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“We do,” Kieran said warmly. “But how are you feeling now?”
“Good,” Holly said. “Hopeful. I’ve never had relationships before. I’m scared I’ll ruin it and you’ll walk away.”
“Never,” Kieran promised. “We’ll fight, sure. I mean, have you met my brother? His stubbornness will have you wanting to bang his head against the wall. And maybe one day I’ll tease you too much and Synora might… actually, I don’t know what she might do, as I don’t know her that well yet either. But the point is we’ll fight and get on each other’s nerves, but that just gives us a chance to make up too.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.
She laughed. “You remind me of Desmond.”
His brow wrinkled. “I don’t know if I want to be compared to your cousin.”
“Not like that.” Holly rolled her eyes. “You make me feel safe. Protected. Even when you tease.”
Kieran smiled at her and tugged her in for a quick kiss. “I can handle that comparison. How’s your training from Vali coming along?” he asked, changing the subject.
Holly winced. “Okay, I guess. I haven’t really been able to practice. Synora’s suggestion of merging my earth magic with my Empath magic seems to give me more control.”
“And the pain?”
Holly shrugged. “I don’t know. Vali says it’s because my magics are separate from each other. I don’t know how to combine them, though. She said something about needing to feel my feelings, but that didn’t make sense because I do feel my feelings.”
Kieran smoothed her furrowed brow with his thumb. “It’s okay. You’ll get it. I believe in you.”
Holly bit her cheek as a lump rose in her throat. It had been a long time since someone had told her that. Her papa when she was little, maybe, but that was always around using her Empath magic. Other than that, nothing else about her ever seemed good enough. Hopefully the same sentiment wouldn’t carry over to her mates on this visit, but Holly had a sinking feeling in the back of her mind that she wouldn’t be that lucky. She had told her papa that her Empath magic was small and not as usable as it had been. This work with Vali and Synora of opening her Empath magic up… Hopefully her papa wouldn’t notice.
“What if you practiced right now? Or on the rest of our walk? You could let it out, not use it or anything… Just let it out.”
Holly thought about Kieran’s suggestion. It couldn’t hurt, and she did need to practice. “Sure,” she said.
She expected Kieran to let go of her hand, but he kept swinging it between them as she dropped into her center and worked on dismantling a small section of the walls that kept her Empath magic at bay. She grunted as it surged out of her, slamming into her, but this time, she didn’t try to contain it. She let it flow freely out of her. Kieran gave her hand a squeeze as she took a few deep breaths, adjusting to having her Empath magic just out and about.
Once out of her body, her Empath magic stopped pushing when it realized Holly wasn’t trying to contain it. It almost acted confused as it swirled around Holly’s feet, looking for her to give it a direction. She sometimes shifted it in a certain direction as they walked, but for most of the time, she let it be. After an hour, it had settled down completely. Kallan and Synora hung back with Luca, letting Holly and Kieran chatter away about anything and nothing at all.
“Wait up, you two,” Kallan called out to them. “We should be getting close.”
He was right. In the distance, the Brandlevine manor appeared like a toy house against the horizon. Holly took a deep breath, drawing her Empath magic back toward her and making sure the walls were firmly in place. It fought her as they walked toward the manor, but eventually, she was able to contain it again. It felt like a part of her was missing, but she pushed through until it was contained. She wiped her brow as the door to the manor house opened and four figures spilled out onto the steps.
Holly recognized her parents instantly by her papa’s proud stance and her mama standing a pace or so behind them. Frederick and Ilena were the second couple, and something in Holly eased a little bit at her aunt and uncle’s presence. Her uncle had always tempered his brother’s more passionate views. Having him here when Holly introduced her mates was likely to go better.
“Holly,” Ilena exclaimed as she got closer. Her aunt came down the stairs to meet her and threw her arms around her in a fierce hug. Her aunt had always been warm and affectionate. As she hugged her back, Holly squashed down the small part of herself that wished Ilena was her mama.
Her own mama watched her sister-in-law reservedly from behind her papa as Ilena pulled back. Holly couldn’t read the expression on her face, but she didn’t want to let her Empath magic out to read her—not with her papa staring at her like he could read her innermost thoughts.
Frederick greeted her from the stairs. “It’s good to see you, Holly.”
“Uncle.” Holly squeezed Aunt Ilena’s hands before letting go. “Papa, Mama, it’s good to see you.”
Her parents weren’t an expressive bunch, and her mama only nodded at her with a small smile on her face. Her papa’s face was passive, but Holly could tell from the tick in his jaw he was not thrilled with the scene before him.
“Holly, who are these people? Are they the guards Claire assigned you?” Her papa looked pointedly at her mates behind her. Every inch of his body screamed his disapproval, from his cold expression to the way he didn’t move to greet her.
Holly held in a wince and turned slightly toward her mates. Here goes nothing. Kallan and Kieran stood next to each other behind her like broad-shouldered guards, and she could see how her papa would think that. Synora stood off to their right and a pace behind, closest to Luca. Her dragon was eyeing her parents and aunt and uncle with suspicion clouding his golden gaze.
“Papa, Mama, Uncle Frederick, Aunt Ilena… These are my mates.”
CHAPTER19
The widening of her papa’s eyes was the only tell he was shocked. Otherwise, his face remained neutral. Holly bit her cheek as his expression got stonier and prayed that he wouldn’t make a scene. A warm hand slipped into hers, and Holly glanced up at Kieran. She squeezed his hand gratefully.
“Well then.” Frederick broke the silence, laying a hand on her papa’s shoulders. “It’s wonderful to meet you all in this capacity. Kallan and Kieran, it’s good to see you after the battle.”
