Page 65 of Forgotten Arcane

“I’m so sorry that I left and didn’t keep in contact with you,” I reply.

She is owed an apology, but I really hope that she doesn’t ask for an explanation because that will lead to the story about the cell, and I don’t want to relive that. I don’t want to tell that story, I’m not really sure that I can.

Scratch that, I know that I can’t.

She squeezes me tightly, “I’ll have none of that. It happened. It's in the past. All that really matters is that you’re here now.”

I smile, and she hugs me tightly again.

“Mom, I know Neith’s always been your favorite, but you could at least pretend that she’s not for a minute and give me a hug too?” Evander teases, and Calia grins.

She pulls him into a tight hug and then goes around and hugs the others, too.

When she gets to Coen, she says, “It’s about time you came home.”

Coen’s eyes lock on mine while she pulls him into a hug just like the rest of us, and it’s obvious to see how much her words have affected him. I smile softly in response.

“Right, come on,” Eamon says as he leads us back into the house, “I think we should probably have that conversation before we start cooking.”

“Eamon’s right,” Calia agrees. “We’ve got a little bit of time before we have to start getting things ready.”

Van nods, “Yeah, I think it may be best to get it out of the way.”

We all follow them inside, and I inhale deeply as we walk through the doors. There’s nothing quite like the smell of home, and this place was my home for a good few years before I left. I grew up here, and it’s the only childhood home that I have known.

Sure, living here came with a few complications. I wasn’t a supernatural, and I was living in the big house with the leaders of the compound, and they actually liked me and treated me as if I were a part of their family, and while almost all of the adults that lived on the compound were absolutely fine with me, either because they weren’t assholes, or I now suspect it was because they were more than aware the Calia and Eamon were actually their King and Queen, the kids weren’t so nice.

I had quite a few problems with them, after all, kids can be damn cruel. It calmed down for a bit, but as soon as the girls started taking an interest in Van, there was a whole new set of problems. To be fair, by that point, I was oldenough that it didn’t bother me, and I actually found it more amusing than anything else.

Don’t get me wrong, there were times when it got too much and I wished to be anywhere but on the compound, but those moments were few and far between. Plus, I have always had an instinct for protecting myself, so it only took them a couple of times to try to jump me, and me taking down a good few of them in the process, before they gave up with that and just used barbed words instead.

For the most part, living here was good, and I never felt like I was unloved or unwanted. Quite the opposite actually, and when I left, it didn’t take me very long to want to go back home.

Unfortunately for me, by the time that I realized that I was in way over my head, and in far more trouble than I thought I was, it was too late to go back to the compound and to ask Calia and Eamon to help me.

I was actually caught on the way back here, and I can’t help but wonder just how different everything would have been if I had made it back here instead of being kidnapped and tortured for years before Coen and Dimitri saved me.

I bet that I would have met the guys a lot sooner than I did. I may not have found Betty though, and definitely wouldn’t have known Dimitri, especially since Coen never took the guys to the Keep, at least that’s what I’ve managed to put together from what has been said.

No, I’m glad that everything has worked out the way that it has.

Calia leads us all into the office that she and Eamon share, and we all take seats.

Van looks at me, “Do you want to start?”

His question has his parents' eyebrows rising with curiosity, but they refrain from asking any questions just yet.

“Actually, you go first,” I reply to Van.

I know that it’s been driving him mad that his parents are royalty, and he never knew.

Van nods. He turns to his parents and says bluntly, “So, you’re royalty and so am I.”

His parents smile, expecting the blunt way that Van asked the question, although there wasn’t really a question in Van’s words.

“Yes, we are, and we also know that Sully has already told you why we didn’t tell you,” Eamon replies.

Van nods, “Yeah, and to be honest, I get it. I understand why you didn’t tell me when I was a kid, but I’m not anymore, and it would have been nice to have been told about it.”

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