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“You freely admit you abducted my granddaughter?” Grams asked, her voice deceptively sweet.
Taneisha stopped spinning, her attention fixed entirely Grams. “Yes. Well, at least this one time. The time with all of them before wasn’t an abduction because Sera went willingly. And I will not apologize, not for any of it. I felt it was necessary to bring her to faery so she’d find her way,” Taneisha rattled on. She straightened her shoulders and tossed back her head, determination glowing in her eyes. “I suspect you know why.”
I’d become unaccustomed to anyone else daring my Gram’s temper, and I found it refreshing to have someone other than me calling Ms. Dara Lowe’s bluff.
Grams frowned, sparing a glance my way, but then simply sighed. “Yes, I suppose I do.”
Taneisha nodded. “Indeed. Your granddaughter is extremely powerful. Lady Alia, if I may, the Summer Court would be wise to acknowledge her heritage.”
Lady Alia’s grave attention turned to me. “Do you seek to claim a place at court?”
“Woah,” I held up my hands. I wasn’t even used to spending time around the supe community, and I imagined the fae courts to be about a zillion times more political. No! No, thank you! “Respectfully, Lady Alia, I need some time to process these revelations.”
“That’s some wisdom, child. If you change your mind, you know where to find us,” Alia replied, then turned to Vedreel. “Now, let’s go see what other surprises this cave has in store for us.” She then motioned to her guards. “Come, we have a beast to manage.”
“My beast and I would love to assist,” Vedreel replied, bending deep at the waist towards Lady Alia.
Miriss whined, but Vedreel tsked. “Now, now, Miriss. It’s just a little dark.”
By Miriss’s frown, I assumed she didn’t agree, yet she followed Vedreel all the same.
The fae headed down into the cave and I was glad to not be going with them this time. I looked around at my mates, who’d been conspicuously quiet, and something clicked. “Speaking of abductions... Grams, are my guys here with you to help you find me, or did you abduct them?”
Grams took a long breath in and then paused. “Can’t it be both?”
“This seems like a private family matter,” Ray said, deftly interrupting us. He held out his hand to Taneisha, and she practically leapt into his arms. “Shall we take our leave?” he murmured to her.
Taneisha flicked her fingers and summoned a portal, pulling Ray along behind her. I thought I spied The Chillax Center through the surface.
“Peace out, supes. Catch you later!”
“I wish you all well,” Ray added, their portal winking out a moment later.
Franc ran his hand through his hair. “Always going for the dramatic exit.”
I chuckled, but then remembered why Taneisha and Ray had scampered away so quickly, and turned my focus back to Grams.
“Grams, what were you thinking?” I crossed my arms. “You can’t just force my guys to do your bidding.”
“We wanted to come,” Emrys said, but I raised a palm to cut him off, silently communicating that this was a conversation between me and my grams.
Gram’s expression softened, and she looked at me with understanding. “Oh, little one. I understand why you are upset. I wanted to protect you and keep you safe. I certainly never imagined that I would be capable of taking such drastic measures.”
To their credit, Gram’s guards didn’t laugh or smile, but one of them, I thought his name was Erebus, did arch a brow her way.
“Never imagined?” I repeated back to her, my tone mocking. I sighed. I was still angry, but I also understood where Grams was coming from. She had done what she felt she had to do to protect me, and my mates were all safe, so perhaps I owed her a pass this time?
“Fine. I forgive you, Grams. But please, no more secrets. Okay?”
Grams nodded. “You are right, granddaughter. I should have been more honest with you about your heritage. I apologize for that. But I also believe it was a necessary risk. We never knew what, if anything, would surface from your birthright.”
I sighed. I was still frustrated, but I also understood where Grams was coming from. She had done what she felt she had to do to protect me.
“I might not agree with your choice, but I can understand it.”
Grams nodded. “No more secrets, I promise.” Grams looked at my guys, one at a time, before her gaze narrowed on me again. “It seems like I’m not the only one keeping secrets today. Anything I should know about what happened between all of you on your fae-bound quests?” she asked me.
Not my guys. Me. I knew what she was asking.
