Page 101 of Broken Shadows

He pulls away again, tousling my hair. “I hope you’re planning on staying this time. I know I’ve no right to expect it,” he says with an arched, dark brow, “and I know a century is nothing to us, but you could have sent a letter. I’ve missed you.”

My throat tightens. “I’ve missed you too, Dad.” I pause, evaluating his face. He really knows nothing. “We need to talk. I wasn’t in the Human Realm the whole time.”

“We will catch up tonight,” he promises, and grabs a cinnamon bun. “Try this.”

“Uhh.” I pick up the swirl of golden brown and white pastry and sniff it first. “I’m not really into desserts.”

“Please, tell me what you think of it,” he says. “While it’s still hot, and behonest.”

He watches, eyes wide with anticipation, fingers spired together as I bring it to my lips.

The warm dough sinks easily between my teeth, the sugary sweetness subtle with a hint of orange extract, walnut, and vanilla. The filling is perfect as the dough breaks down between chews. “It’s good.”

His shoulders slump. “Good?” He nods his head. “See, I told you it’s missing something,” he says to Evangeline without looking at her, who rolls her eyes to the ceiling.

“I really do like it,” I offer and place the rest back on the tray.

“If it was perfect, you’d have finished it,” he announces. “Hungry or not. No matter, nothing will match up to my original recipe.”

“Wait, is this what you’ve been doing?” I ask, thinking back to Samuel’s comment about him being locked up, working on some ritual. “Baking?”

“Well, how else am I supposed to spend my time?” he asks, glancing toward the window. “The demons do all the grunt work, and your brothers handle their tasks, which, you’ve been slacking,” he says with a waggle of his finger. “No matter. Now that you’re back, I assume you’ll be taking the reins back on your duties?”

“About that,” I begin, “I really do need to talk to you about Samuel and—”

Waving a dismissive hand, he cuts me off. “I don’t get in the middle of squabbles between my children. You can work it out at the ball tonight.” He rubs his hands together. “I love a party, and I haven’t seen Asher, Gideon, Ezra, Lazarus, or Silas in almost as long as I haven’t seen you. They’re always so busy with their duties, always somewhere on the other side of Hell or up to something in the Human Realm,” he rambles, completely unaware that he’s been isolated by the bitch behind him. “I know I can’t force any of you to visit.”

At least she has the sense to look terrified now we’re back and our dad knows it.

“Now, head on down. I know you have guests. I’ve sent them something to wear.”

“Already?”

He nods and grabs his tray. “Come now, Eva. I still need to visit the rest of my sons before the ball.”

She quickly races to his arm as he walks out, cinnamon buns in hand. “Love you, Lorcan,” he says before the door closes behind him. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

I press my hands to my forehead once I’m alone, smoothing out the deep lines forming.

Dad hasn’t changed a bit,I tell Ezra.He found me. Wants us all to go to a ball tonight.

Ezra tone skates through my mind like a current of energy.I just got the invitation. I’m going to go find him in a minute.

No need. He’s coming to find you soon.I pause, adding,He knows nothing. We need to get him alone, to tell him what they did.

He won’t believe us, Lor. You know that because he won’t want to believe it. He loves her and he’ll have to punish Samuel, and you know how he feels about punishment.

I walk out the room and shoot back to Ezra.Then we need to prove it to him. Evangeline was easy to get a rise out of.

Then, that’s what we’ll do.There’s a brief pause.Lor, I’m glad things worked out this way. I know it’s not what you wanted, but we are back together again and now we know the truth. I’m sorry, if I didn’t say it already, for everything I did to you. You always were my favorite.

I hold my breath.What the fuck am I supposed to say to that?

Thanks, probably. Hmmm… perhaps, something nice too.I hear Ezra’s chuckle in my mind.Go to your old room. I’ll meet you there after I talk to Dad so we can plan.

He cuts out before I can answer that I want to see Evie first, but with Evangeline’s spies hanging around, that’d be a disastrous idea, anyway.

I glance down at all that remains of the cinnamon buns—a few crumbs—and wonder how a man in charge of Hell can be so upbeat.

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