Page 68 of Family Found

The next thing I knew, we’d all started laughing, and he joined in quickly enough.

I remembered something when Inkiri pulled me close to him. I hadn’t carried my phone on me much lately, but the weight of it in my pocket triggered something else I hadn’t done in a long time.

I stopped. “Hey, everyone, can we all just, like, gather around? I want to do a group selfie with everyone.”

Lissir tilted his head. “Group selfie?”

“He wants to take a picture with us all,” Vergis said.

My guys, Kinnek, and Sonyo huddled close around me, the lawn of blooming flowers in the background, everyone’s horns shimmering in the sunshine. I took a few photos. Vergis wasn’t smiling in all of them, but I decided the best one was the one where he was glaring anyway. That was just so him.

Inkiri was at my side, his indigo eyes bright in the sunlight, and the shot where his hand rested on my scarf, that was the one. I posted it on all the social media that still survived.

The tag was pretty straightforward. My family. It said everything that needed to be said, and I wanted all the world to know.

Inkiri

Rory seemed relieved when we got back to Canada, or perhaps it was my own relief I saw mirrored in him.

By that time, Zeddira was well enough to move around a little. He could have been moved back to Dublin, but I got the sense that he was lingering, maybe hoping he could get my mate to fuss over and take care of him.

But even when he picked a spot on the couch in the big living room, my mate did not seek Zeddira out. I was not surprised. Of course, I had to pay my brother a visit. Two of his servants were with him near constantly, making sure he had food and drink and anything else he might want. It was just them in the living room the day after we’d returned from Dublin.

“You look so much better, Brother,” I said.

I didn’t pull out a seating cushion from the pile at first, but then thought better of it. This was my mate’s House too now, and I could do as I pleased unless my mate or Kinnek told me otherwise. It would do Zeddira well to see that.

“I’m feeling so much better.” Zeddira’s eyes narrowed when he saw insolence and watched me sit without invitation. “Your sentenmen’s healer tells me I should have died.”

“Yes, my mate said the same thing. Which is why he healed you.”

Zeddira smiled. “He’s fond of me. I have wondered why he has not visited me, Brother.”

It was not an accusation, but it was close to one, the way he dropped the polite forms with his servants there to hear it.

“My mate is busy now that he has decided he wishes to live here permanently. He has become a part of House Kinnek.”

Zeddira’s lips pressed tight, and he didn’t blink for a whole minute, which was also how long he stared at me. It wasn’t much of an outburst, but it still satisfied me. Zeddira was always in control, but clearly not where my mate was concerned.

“Has he. Has he indeed. Since you are wearing black still, the new dena of the Dublin Raiken has done the responsible thing and sent his sentenmen to guard him. Isn’t it so.”

None of it was said as a question. Zeddira was seething, but there was nothing he could do, and he knew it.

“It’s what the dena has decided.”

“There will be patrols here to make sure that your sentenmen is enough of the protection your cherished mate deserves,” Zeddira finally added.

“It would be much appreciated.” I stood. “I apologize, Brother, but my mate is demanding. He’s expecting me.”

I stood and put the seating cushion back on the pile.

“We’re leaving here,” Zeddira snarled at one of his servants when he thought I was out of earshot.

I smiled to myself when I came into the kitchen where Kinnek and Charles were talking quietly, Kinnek with a glass of iced tea in front of him.

“I think my brother wishes to leave, Kinnek. Perhaps you can help him home?”

Kinnek smirked. “Didn’t like him being here, did you. Of course. I will see him and his servants safely to Dublin.” He drained his glass. “Back in a bit.”