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“I think I’d know if I’d lived in the north before.”
“Your mother was raised south of the border wall?” he asked.
“Yes, her entire life,” I said, relieved he was beginning to understand.
“And your father?” When he asked this question, it was equally clear that he was challenging me.
“He was from south of the border wall as well,” I responded over confidently.
He quirked an eyebrow at me. “And you know that for certain, princess?”
* * * *
My mother answered her door on the second knock. Her fiery red hair shone brightly in the light of her foyer.
“Mandy love,” she greeted me with her new bubbly personality, the one that couldn’t be further from who I grew up with.
“Hi, Mom,” I said resigned.
My mother eyed Nik suspiciously.
“Why are you so dressed up?” she asked, taking in the full-length silken gown I still wore from the Choosing. “Where’s Cass?” she asked loyally.
“Mom,please. I’ve had such a long day already. Can we just get inside?” I pleaded.
We stepped through the front door, and my mother pointed us toward the living room. She went to the kitchen, grabbed a pitcher of freshly made lemonade, then handed glasses to Nik and me. She filled Nik’s glass first, continuing to eye him with open suspicion.
I inhaled a deep breath, preparing myself.
“Mom, this is Nik. Prince Nikolas Heroux,” I said.
She spilled a little lemonade on Nik’s pants.
“It’s fine,” he assured her, wiping it off.
My mother quickly regained her composure. “Welcome to my home, my Prince. And what brings you two to my door this evening?” she asked coolly.
“Ms. Armand, I think it’s best that Alarie here does the talking for us. In fact”—he looked around—“do you mind if I check out your garden?” he asked, already rising from the over-large recliner.
My mom shook her head, gesturing to the door to her backyard.
My eyes followed Nik’s large frame until he disappeared behind the door. He could have traveled out there. He could have traveled back to the M and just came back for me later. He was being surprisingly…normal.
“Well, Mandy, why is the Prince of Valencia wandering around in my backyard?” my mother asked in a tone that faintly reminded me of being scolded as a child.
I cut my eyes to the windows and saw Nik, the Prince of Darkness himself, eyeing my mother’s daisies with interest.
“Is Jim around?” I asked, not answering her question.
“No, he’s in town picking up a few things for us to have a late dinner. But he should be back in maybe thirty minutes or so,” she answered.
“Good, because I need to talk to you. I…” I hesitated. “I need to talk to you about my father.”
The new cheeriness of my mother’s personality drained away, replaced by the distant coolness I’d grown up with.
“There’s nothing to say about your father, Mand. He was here for a night and then he was gone. And that was a long time ago,” she said dismissively.
She finished filling my glass of lemonade and sat down across from me. I took a sip. It was good, tart and sweet but not too sweet.
