Page 101 of Sky’s Edge

I set my latte aside to do the same.

When we all were heading to our chairs, or at least Mom and I were, Mom said, “Am I interrupting?”

“No. I gotta get back to the shop,” Monique stated on her way to the door. “See you tomorrow,” she turned to say to me, ending this saying to Mom, “And see you later, Mrs. Truelock.”

“See you, doll,” Mom replied.

“Thank you, babe,” I called.

Monique waved and walked out.

I looked to Mom and cut to the chase. “I’m fine.”

“Catty—”

“Seriously, I am,” I asserted. “Okay, I’m not,” I immediately went back on it. “But I will be. I just need time.”

“There’s things to talk about.”

“Not really.”

“There are.”

“Okay, yes,” I guessed as to what the answer was to what she was on about. “I’m still angry at Dad. And yes, that will likely take some time for me to get over. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love him anymore. I do. I’m just pissed at him. I get it. Demon tradition. He’s protective of me. He wants to see me settled. It eases a male demon’s mind to know his adult daughter is under the protection of another male demon, and all that outdated hogwash that probably doesn’t feel outdated to Dad because it’s ingrained. Blah, blah, blah. But it has to be said, he really fucked up this time.”

“After you cried yourself to sleep, I went and had a few words with your dad. And since then, I have not spoken a single one to him.”

Holy Hecate, that had been three full days and then some.

This news was such, there was nothing I could do but freeze and stare.

“I know I don’t have to remind you I’m human,” Mom continued. “I don’t get this whole marriage arrangement business. I married inter-culturally, though, and your father and I made promises to each other that we would be sympathetic, communicate and do our best to understand matters that were not of our own instincts or cultures.” Her expression gentled. “I’ve seen you, all in one being, struggle with the human and demon sides you have in you. So I think you’ll understand in a way many wouldn’t the struggles your father and I have faced in our marriage.”

“Mom,” I whispered, but I didn’t know what else to say.

Because she was right.

I had an eloquent understanding of it and always had.

“There were human characteristics in me that were hard for him to comprehend. There were demon things in him that were the same to me. However, we always found our way. And considering my mood at present about your father, I am a-okay with throwing him right under the bus in telling you that we fought, rather heatedly, about him arranging your marriage to King Tanyn. Indeed, we’ve been having uncomfortable discussions for around four years, since he started pressuring you to marry.”

Dear gods.

About that, I’d had no idea.

“However, leaving you like you were in your bed at Berg Castle was the last straw,” she continued. “So I shared how I felt rather succinctly with your dad. I also shared it with Tanyn.”

Hang on a second.

She…

What?

Lord in Hellfire, Tanyn had mentioned he’d spoken to Dad. And to Mom.

I’d just been in such a bad headspace, I hadn’t processed it.

“Your father did the same,” she said. “Though, it was too little too late for me when it comes to your dad. I say that, but you shouldn’t worry either. We’ll find our way around this. Just not now. After witnessing you in that state, I’m still too angry.”