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“Well, Shax is going to be there, obviously. Cassie and Kerr. Julie’s going to be there, too, since she's been through it and will be able to keep Shax calm.”
“I will be calm, Angel,” Shax called.
“We need to start a pool,” Eden said. “Put me down for fainting. Five candy bars.”
“I’ll get Garrett to put something together,” Angel promised. “He wants to be at the house but not in the room. Solin will be the fifth. I heard he can draw and am hoping he can capture the moment to share with the other fey. That leaves one more spot. Julie and Cassie both agree that six will be crowded, but I know the fey will stand back and stay out of the way, so I’m not worried.”
“When are you due?” I asked.
Angel shrugged. “Who knows. When it’s time, it’s time. Cassie says I’m looking more like I’m in the last few weeks, but I think that’s the snack cakes they keep feeding me.” She rubbed the side of her belly, not seeming upset by the extra treats. “I wouldn’t mind if the ninja stayed put for a little longer. He’s safe where he is.”
“He will be safe out here, too, Angel, where I can hold him.”
She looked at Shax, her expression grave.
“Babe, there’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell you. We can’t have sex for six weeks after the baby’s born. It takes that long for my insides to heal.”
His look of horror was mirrored on the faces of the other fey gathered.
Eden started laughing.
“Yeah, that’s right. Babies break your favorite toy.”
Although I managed to keep a smile on my face for all their playful banter, it hurt. I’d been so ready for that phase of my life.
“Sorry I’m late,” a voice called, redirecting everyone’s attention.
A young woman and another fey strode our way. The fey was huge and scarred and looked ready to tear someone’s head off. The woman, while also very serious, didn’t convey the same sense of danger. I recognized her as the one who’d been standing on top of the trucks the day Adam and I had been rescued. The reminder only caused me more pain.
“Hey, Brenna. How’s Uan?” Angel asked.
“Not good. Instead of getting better, he seems to be slowly getting worse. Kerr checked him over, top to bottom, for embedded teeth or claws but couldn’t find anything. He’s sure that’s the problem, but with Uan’s insides so messed up…” She shook her head. “Kerr finally convinced Mom it was time. He’s going to talk to Drav about taking Uan back to the caves.”
“When?” Eden asked.
“Two days. Three days tops. They want to make sure he’s in the caves and his crystal is glowing before anything happens.”
The big man beside her reached out and set a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at him, and her bottom lip trembled.
“You will not lose another father,” he said, his voice a raspy rumble.
She nodded.
“I brought new blood for you to teach,” Angel said, quickly changing the subject. “Her stance is a mess, though.”
Brenna looked at Angel and smiled crookedly before looking at me.
“I hope you’re ready to be my distraction,” she said.
“As long as you’re ready to be mine,” I replied.
For the next hour, I worked hard to learn everything Brenna had to teach me. Then I watched Hannah, a girl with a bright smile, fight with Eden. They moved fast and fought rough. But neither one held a grudge and always offered the other a hand up.
I understood why the other women were getting together every day. They were honing their skills. Learning to fight so they’d have a better chance of surviving whatever was thrown their way. They were doing what Adam never wanted me to do because he was too busy trying to shelter me.
“You ready for a turn?” Hannah said, looking at me.
“I don’t think June is ready to fight,” Tor said, stepping forward.
