiding in his bathwater. He was a son of Scotland, brother to the prince of the fae, and he was coming home.
Lyra was tucked into his side, a soft smile on her face. She had reached a peace agreement with Wyn, who was tolerating her presence now. Theo had a sneaking suspicion Wyn was no longer angry with Lyra at all, but they enjoyed the bickering.
Wyn navigated his ship into the Port of Leith, passing by some of the cargo ships in the bay. Theo looked up at the massive, luxury cruise liners, and decided he much preferred traveling on a ship like the Barufakr.
The Port of Leith was primarily used for non-magical purposes, as Edinburgh’s historic deep-water port.
Theo could see the Royal Yacht Britannia, used by the human royal family at one point, as well as the shoreline covered in a mix of traditional pubs and Michelin-stared restaurants.
There was one dock at the very edge which was put aside for magical use.
Magical boats often had the privilege of being able to rest in much more shallow waters or even shrink down into a bottle.
From a distance, Theo could see Calum standing on the edge of the dock.
He was alone, dressed casually, without his usual entourage or a fae guard surrounding him.
Theo had called him before they returned, filling him in on everything that happened—and letting him know why Lyra was coming home with him.
Theo had been nervous to tell Calum about Lyra, but he didn’t have any reason to be.
Calum wasn’t overly enthused about the idea, but he knew that it was only fair to give Lyra a chance.
There had been extenuating circumstances at play, and Calum knew he would have done the same if Theo was kidnapped.
The Barufakr slid graciously right into place, the gangplank automatically appearing as the boat came to a stop. Calum was waiting with a smile on his face, his arms outstretched as Theo went racing off the deck.
He slammed into his big brother, and Calum embraced him openly with a laugh. The brothers couldn’t seem to decide if they were laughing or crying. Theo only knew there was nothing but sheer relief in his chest.
Lyra waited patiently at the top of the gang plank, letting Calum and Theo have a few moments for a private reunion.
She could hear them launching into exciting conversation about all the details of the Blue Men and Cliodhna, sounding more like teenage boys than grown men.
Theo deserved it more than anyone; Lyra knew that.
His childhood had been taken from him and his life spent far away from his family. Now, he was going to get some of that time back.
“You really love him, eh?” Wyn materalized next to Lyra, knocking his shoulder against hers.
His huge frame caused Lyra to stumble slightly, but her reflexes kept her upright. Lyra opened her mouth, ready with a sassy retort, but closed it again. She waited a beat before nodding her head, refusing to deny it.
“Yes. I do. I don’t know when it happened, or how, or… well, I don’t know. This has all been a bit of a blur. I don’t know what we’re going to do tomorrow, or how we’re going to help Keira, but I love Theo. The rest,” Lyra shrugged, “I’m content to figure out another day.”
Wyn grunted, apparently satisfied with her answer but refusing to say anything else. Calum and Theo were still talking animatedly down on the dock. Lyra turned her head and snuck a glance at Wyn.
She’d overheard him arguing with Niamh before the dragon left them and her curiosity was peaked.
“You and Niamh, huh?” Lyra poked the bear.
Instead of giving her a sarcastic or agitated response, Wyn said nothing.
He went as still as a stone, an unreadable expression painted on his face.
Lyra’s eyes widened. She was about to disembark and leave Wyn alone entirely, when he finally spoke.
It was so quiet, she had to lean closer to hear him, even with supernatural hearing.
“It was a long time ago,” Wyn admitted. He looked up at the sky, and the haunted, desperate look in his eyes would haunt Lyra for days. “And won’t happen again.”
Wyn turned on his heel and disappeared below deck, moving silently in a way only elves could. Lyra wondered if she should go after him until Calum called her name.
“Coming.” Lyra grinned, nearly running down the gangplank to rejoin Theo’s side.
Calum smiled at her warmly, which was more than she expected. Theo wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. If there was any displeasure in Calum’s expression, Lyra couldn’t sense it.
“I believe I owe you.” Calum tilted his head towards Lyra. “Seeing as you fulfilled your side of the bargain in bringing Theo back to us.”
Lyra blushed, shaking her head. “I don’t want any money.” She looked up at Theo. Despite all the chaos and the sheer insanity of their whirlwind romance—if you could even call it a proper romance—she wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“Oh?” Calum’s brow furrowed slightly. “Surely, there must be some way that I can thank you.”
Lyra swallowed thickly, summoning her courage as she looked Calum in the eye. “I know Theo doesn’t need your permission to be with who he chooses, but your acceptance matters to him. I want to stay here in Edinburgh, with Theo, and it would be a lot easier for everyone if you were okay with that.”
Calum said nothing, studying Lyra and Theo for a minute. Theo was more anxious than Lyra was, jumping in when he thought the silence lasted too long.
“She is right though.” The words tumbled out of Theo. “I want you both in my life, but I don’t need permission and—”
“Enough.” Calum held up his hand, the gentle command dripping with royal authority. “I understand, Lyra, what you went through. I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing. Still, it does make me a little uneasy, of course, knowing what you were planning.”
Theo opened his mouth to speak but Calum silenced him with a raised brow, continuing to speak.
“That said, I would love it if you wanted to stay in the city and get to know you more.”
Lyra and Theo both audibly exhaled in relief, knowing they had Calum’s blessing. Theo kissed Lyra, overcome with his own excited emotions, until Calum cleared his throat.
Calum looked at Lyra with a grin. “But I don’t speak for everyone, and there’s a whole group of people who are eager to meet you.” Calum turned towards the other end of the dock.
For the first time, Lyra saw a group of creatures standing together in the parking lot. They were all openly staring, whispering to one another. Lyra could tell there were two humans, some baobhan-sith, a wulver, another elf, and a witch among them. She only recognized Emmett and Pippa by sight.
“Oh dear,” Theo groaned dramatically, rubbing his hand over his face. “She can’t wait to meet the family?”
Lyra’s chest warmed as Theo said it. The expression on his face was pure delight, despite his protests.
Theo had his family back.
“Absolutely not,” Calum clapped his hands. He shoved his way in between Theo and Lyra, steering them towards the waiting group.
“Out of the frying pan and into the fire,” Calum laughed.
As soon as they started walking, the group moved, some of them running down the deck to get to them first. Theo’s family descended upon the lovers, and in the midst of a million questions, Theo only saw Lyra.
He swept her body towards him, dipping her back, and kissed her.
“Welcome home, Lyra.”