Somehow, we didn’t end up passing a single Fae on our journey through the tunnels and we stepped into the dining hall where a few people were already eating and I spotted Geraldine across the room, carrying a tray of buttery bagels.
I called out to greet her and her head snapped around so fast I was surprised she didn’t give herself whiplash. She released a full pterodactyl screech which made several other Fae slap their hands over their ears in alarm.
I started laughing but then she clapped the back of her hand to her forehead and honest to shit fainted, a cascade of buttery bagels tumbling over her where she fell and burying her alive.
“Geraldine!” Darcy cried out, taking off towards her, but before she could get more than a few steps, a blur of motion appeared and Orion swept her off of her feet, kissing her so hard that it must have hurt.
“You’re back,” he gushed as he drew away again to study her, his eyes roaming over her dress, the half crown and the defiance in her eyes before flicking to me and taking in those changes in me too.
“Hey,” I said with a wave, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach as I looked beyond him for any sign of my big, bad, tattooed asshole of a boyfriend and feeling like some dumb lovestruck girl as my heart began to thunder like a galloping stallion at the thought of reuniting with him.
Seth howled loudly as he ran into the room followed by Max, Caleb, Xavier, Sofia, Tyler and a whole bunch of other Fae who all clamoured to get close to us.
We were hugged, screamed at, hugged again and basically handed around like a pass the parcel as everyone lost their shit over our return, and I was relieved when Geraldine appeared to crush me in her hold and sob all over my dress about how the world had been a dull and vacant place without us in it.
But despite how thrilled I was to be reunited with everyone, there was really only one person I wanted to see, and he still hadn’t appeared.
Gabriel grabbed me next, his entire family dog piling me and telling my how much they’d missed me while Leon whispered into my ear that he was proud to be best friends with the true queens.
“Where’s Darius?” I begged of my brother, unable to hold my tongue on the damn question anymore as I squeezed my nephew tightly in my arms and placed kisses on his cheeks while he giggled.
“We caught the murderer not long after you all left, and I suggested that he take a shift on guard duty last night.”
“Why?” I asked as Darcy made it close enough to us to listen while Orion held onto her possessively, “Who was it?”
“Justin Masters,” Gabriel said with a frown and Geraldine burst into tears beside us which were punctuated with words that I could just about make out.
“I have brought such shame on you, my ladies,” she wailed. “My own betrothed was a snake in your lawn, a tiger in your pie, a worm in your oatmeal!”
“Seriously?” I asked in surprise. “Justin? But he’s such a wet blanket.”
“We caught him covered in blood and there hasn’t been a death since he was apprehended. The plan is to execute him once the Cyclopses get some proof out of his head, but there was a debate over who had the authority to order that seeing as the true queens weren’t here which means he’s become a low priority,” Orion explained and I wrinkled my nose at the thought of having to order an execution.
“But why did you tell Darius to guard him last night? Didn’t you see us returning?” I asked Gabriel as he plucked his son from my arms and tickled him.
“Because I wanted everyone else to get the chance to say hi to you before he steals you away,” he said with a knowing grin.
“You knew they were coming back?” Orion demanded angrily and Gabriel just shrugged.
“Maybe.”
“Then why didn’t you-”
Orion was cut off by the sound of a Dragon’s roar which echoed throughout the entire dining hall and made dust tumble down from the vaulted stone roof.
“Move,” Darius barked, his voice so thick with Coercion that almost all of the rebels fell under the sway of it and got the hell out of his way despite their mental shields. Although maybe they were just terrified of standing before him come to think of it.
My flesh heated as I caught sight of him carving his way through the crowd, a whole head taller than almost everyone and twice as broad too. The muttered goodbyes from my friends barely even registered as my whole world seemed to narrow down to just him and me.
“Leave,” Darius commanded, the Coercion slamming into everyone in the entire room as he threw a hand out and hit them all with a repulsion spell to keep them away too.