Page 79 of Redeeming the Angel

Inside was an assortment of my favorite treats from Earth.A huge bag of Doritos, York Peppermint Patties, Butterfingers, several tubes of Rolos, cans of Dr.Pepper, A&W root beer, and even a bottle of Jägermeister.

“You didn’t have to go overboard like this.”I tried to sound stern, but I couldn’t stop smiling.I turned to my daughter.“And why areyougetting involved?”

Xochitl’s cheeks turned pink.“Because you’re the most important person in the world to me and I want you to be happy.So I made him tell me everything.”

“Everything?”I gulped.I’d never wanted Xochitl to know the terrible things Lucian had said about her before she was born.She’d endured enough hate from countless people in her life.Especially in her childhood.

“Everything,” Xochitl confirmed with solemn eyes.“This man fucked up real bad.But like I told him, if you’re willing to give him a chance, so am I.But only if he steps up on the groveling.He has a lot to make up for.Also, part of this is Uncle Del’s fault.”

“What part?”Delgarias suddenly appeared beside her.

“Yeah.”My eyes narrowed on the man who’d saved me from the Evil One and helped support me during my years on Earth, but who’d also kept plenty of secrets and sometimes failed in being there for me in times when I really needed him.“Which part?”

Xochitl turned to the Keeper of the Prophecy, a faelin high sorcerer who was also the first vampire and the most feared being across two different worlds and glared at him in challenge.“You not only lied to Lucian about my mom’s whereabouts, you also didn’t tell him about the Prophecy and my role in it.And yeah, I know, if he’d come and taken care of me when Earth killed Mom it could have messed up the Prophecy, but still, you could have told him something more helpful and comforting than ‘wait.’And you shouldn’t have fed on him when he’d already been through hell that day.”

It was rare to see a vampire blush, but Del’s cheeks and pointed ears turned red.“I am sorry about that.For all three of you.My duties are so hard sometimes.”

Lucian waved the apology away.“If my blood was needed to help you take care of Kerainne, then I am glad of it.However, I agree with Xochitl that you could have told me something better.Like ‘Kerainne is okay, and she’ll be back in seventeen years and will explain everything.’”

“You would have argued with me until the sun came up and burned me to a crisp.”

“I would not…” Lucian paused and his face scrunched up like it did when he realized he’d spoken in error.“Fine.I would have.”

Xochitl nodded and turned back to Delgarias with an evil smile.“I think you have some groveling of your own to do.”

Delgarias bowed low.“Yes, my queen.”

Despite his solemn tone, the corners of his mouth twitched before he turned around and headed toward the dining room.

Tiana had filled the table with loaves of onion twist bread, and a hearty stew made with elk meat and morel soup.She’d been at it since I arrived back to Zareth’s tower after leaving Lucian’s bed.

“I cook even more when I’m nervous,” my niece explained with a shy smile, not even asking where I’d been even though she’d seen the melting puddles of snow I’d tracked in and my sleep-disheveled hair.

“Why are you so nervous?”I’d asked while taking off my coat.

“Because I’m half-luminite and the Leonine matriarch is my great-grandmother.”Tiana’s sardonic expression told me this should have been obvious.“Xochitl told me Queen Silvara called her an abomination.What will she think about me?”

“We don’t care what she thinks.”I stroked her bronze and copper hair, so like Nik’s.“And neither should you.”

Now, as I sat across from Tiana at the table, I saw that she looked a lot better, sitting between her father and her mate.

“I wish our kitchen had an industrial oven,” she said to Rayven with imploring eyes.

Rayven scowled.“The only reason we’d need one is if we constantly had a lot of company like poor Zareth does now.”

Zareth let out a resigned sigh as he sat on Rayven’s other side like they hadn’t spent a thousand years hating each other.“Speaking of lots of company, I think this meeting with the Luminista royals and delegates should be in Niji.My father’s castle has the infrastructure for large gatherings.My tower does not.But we’ll discuss it during the meeting.”

Xochitl and Lucian sat on either side of me and the warmth that filled me wasn’t only from the stew and bread.Gradually, the others arrived.Beau and Artavian, Aurora and Anthony, Sylvis and Gabriel, Razvan and Jayden, Silas and Akasha with Kiara in tow, and Radu and Lillian.Nik came in last, and after a quick scowl at it not being her turn to sit by her daughter, she took her seat between Delgarias and Gabriel.

I was glad she was finally getting to know our latest Leonine cousin.She’d only briefly met him after her previous two deaths, the most recent one being the time she was informed that she was betrothed to Lucian.From what I’d understood, Gabriel had helped her escape and given her a cloaking spell so the Watchers wouldn’t be able to find her through the observatory spheres.He’d also promised to free me as soon as he could.

Alaine, the blood mage Sylvis and Gabriel rescued, had been taken home by her parents, with promises that the king and queen could visit later to ask her more questions about Qua’ al-fán and Mephistopheles’s plans.Tanis, the freed luminite, had requested to take his meal in his room.My heart ached at the trauma he must have endured for those twenty-six years.I wondered where my parents were.Had they been encased in stone like some of the captives Sylvis and Gabe had seen?Or were they enslaved like Tanis?As if sensing my worries, Lucian grabbed my hand below the table and squeezed it.

Everyone except for the vampires dug into the meal, but even they sampled a nibble of bread and a spoonful of soup, mourning the fact that they couldn’t have more without getting sick.They glared as Radu moaned in pleasure at every bite Lillian took.Every vampire had different powers and Radu’s was the ability to taste what people he’d fed from were eating.I think the mate-bond made it so he didn’t even have to feed from his wife for it to work.Or maybe it was the Mark thing vampires used on humans they wanted to protect.Zareth had been furious at Silas having done so with Xochitl, and so had I until he’d explained why.

When our stomachs were full to bursting, Rayven and the other men cleared the table handled the cleaning, which was a nice to see, even though most of the work was accomplished with magic.

Then they filed out of the kitchen with glasses and various beverages in tow.I opted for the tea Lucian made for now.Afterwards, I’d get into my beloved Jäger.

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