Page 118 of Fae Farewells

“The monsters,” Valano repeated, emphasizing the name as a species. “Lucifer created the dragons’ realm, too. But the monsters’ realm was much more difficult. They removed a piece of the Underworld to build that plane.”

“My grandparents?” I asked, again needing clarification, because this wasn’t what I expected to learn.

“Aye. The Fallen One who became the First Devil of Hell when he met his mate, the Mother of Demons and Monsters. Lucifer North and Lilith Fear.”

I massaged my temples as I tried to comprehend what he was saying.

There were seven realms? Not six?

An entire realm I knew nothing about… How had they kept that hidden?

What constituted being a monster vs a hybrid with mixed species genetics?

I glanced around, noting none of my guys knew what he was talking about, either. The Winter sisters appeared clueless about the conversation. Only Reagan and Vex knew what he was saying to be true.

“Were you around when that happened?” I inquired, cautious, not knowing if I wanted the answer.

“The realm? Yes. Their meeting?” Valano scoffed at me. “I’m not that old, child.”

Sunday, June 21th

Mid Day

We brought the Winter parents back to the palace… Not that it seemed like the best idea.

But we couldn’t let them stay in Valano’s tiny cottage in the neutral territory until the Winter palace was ready to be lived in. And there was a perfectly empty place to stay right here on the season’s borders.

Not that it was in perfect condition.

Or empty.

There were still bits of fae in the hall. And in the throne room.

But there were whole, live fae in the dungeon.

Novak cut his gaze at me, laughter dancing in his golden irises. Mentally, he cackled. “Whole, live fae? They aren’t mice, Trouble.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “This is what happens when you listen to my thoughts. I don’t know what else to tell you.”

“Lashul said they’re tidying up the Winter palace,” Vaughn told his father, dragging my attention away from my vampire.

“I imagine she hated living here,” Reagan mentioned, more to himself than my fae.

“Alania kept her, and some of the other staff, in rooms near her chambers,” I informed him. “I don’t think any of them liked living here, but they did it anyway.”

“Because they thought she was me,” Vex said sadly.

Reagan tucked her under his arm. “We will fix this mess.”

“How?” Vex challenged. “She’s spent years acting as me, tarnishing my name.”

“Many of the staff suspected something wasn’t right,” York divulged. “You can spin the story, alter the details just slightly, to make them understand that you’ve been gone for eighteen years. They’ll understand.”

“Or they won’t,” she countered, guilt in her voice.

My druid dipped his head. “That’s a risk you have to be willing to take when you stand before them.”

A crowd had converged in the front of the palace while we’d been gone. I could hear their antsy movements beyond the windows in Freya’s suite. I slid the curtain aside, grimacing when I saw how many more fae had joined the group.