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I slipped into my place at the table and took the plate of toast Harley offered me.
‘Good morning to you, too, Sirius. Is what true?’ I asked, tilting my chin in defiance, preparing for a fight.
‘Is it true that you’re standing by Blaise St Clair, even though you know full well what he did and all the trouble he caused?’
‘Sirius,’ Killian said heavily, ‘this isn’t Romy’s fault. Don’t be bringing your issues to the table now.’
‘My issues?’ Sirius asked. ‘You mean Trinity?’ He leaned towards me. ‘You do realise that if not for Blaise’s actions the Pendragons wouldn’t have felt emboldened enough to stir up trouble again? Zephyr would probably still be alive, and Trinity would be here, right now, with me.’
‘And you do realise,’ Killian said to him, ‘that if Blaise hadn’t broken the time travelling clause in the peace treaty, there’d probably have been no need for another Great Guardian, so Lowen and Trinity might never have been born in the first place?’
Sirius looked as startled as I felt, and Harley looked puzzled, too.
‘What do you mean?’ she asked.
‘Well, isn’t it obvious? The Great Guardian is born when we have need of him. If Blaise hadn’t crossed time and threatened the peace between fae and witches there’d have been no need for him. Events unfolded that ensured Laragh and Ashen met and fell in love, purely to ensure the arrival of the Great Guardian. You wouldn’t have Trinity if not for Blaise St Clair’s actions, so think on that.’
Sirius gaped at him. ‘So you’re telling me I should be grateful to him?’
Killian waved his hand impatiently. ‘Did I say that? What I’m saying is, life unfolds as it’s meant to. In a way, Blaise is as much a victim of fate as the rest of us. What he did, he was destined to do. It’s the way it is. Kicking against it is pointless—like trying to plait sand.’
‘You can think like that if you wish,’ Sirius said. ‘Personally, I want to get hold of him and throttle him.’
‘I really don’t think that would be such a good idea.’ Emrick strolled into the kitchen, shaking his head slightly. ‘How are you feeling this morning, Sirius? Did you sleep well?’
‘I took some time to fall asleep,’ Sirius told him. ‘I managed it in the end by counting all the ways I could kill Blaise St Clair.’
‘No one will harm a head on that man’s hair,’ Emrick said calmly. ‘He is our guest here, and we will take good care of him.’
‘Guest? You mean prisoner,’ I said bitterly.
Emrick sat at the table and gave me a look of compassion. ‘Right now, he’s staying here for his own protection, and until the Guardians decide what must be done with him. But he’s free to move around the house and garden, and I promise you, he’ll be treated with kindness and respect.’
‘Respect?’ Sirius spluttered.
‘With kindness and respect,’ Emrick repeated firmly. ‘Sirius, there are bigger things at play here than you can possibly imagine. You must control yourself when Blaise comes down to breakfast.’
‘You’re letting him come down to breakfast?’ Harley asked, giving Sirius a nervous look.
‘Ewella has gone to fetch him. Might I suggest we are civil towards him? He’s had a terrible shock and, since he has no memory of his former life, it would be cruel to continue flinging accusations at him when he has no means to defend himself.’
‘And can you please all call him John?’ I pleaded. ‘He doesn’t know who Blaise is, and to keep insisting he’s another person is only going to frighten him even more.’
‘Quite right, Romy.’ Emrick smiled and offered me the teapot. ‘Have a drink and steady your nerves. I promise you, everything will be all right.’
It was odd but somehow I believed him. He had that way about him. Dark eyes that seemed full of mischief and fun one minute, and wisdom beyond his years the next. And that lovely, deep Welsh accent helped. There was something incredibly reassuring about him.
I poured myself a cup of tea then buttered my toast. We all ate in silence until the kitchen door opened and Mum walked in, trailing a terrified looking Johnnie behind her.
Emrick got to his feet immediately and put his arm around John’s shoulders. ‘There you are! Take a seat and help yourself to breakfast.’
He directed Johnnie into the chair opposite mine, and my heart broke all over again as my lovely boyfriend raised his eyes to mine and I saw the fear and confusion in them. How could anyone think this kind, gentle, caring man would be capable of such destruction and selfishness? It didn’t make sense to me.
‘Are you all right?’ I whispered, mindful of the poisonous looks Sirius was shooting him.
He didn’t reply. He merely stared at me, as if silently begging me for some explanation—or, better yet, to make me take all this away.
‘Cup of tea?’ Emrick said, kindly pouring it for him and placing it in front of him. ‘Would you like something to eat? You were asleep a long time. You must be hungry.’
