The familiarity and warmth of the grin on Varo’s face tugged at his heart. Out of them all, Varo was the one who could brighten a room with his smile and presence. Cole hadn’t realized how much he missed that smile until he saw it again.
When Varo stepped toward him, Cole broke away from Lexi and strode toward his brother. He opened his arms, and Varo walked into them.
Bones that weren’t prominent the last time they embraced poked Cole’s palms. In response, Cole hugged him tighter as Varo’s fingers dug into his back.
Realizing his brother was crying, Cole bent his head and rested his cheek against Varo’s. “I’m happy to see you too, brother,” he whispered.
Varo’s shoulders shook, and his words came out in a tremulous whisper. “I’ve missed you.”
“And I you.”
* * *
Tears burnedLexi’s throat as the brothers embraced. When one of them fell down her cheek, she glanced at her father. Earlier, she was so shocked by his revelation and angry about him and Sahira keeping everything from her that she hadn’t taken the time to appreciate what she’d been given…
A miracle.
He must have seen something on her face as he rose and crossed the room to embrace her. Lexi melted into him when the arms that held her so often as a child enveloped her again.
The familiar scent of mint and the outdoors filled her nostrils. It was the scent of her youth, the aromas of comfort and love.
Lexi closed her eyes against the rest of her tears as she listened to the heartbeat she’d believed forever deadened. She opened her eyes as Cole and Varo pulled apart. They clasped each other’s arms while they studied one another.
“I heard about father,” Varo said. “That must have been horrible for you to witness.”
Cole winced. “At least it was fast.”
Varo’s already prominent cheekbones stood out more as a desperate gleam filled his eyes. “We have to get the Lord off that throne.”
“We will,” Cole promised as he released Varo and turned to face the rest of them. “How did things go here?”
“The spell has been cast,” Brokk said. “The clones are in the tunnel waiting for us to take them to the Lord.”
“Where’s Sahira?” Lexi asked.
“She was going to put the harrow stone somewhere safe before getting something to eat and drink. Last night took a lot out of her,” her dad said.
A twinge of guilt and sorrow tugged at Lexi’s heart. She wasn’t entirely thrilled with everything she’d learned, but she didn’t want Sahira drained or weakened.
“What happened with the dragon in the Gloaming?” Brokk asked. “How much damage did it cause?”
As Cole crossed to Lexi, her father released her but remained standing at her side. Cole rested his hand on her hip as he stood on the other side of her.
“None near the palace, but the fires and the craz had already done more than enough damage. There wasn’t much for it to destroy or eat. It did eat some horses in Underhill,” Cole answered.
“It made it to Underhill?” Orin asked.
“Yes,” Cole said. “In case you forgot, dragons can fly.”
Orin gave Cole the finger. His anger wasn’t all that menacing, considering the end of his nose resembled Rudolph’s. She still had no idea how Cole hit him or whatever he did, but he had.
Sahira appeared in the doorway. In one hand, she held a steaming mug of tea; in the other was a plate of cheese. She stopped when she saw Lexi and Cole. A large smile lit her face before her gaze settled on Lexi, and it faltered.
Lexi smiled and gave a tentative wave that caused her aunt to beam. Maybe she’d discovered her father and aunt weren’t her blood relatives, but they were her family, and they always would be.
It would still take some time to get over being lied to and suppressed her entire life, but they’d done it out of love and to protect her. After what happened at the inn in Underhill, she understood why.
Chapter Fifty-Five
