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I pulled her tight to my chest and bent close to her so that our breaths mingled. Before our lips could even touch, the baby cried and shattered the moment. Cerri plucked the bottle from my hands and put it to the baby’s lips.
“Have we thought about what we’re going to name her?” I asked, even though that was not at all what I wanted to think about.
Cerri tilted her head to the side in thought. “I wanted to ask my moms about it first.”
A heartbeat passed before I asked, “Your moms? Plural?”
“There’s a bit of my fae mom left. She lingers in my dreams. I wanted a chance to talk to her and Mom.” Cerri’s head snapped up. “I mean, if that’s okay with you.”
Everything about this life of mine was a dream beyond my comprehension. “You could kick me in the shin, and I would saythank you.”
Of course, Cerri gave me a dubious look before shaking her head in disbelief.
“The two of you are sickeningly sweet,” Hilda said, announcing her presence.
The brownie woman had been helping us watch the baby in shifts so that she was never alone and never unloved. While Cerri had been doubtful about leaving the baby with Hilda, I vouched for the woman. She was gentle and told the baby a great number of fae tales that should have been lost to the ages.
All in all, we had a great system going on over here. I just hoped that Tal and Ostara hadn’t killed one another yet. Last I’d heard, Tal and the vampire man, Luca, were going on dates. Even Ostara had rekindled an old romance with one of the fae that’d been trapped in Beryl’s cursed sleep.
They made an adorable couple, and I heard he wanted to take her travelling once we returned from the hunting lodge.
I left Cerri and Hilda to discuss herbal components while Cerri fed the baby. In the hall, I stopped and took in the weapons still hanging on the walls. The tapestries depicted battles—ones that I believed the Sluagh soldiers had lived through.
We no longer needed to fight, so I didn’t quite know what to do with myself. I’d been a warrior for so long that my hands seemed useless now that there wasn’t a battle. Even while I’d grieved the fall of the Seelie court, I’d been battling myself—which I think counted in a number of ways.
I could protect my court and my family from here on out, but battle was not something I thought of when I woke. Instead, I stepped in-between and returned to the restaurant above the underground court.
It was in a state of disarray, but the work-in-progress gave me something to do with my hands. I splashed a fresh coat of bright paint on the walls and worked on re-upholstering all of the chairs so that they were plush and cozy. When I was finished, Cerri would have the restaurant of her dreams.
Cerri
When I dreamed, Mother was there waiting for me. She swept the baby from my arms and lifted her to the sky while they spun around and around. The baby cackled with glee. It made my heart happy to see her receive so much love so quickly.
It didn’t matter that this had once been Beryl, the same woman who’d tortured Tal. Now, she was a baby. That’s all anyone saw when they looked upon her chubby little cheeks. They showered her with love and gifts and so much attention.
Mother lowered the baby, cradling her close to her chest. “So, what have you named her? Certainly not Beryl again.”
I shook my head. “We haven’t been able to decide. Rhoan and I came up with some choices, but I wanted to ask you and Mom first.”
The dreamscape expanded and became the pavilion in the Seelie castle’s secret garden. We each took a seat while Mother bounced the baby on her knee.
“I would love to hear them if you have the time.”
I booped the baby on her nose and listened to her delightful laugh. “Amethyst Rose, Ivy Rae, and Dahlia May.”
Mother mused for a moment before ranking the names from most to least favorite. “I’m curious to see which names your mortal mother chooses. She has excellent taste as well.”
Talking to Mom was a whole other experience.
Rhoan and I got the baby dressed and headed over to Mom and Dad’s house. It was already full of people, mostly my friends. Vi was running around the house with fire in her hands. Addie chased her, likely to keep Vi from setting Mom’s curtains on fire. Ness was at the table with a jar of pickles and a package of chocolate crème cookies. She gave me a glare when I arrived.
“What is that look for?” I asked, mildly offended.
She wrinkled her nose and gestured to her snack. “No fair. You got to skip this weird stage. Look at me. I’m eating pickles and cookies together!”
Rhoan laughed. The bellow brought Ryder into the kitchen. He happily took the baby from us and introduced her to everyone in the house one by one. Rhoan hung in Ryder’s shadow, glowering protectively at the back of the dragon shifter’s head.
I followed Ryder into the living room where my friends gathered around the couch. Ness plopped down with her cursed snack in hand. Vi settled on the floor near Ness’s feet. Morgan, Vi’s shifter husband, didn’t step too far into the room. Instead, he remained near the exit with his arms crossed over his chest like he didn’t know how to be a part of the group. Addie quietly came up and played peekaboo with the baby before taking a seat near Ness. Maddox hung near Morgan. The two men made sure to keep a distance between each other, too, so that they wouldn’t be forced to interact with each other.
