Carol stood. “I should head back to Laina’s place. I have packing to finish. I’ve got an early flight out of Portland tomorrow.” She glanced toward where Laina was releasing the young driftwhisps back into their enclosure. “I told her I’ll call next time and ask if I can visit, not just tell her I’m coming.”
“That’s wise.”
“It’s progress.” Her smile came through crooked. “Small steps.”
“The only kind worth taking.”
She touched my arm once before heading around the building, toward the parking area.
“Where did my mother go?” Laina asked, coming over to stand beside me.
“Back to your house to pack.”
“Oh.” Her gaze shot to the parking area. “Right. She leaves tomorrow.”
“Are you alright?”
“I don’t know what I’m feeling.”
I slid my arm around her waist, pulling her against my side. “You don’t have to know yet.”
She leaned into me, her head against my lower chest. Sofia dozed on her opposite shoulder.
We stood there while the light changed from afternoon to early evening, watching creatures in their enclosures and listening to the sounds of the facility settling into silence.
“We should go inside,” she said. “I need to finish documenting the fizzling adoption.”
“And I need to get ready for the announcement I’ll make to everyone tomorrow.”
“About what?”
“You’ll see.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
LAINA
Iwoke wrapped around Brovish, my cheek pressed to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. The carved snugglethorn sat on the nightstand where I’d placed it last night beside his. My kavresh. The word still felt strange on my tongue, like trying on a new name.
Sofia peeped from the foot of the bed, her round eyes fixed on me.
“We need to get up, right?” I whispered.
She stretched and peeped again.
Brovish’s arm tightened around my waist. “Five more minutes.”
“We have a meeting.”
“I’m the one who called it. I can postpone.”
I smiled against his skin. “You cannot.”
He grumbled something in Orcish that made Sofia spark, which made me laugh, and which made him finally open his eyes.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice still rough with sleep.
“Good morning, kavresh.”
