Page 2 of Dragon in Denial
And he wasn’t about to ask.
After long moments, she sniffled and released him, quickly turning away as she swiped at her wet face. When that apparently wasn’t enough, she turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her cheeks, patting them dry with a kitchen towel before facing him again.
“Gods, how you’ve grown,” she said, taking on her normalmamápersona. “Look at your arms.” She patted the bulges in his bicep while her gaze skimmed up and down his body before settling on his face. “But you’ve aged more than you should have these past ten years.”
Actually, the aging had occurred before he’d left this place, but tragedy did that to a person. Especially if it was a tragedy that should never have happened.
“You look as beautiful as ever though,” he responded. It was true, although she, too, looked older than she probably should for her age.
She patted the scarf wrapped around her hair and rolled her eyes. “Sit. Let me make you something to eat.”
He didn’t protest. He had anticipated this part, at least, would happen. His mother fed people. When she was angry, happy, sad, stressed out, it was how she dealt with, well, life. Or death.
In no time at all, a bowl of steaming jambalaya was placed before him, along with a pint glass filled with dark beer. He chuckled as his mother lifted a second glass to her lips and downed half of it before smacking her lips and seating herself in the chair across from him.
“I don’t know what to do,” she said while he ate. “I have so many questions. But will you answer them?”
Depends on what they are about.“What sort of questions?”
“About your life since you left. Where did you go? What are you doing now? Are you happy?”
These he could answer. Mostly. “I went north. Ended up settling in a colony in the Detroit area.”
“Settling? With a girl?”
“Not that sort of settling.” He shook his head. No girl. At least not one he’d ever been serious about. As far as he was concerned, that would never happen. Penance since he hadn’t been able to save his sister. And besides, love—or Eulalie’s belief that she was in it—was partially to blame for her death.
The rest of the blame fell squarely on his shoulders.
“The reeve up there hired me to remodel his home. Started referring my services out to the rest of the colony. I enjoyed the work, the people, so I stayed. We have a new reeve now, and he recently asked me to turn the bedroom next to his own into a nursery.”
After I return from completing this task.
No, Talia wasn’t pregnant, but Gabe had figured this assignment would not be easy or quick. And maybe he was worried that Ketu might not want to return after visiting his home, his family.
That won’t be a problem. There are too many memories here. I can’t stay.
His mother nodded and sipped at her beer. “I am glad you are content.”
Content, not happy. He didn’t miss the subtle difference in what she asked earlier and the way she phrased it now.
“So what brings you back after a decade of running?”
There it was. His mother hid her tears but nothing else.
And he didn’t bother to deny what she said. Especially since it was true. He sucked in a breath, let it out slowly, before responding.
“I’ve been sent here. My reeve wants to stop the distribution of dragon’s blood.”
Her eyes widened. “Why you?”
Shaking his head, he said, “Gabe doesn’t know my family history. But he knows that I’m from here. He made an assumption that I would be the best choice to return and see to the task.”
That had been a hell of an awkward conversation. Gabe had questioned him about his hometown, his life while he’d lived here, and he’d told him as much as he could without bringing his sister—or her death—into the discussion. What Gabe didn’t know was that Ketu had started paying attention to the dragon’s blood trade too late. He hadn’t been able to save his sister.
He’d failed her.
He wouldn’t fail his reeve.
