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I swallow the lump in my throat. “Thank you.”
There’s an awkward pause, and then Director West steps forward, holding a file folder and smiling at the three fey. “And now, I believe it is time to sign your treaty.”
I grin at the sidhe. “You’d better. I already signed the paperwork to join the FUA.”
The whole room chuckles. Director West holds up the thin file folder to me. “You’ve had time to look over the treaty, yes?”
I nod. I read it weeks ago when the fey were still deciding whether or not they’d sign it. She sets the folder on the table and opens it to the last page. “Would you care to be the first to sign, then?”
For a moment, I’m surprised, but my shock passes quickly. Of course I’d need to sign the treaty; the fey essentially look to me as their ruler. I need to set an example. I scan the room one more time, and a wave of pride washes over me. These are my people, and I’m surprised at how much I suddenly want to do what’s best for them. “I’d love to.” I take the pen from her. After I sign, the contract is passed around the table to all of the fey leaders. Once the last signature is signed, a round of applause rings out around the room.
There are refreshments set up out in the main office, so the crowd breaks up. Some head out right away while others mingle. Many of the people here want to talk to me. Thanks to Cecile’s party back in November, I know how to schmooze a crowd. My men are all split up talking to people as well. We seem to be a popular group. Oliver, who has stayed by my side the entire time, stiffens when one of the sorcerers approaches us. I’m surprised it’s not me he greets. “Oliver.”
Oliver clenches his jaw. “Father.”
I suck in a sharp breath. This man is Oliver’s father? I thought he’d disowned Oliver. What is he doing talking to him now?
I slip my arm around Oliver’s waist in a show of support. He happily puts his arm around my shoulders and clings tightly to me. I’m not surprised when the other members of my clan suddenly appear around us. Parker moves to Oliver’s other side and watches Mr. Harrington with nearly as much contempt as Oliver. My heart warms.
Mr. Harrington takes in the sight of us and squirms a little before squaring his shoulders, lifting his chin, and saying to Oliver, “I heard you played an integral part in the fight against the mercenaries and the battle against the vampires.”
Oliver’s teeth grind. When he doesn’t respond, I answer for him. “He did. He kicked some magical ass.”
Mr. Harrington’s eyes flick to me again. I can’t tell if he disapproves of my swearing or just me in general, but he definitely reeks of condescension. He looks at Oliver again. “Son, your mother and I have spoken about this, and we would like to invite you back home.”
Oliver stiffens even more, and his hands clench into fists. I scoff. “Now?” I ask. “Now that he’s using his magic again, it’s okay to claim him as your son? You pompous asshole.”
Mr. Harrington flinches, looking utterly aghast. “I beg your pardon? Do you know who I am?”
I scoff again. “Do you know whoIam?”
That earns me chuckles and snorts from my clan members, but I wasn’t trying to throw my status in his face. “I’m your son’smate. I’m the one who loved him enough to help him with his magic instead of scorn him when he needed me. You should be ashamed of yourself for the way you cast him out.”
I want to attack this man, and my siren is right there with me. Oliver must realize how close I am to losing my temper, because his arm over my shoulder becomes firm as if to hold me back. “It’s all right, Nora.”
He father is still blinking at me in shock. I don’t think he’s ever been spoken to that way before. Oliver stands tall, with me tucked firmly to his side, and sounds more confident than I’ve ever heard him when he says, “No, thank you, Father. I already have a family, and a home, and it’s not with you.”
I swallow back a bout of emotions and squeeze him tightly. But I almost start crying when each of my clan members stands tall around him and several of them clasp his shoulders. Oliver’s right. We are a family.
Mr. Harrington blinks several more times, and then he sneers at all of us and storms off. Once he’s gone, Oliver lets out a big breath. “That actually felt really good.”
We all laugh, and then Parker gives me a wry smile. “While I have you here…” He holds up a file folder that saysmissing mythicson it. “This is a report I need you and Gorgeous to fill out on the whole mythic case. You can fill it out tomorrow when you get back to work. Gorgeous can show you what to do with it.”
“Just throw it on your desk for now,” Gorgeous tells me.
“Um. I don’t have a desk.”
Nick balks, stumped. He looks around in thought for a moment, then grins like the devil himself. “Sure you do.” He points to the desk across from his. “It’s right here.”
The desk has a few personal items on it, like a picture of a handsome blond man and a bobblehead of a baseball player. There’s even a nameplate that saysSHAYNE DAVIES.
“Um… I’m pretty sure that one’s taken.”
“Eh, she doesn’t need it.” Gorgeous grabs a wastebasket and sweeps all of the personal effects off the desk into it. He takes the bin to the desk all the way in the back of the room in a corner and unceremoniously dumps the contents out on the new desk.
Ren snickers. “Ooh, Shayne is going to kill you.”
Nick snorts and flops the report down onto my new desk. Director West approaches us then, eyeing the now-empty desk with a raised eyebrow. Nick gives me a grin that makes me laugh. Director West shakes her head and sighs as if she finds Nick completely exasperating. She doesn’t make him put Agent Davies’ stuff back, though. Instead she turns to me with a big smile, and I finally notice the two people standing behind her. I nearly gasp when I realize they’rehuman. I’ve never met humans who know about the underworld before.
