Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77692 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“But again, what good would it do? They went there for a reason, even if I don’t want to understand, I do understand it. They have their duty there, as we do here. Here, I am king over Hallalah, and you are my heir who has already been gone for much too long. Here, your mate needs you to show and introduce her to her new home. And if I’m not mistaken, I would dare say from the way you got her here, that you still have a lot of making up to do for that.”
Those words choke whatever I was about to say in my throat.
“Plus,” he says, jutting his chin towards Fate. “You have a niece to get to know.”
“I missed her crista,” I murmur as I look down at her.
“As your mother and Ila tell it, there will be many cristas in the future for our family.” He chuckles, even if it sounds a little strained.
“Are you all right, Father?” I ask. “With Mother gone?”
“I am not. I have not been without her more than a few days ever. Everything just feels hollow without her here. But when missing her leaves me feeling restless, I just go down to the market and buy her one more gift for when she returns.”
“Mother does love her gifts.” I smile.
“Vabila, I worry about less. She has gone on missions to other planets and is the restless one if told she must stay in one place for too long. And I know she’ll look after your mother and be her constant companion on the journey.”
“Is that your way of saying Ila talks all the time?” I snicker.
“You said it. Not me.”
A knock comes at the door and my father bids for whoever it is to enter.
“Thori, Waliz,” King, Prince, the Hallan says as he bows his head to my father and then me. “I’m sorry to interrupt but we have an issue with some of the human females.”
“I’ll go,” I offer.
“No, no. Stay with Fate. I should go down and introduce myself, anyway. They are our people now, too.”
I nod and my father comes forward to place his forehead to mine.
“It’s good to have you home, Halun.”
“It’s good to be home, Father.”
He brushes the back of his fingers over Fate’s cheek and leaves. I leave a little while later, going to the door of the room Zarah and Luna are in with Selina and Bothaki. I hear laughter coming from inside and a knot I hadn’t even realized was there loosens inside me. I’d hoped Zarah could find peace here. It sounds like she has. Knowing it will be easy for Luna to find her way to my, our, room from here, and that the palace is utterly safe, I carry Fate to my private chambers.
“Sorry I wasn’t here when you were born,” I say to her as I sit right near the window.
She smiles in her sleep. and I think that’s forgiveness from her.
“I’m sure your beam was brilliant in the sky. I’ll have to ask your father to show me every detail about it. Let me hear the fate that was read for you. Obviously, you’re fated to like me more than your boring father, but we won’t tell him that.”
I hear the door softly creak open and don’t even have to turn around to know Luna has found me. Her scent envelopes me. Her presence makes my body feel alive. Her eyes on me sends tingles along my skin. She doesn’t make herself known, though, so I continue on talking to my niece as if she weren’t. I found her look of shock when I talked to my niece after we landed quite hilarious. Maybe, I’ll get to see it again.
“You know, you remind me of how Vabila looked when she was first born. That crescent moon on her forehead, chunky cheeks, black hair that no one could tame. Kind of just like no one can tame her now.” I chuckle. “I was the first one to hold your father and your aunt, even though my parents told me it had to be one of them. I didn’t care, though. I wanted my brother and sister to know nothing could ever come between me and them. That, no matter what, I would always protect them. That I was the only one allowed to push them around. No one is allowed to push you around, though. Not even your parents. If they try, you come tell me.”
“I don’t think Bothaki or Selina will be too pleased to hear you say that.” When Luna finally speaks, there’s humor in her voice.
She comes over to me, and when I look up at her, I don’t find shock this time, but a soft look in her eyes as she watches me hold Fate.