Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 122946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 615(@200wpm)___ 492(@250wpm)___ 410(@300wpm)
“Why are you still here, Theseus.” From the tone of her voice that was not a question but a warning.
“I was just leaving,” Theseus replied, clearly understanding. He turned to me and kissed my forehead.
I nodded at him, so he could go, but he didn’t walk toward the doors before saying, “She may be thirsty again.”
“Have I ever allowed any of my children to starve, my son?” Rhea questioned, gracefully stepping down the stairs.
“Never.” He smirked, nodding to her once and turning to me, giving me one more look before leaving.
When he was gone, Rhea let out a small huff of annoyance.
“Hello, Mother. How are you? Forgive me for ignoring you these last two days upon returning home after years.” Rhea mocked before she looked at Melora and Atarah. “Would that have been too much to say? Instead, he is concerned we will mistreat Druella in his absence.”
“In his defense,” Melora replied, stepping beside me and taking my arm. “Ulrik was very much the same with me in our first year as mates. You were not so angry with him.”
“He had good reason to be worried,” she said back. “You were the first to mate one of Sigbjørn’s sons. He did not know how our family would accept you. Theseus is the last. He should know I am not the evil-mother-in-law type.”
Could have fooled me.
“You had Arsiein hide everyone from Druella the moment she stepped inside the room. That is a bit evil.” Atarah giggled.
Rhea’s eyes zeroed in on me. “Did you believe me to be an evil mother-in-law?”
Melora and Atarah also turned to me, waiting for my answer. I glanced at both of them from the corner of my eye, hoping they’d give me a clue as to how to respond. But they brought their poker faces. Fine. I’d tell the truth. “I was thinking less of an evil mother-in-law and more like a helicopter mom with a dash of overally judgmental mixed in?”
There was silence.
Melora and Atarah eyes began to go wide.
Rhea’s delicate eyebrow rose as did her whole face as she lifted her head.
The silence was so loud that I opened my mouth to say something, anything to get past this moment; however, Rhea snorted—like actually snorted, having to put her hand over her mouth as she burst into laughter. When she laughed, she looked so warm, not like the graceful, daunting, and all-powerful Lady Thorbørn, but a tender mom.
“You have given me the best answer,” she finally replied, placing her hand on her chest to calm herself. “When I asked Melora, she lied. Atarah began to sink into the floor. She so badly did not want to answer. Your honesty is refreshing.”
I looked over to my left. “You sank into the floor?”
“It was just my feet!” she said defensively, not understanding that I was more surprised that she could than how deep she went.
“Your ankles were in, too,” Melora added.
“Sorry, I can’t lie as well as you,” Atarah pouted.
“It is nothing to apologize for; it’s a gift.” Melora winked over at Atarah, making her roll her eyes. “Besides, you enjoyed my answer the best; didn’t you, Mother.”
“As I feared.” Rhea walked over to us. “Ulrik’s delusions have corrupted you as well. Spending so much time with only your mate can make you start acting like them, too.”
“Is that true?” I questioned. “Or are you just trying to make me spend less time with Theseus, so he can hang out with you, too?”
Melora and Atarah held back chuckles, both of them now linking arms with me. Rhea’s icy glare returned.
“What are you two laughing at? Take her to the library alre…” Her voice trailed off, and I didn’t wonder why, because we all smelled it.
Blood.
And the very same door Theseus had left through opened. Pelopia—her face as stark and grave as last I saw her—came through, her attention on Rhea. “My lady, it is the Wiccan Thimble. He is gravely injured and demands an audience immediately.”
Rhea looked at Atarah. “Call everyone so they can hear. I have a feeling this will need the whole family’s attention.”
Atarah was already pulling out her phone, while Rhea moved to the door.
“Why must there be so much chaos this week?” She sighed to herself.
“Come.” Melora nodded for me to follow them.
Rhea stood in front of all of us as we stepped out into the receiving hall. Once again it left me awed—the perfectly polished mosaic tiles on the left and on the right rows of larger than life statues, underneath the skylight directly above us. The sunlight cast a rectangle of light directly on top of an older man with grey-brown hair and olive skin. His suit was ripped, torn, and blood-stained. The wound on his forehead bled over his eye, and the worst of his injuries was his left arm which hung uselessly. It was clearly broken, and the discoloration of his skin was almost purple. It had to be infected with something.