34. Cove

Chapter 34

Cove

Coral, Fawn, and Ivy had arranged an evening meal with the family on the back terrace, clearly waiting for us to return. They were sitting there as we came out of the orchard, looking like an advertisement for something expensive. They waved and waited for us to cross the distance.

Part of me wanted to be annoyed, because this was not them staying safe in case Huxley was the one who came out on top and returned to the house to take over, but also...they had clearly believed in us. Believed that Florian, Frost, and I would succeed.

Well, Florian, Frost, Kit and I.

I smiled at that, looking over at him.

My son. He glanced up at me and smiled back, then ducked his head. “I’m probably in trouble, huh? Dueling for a living and working for Huxley fucking Dawnchaser of all people.”

I snorted, shaking my head. “It’s not what I’d have chosen for you, but I was the one who taught you how to duel. Rain seemed to think you’ve gotten very good.”

His grin at that was cocky. “I’m the best. We should spar. I could show you.”

“I would like that. It’s always a parent’s goal, isn’t it? To see their child exceed them?”

“Only a good parent,” Florian said, scowling at his own father. “But of course you’d be a good father,” he quickly amended.

Huxley scoffed, mumbling something about how I had abandoned my son and he was a fool for being loyal to me, but then he almost tripped on the first step up onto the terrace.

Kit grabbed his neck to keep him from taking a header into the slate stairs and breaking his face, but we all sort of paused at it.

It was the second time Huxley had tripped in less than an hour. A man who, I was certain, had never before tripped in his entire life.

“Already going back on your word to Soz, I see,” Huxley seethed at Florian.

Florian, who stood back and stared at him in shock. After a moment, he shook himself out of it and shook his head vehemently. He turned to me, his eyes round with something near panic, as though I wouldn’t believe him. “I wouldn’t. I didn’t. I’m not?—”

“Love, we know. You wouldn’t even kill him when you had to choose between him and yourself. Making him trip on a stair would be so far beneath you that it’s not even in your mind.” I squeezed him tight against me, and he deflated.

“You’d never misuse a friend like that either,” Frost added. “You promised Soz only good luck from now on. You’d never go back on that. And since Soz is the one who grants the luck, they also know you didn’t do it, because they didn’t do it.”

Coral, Ivy, and Fawn crowded around the top of the stairs, the other cousins and their families hanging back at the table. Behind Ivy were two of the house security guards. I raised a brow at her, and she nodded.

“I revetted the house security this afternoon to make sure we don’t have anyone who would help Huxley on staff,” she said aloud. “I had to let a few people go as a precaution, but most of them were well aware that the whole family is better off without him in charge. These fine people are Harry and Lee, and they’re going to oversee him being put in the anti-resonance cells until we can get the severer back here. Since Huxley’s immediate family is already here, it won’t be too hard to arrange.”

“I don’t think he currently has a proper bond to a stone, but a severing sounds like an excellent precaution nonetheless,” I said, looking over at Florian. “Unless you don’t think it’s necessary, Lord Dawnchaser?”

“It is necessary,” Florian said, drawing himself up, watching his father with nothing but sadness in his gaze. “Soz may have decided that they aren’t going to follow Father’s orders any longer, but they deserve to be truly free of him. If we can make sure he’s never able to bond another stone as well, so much the better.”

At the statement that Soz had abandoned Huxley, one of the security guards sucked in a surprised breath. But really, it was obvious, wasn’t it?

Huxley Dawnchaser was covered in mud, held by zip ties, and had just almost fallen up a flight of stairs. His luck was gone.

“Ah, and Courtney goes with him,” Florian added. “I don’t know about severing him, but”—he froze, staring into space for a moment before shaking his head—“no, she’s willing to stay with him, even though he’s definitely going to prison. She’s hoping he learns from the experience. As long as his stone doesn’t allow him to endanger anyone and she’s willing to stay with him, that’s all fine as it stands.”

Most of the people on the terrace, bar myself and Fawn, blinked at Florian in shock, but I didn’t know why. He was that impressive. Why was it a surprise he’d confirmed with Courtney’s stone that she was willing to stay with him?

“Huxley will be going to either Moonstriker lands or Duskbringer lands for his permanent imprisonment,” I added, nodding to the guards. “He is not being transferred to a Dawnchaser facility. I don’t want anyone put in a position where they feel as though their loyalty is being tested.”

The guards nodded, no hesitation about that, so I wasn’t terribly concerned leaving him in their hands. Still, just to be sure...“Now that Florian Dawnchaser has bonded Soz as well as taken charge of his father’s estates, I doubt there’s much reason to worry, but many of you grew up with Huxley in command, so I understand any hesitation.”

One of the guards nodded, and the other met my eye. “You’re not wrong that it’ll be an issue for some people. For some of us, though, it’s a long overdue transition.” He turned and bowed deeply to Florian. “Lord Dawnchaser. By your leave?”

Florian nodded in return. “Yes, thank you. I understand this is going to be stressful for everyone, even if you do think it’s long past time for my father to resign his position. So please make sure no one has to put up with him for too long, and we’ll get the authorities here to take him off your hands as soon as possible.”

The guards bowed and turned to take Huxley and Courtney away. Courtney was surprisingly silent, likely aware of just how lucky he was to even be alive, let alone retaining his stone. Huxley, on the other hand, started spewing filth aimed at Florian, and when Florian ignored him, at Fawn.

The guards tugged on him, trying to get him away faster, and once again, he almost tripped and fell. Right into the fire pit, funnily enough.

Fawn watched him go, and as they turned the corner to go around the side of the house, she met his eye and stuck her tongue out at him.

I almost fell down laughing.

Kit, apparently her personal champion, offered her his arm and showed her back to the table, where she insisted he sit next to her and introduced him to her cousins as her immortal fox.

They seemed confused until I came over and sat next to him, motioning Florian into the seat at the head of the table as I explained, “His name is Kit, and he’s my son.”

Then they were even more confused.

Still, everyone was grateful for Huxley’s notable absence, and even more for the fact that things were settled. There would still be work to do, of course. Florian had to work with his family, see how many of them had potential to truly be helpful to their own people, and how many were more interested in his father’s way of life.

But for now, we were safe. There was no more doubt. Florian was Lord Dawnchaser in fact, not just by my own decree. He was bonded to Soz, and we could finally start working toward gathering the family lords and figuring out how to stop Mount Slate’s threatening rumbling.

Kit turned and looked at me after the proclamation that he was my son, ducking his head and whispering, “Just like that? No more lying and hiding it?”

I smiled back, and for the first time since what Afton had done, I felt completely free. “What are they going to do about it now? Take you away? Force me to marry Afton?”

He snorted at that. “I’d challenge her to a duel myself before I’d let that happen.”

“You can’t marry Cousin Afton,” Fawn said to me, making a disgusted face. “She’s gross and mean. Besides, you have to marry Florian. Winnie says so. Then Florian can be Kit’s new daddy.” She paused, cocking her head and looking at Kit. “Does that make me Aunt Fawn?”

Kit turned to her, beaming. I’d rarely seen him so happy. “Most certainly, m’lady, if you approve of the title.”

She grinned back, grabbing Winnie and clutching the doll tight to her chest. “Yes! I always wanted to be like Aunt Ivy. Can I get grownup dresses like Aunt Ivy’s too?”

“Of course, kiddo,” Ivy agreed. “That’s the rule. Once you’re someone’s aunt, you have to dress the part.”

And that was that. We were all family.