Krys paused.“Axa Dorning?”
“Yeah.You know her?”
Krys started to eat deliberately.“She’s our cousin.She disappeared, and they told me she had left town for graduate school.She’s a Depford, out of marriage, but a Depford.”
“What?Like me?”
“Yes, but it was her father who was the Depford.Her father is an arrogant prick.Plenty of power, not a lot of money, so he went after Amelie Dorning, and she got pregnant, but her father refused to part with any funds, so Urvin ditched her and their baby and went off to try and find a woman with enough money to satisfy him.”
She finished her food and sipped at her drink.
Vaia was eating slowly.“That is...perhaps why she felt like a walking hug.”
Krys smiled.“Perhaps.”
She sent the name and details that she knew to Leo, who said she would forward them.
Neekil wandered over and was grinning.“Krys, can you stand up so we can take in your magnificence?”
“Only if Vaia comes, too.”
Vaia blinked.“Oh.Shoot.”
She set down her empty paper wrappers and wiped her hands before getting up and standing next to Krys.A bunch of phones were directed at them, and then Vaia sat down.Krys grinned at Neekil, waved her wand, muttered some non-magical words, and he was standing in a white bunny suit.
Vaia was taking photos and giggling.Krys posed with a very impressed Dem-rah, and then it was time to be on their way.
Neekil’s bunny suit disappeared, leaving his uniform behind, and his guys were laughing as they all sent the image to Hannah.Krys would hate to be her phone.Neekil could take the ribbing.Hell, Krys could have put him in a tutu, and he wouldn’t have done more than twirl.
She did a slow, glorious spin with her wand and tiara, and then she headed to the car for their trip to the hospital.It was time to see if they could wake a sleeping princess.
Dorn was standing with the administrator, and he had a file folder full of documents.His normally dour expression split into a grin when he saw her.He slowly raised his phone, and the flash flared.He chuckled.“Leo will not believe me.”
“Uh-huh.She said you were bringing a specialist?”
“Yes.We have assigned Vaia as her guardian, but the analyst is in there checking over her test results.”
Vaia blinked.“Me?”
“Miss Bright isn’t financially stable right now.She’s doing too many things.”
Krys grimaced.“Squealer.”
“What?”Vaia looked at her.
“She likes to plan the parties, make everyone happy, and neglects to get paid as soon as things get awkward.”
Krys winced.
“Azreen said he was paying for everything directly.”
“I didn’t add my work to the original quote.”
“But the catering.”
“The profit goes to maintenance and expansion, and paying the staff a decent wage.”She winced.“Look, I have already been lectured by the mayor’s accountant.I will try to get better at this.”
Vaia sighed.“Damn it.”She hugged Krys.“I sucked when I started a business myself.You can want the best for your people and still fall short.That’s why I focused on real estate.Less people-y.”
