ex

is son. So it was no surprise he was already waiting, at the top of those stairs like he'd been standing there for hours

even made it through the front doors. I could feel her te

introduce her, and disappeared back inside without waiting for a response. T

d-linked, "him tyi

set. "He could try, but I'm not the s

longer before turning my attention back to Ivy. She looked like sh

y?" I

glancing warily up at the doo

said. "It's been like this

nt to be th

She had enough weight to car

, stepping in like he always did whenever I couldn't find the right words. "I think we sh

her eyes, sharp enough that some protective instinct in me want

ing her hand. "Ever

lling her to believ

nutes," my father's voice thundered through the mind-link,

e a guest," I repl

n Goddess herself." He snarled

nd and hooked her arm through mine, and to

and uneven, loud enough that it took real effort not to react to it. She was doing her bes

or and gently unhoo

back in a moment." I offered a small squeeze to h

urn around and walk down the long hallway toward my

thing would be fine, but Max paced restlessly under m

ady curling into fists at my sides. The old ur

e understands," I

rged. "You know your father. He'll drag you i

d never been what anyone would

imes before pushi

ion carefully blank in the way he always did when he was working hard to keep his

r behind me, and crossed the roo

to meet mine, eyes

ding the last couple of months?"

t warriors after me more than once I'd barely managed to slip past them each time, and he had the audacity to as

ner of my eye, and my g

e stepped closer, one hand pressed to

sight of me left something raw and aching in my chest. She looked ti

hesitate she stepped straight into them, and I held her

s hand against the desk hard enough to rattle th

er than I'd heard it in years. "My son is home. That's a

h. "I'm not staying. I came to tell you both

ly trembling this time. "You cannot just walk in here and

e leveled and controlled

ng around the desk now, closing the distance

meet him face to face. "You'll cut my inheritance off?" I tilted m