Page 46 of Set in Darkness
“After you, my prince.”
Chapter Sixteen
After a quick debrief with the king, Verin and Leander parted company with Lucien and Jarryn, leaving the palace to return to the Talius residence in the city.
As the two weary travellers pushed open the heavy oak doors of the family estate, the pair heard the patter of feet on the stone floors racing towards the expansive entrance hall.
“Incoming,” was all the warning Verin gave. Alix and Everly rushed at their father, who bent down and opened his arms to swoop down and catch them in a hug.
Verin staggered backwards at the force of their jump into his arms.
“I missed you!” Alix exclaimed. “I thought a dragon had eaten you!”
“You’ve been gone for three hundred days!” Everly added.
“It certainly feels like that, doesn’t it?” Verin validatedhis youngest daughter’s and son’s feelings with an indulgent smile as he pulled away and brushed Everly’s long blonde locks away from her face, revealing bright blue eyes.
Everly swatted Verin’s hands away with a grimace, then turned to Leander. “Uncle Leo!” She raised her hands into the universal sign for wanting to be picked up.
Leander happily obliged. “Oh, so you missed me too, then?”
“No!” Everly scrunched up her nose as she teased him.
“Huh. Thanks. Did anyone miss me?”
Kira, Verin’s eldest, hadn’t raced to greet anyone in a number of years, had now appeared. “I did. I’ve been having to get up in the mornings because Mother says it is not appropriate for a young lady to lounge about in bed in the mornings and I’ve not been able to cite you as an excuse.”
Verin frowned. “Your mother is quite right. Don’t let your uncle’s bad example lead you astray.”
Leander had a wide smile on his face but quickly capitulated when he saw Verin’s expression. He cleared his throat before saying, “No, I am certainly not a role model.”
“But I’m tired…”
“Then go to bed earlier.” Verin had a distinctly no-nonsense approach to dealing with both Leander and his children.
Kira muttered something under her breath as she turned to walk away.
“What was that?” Verin said as he placed his hand on Alix’s shoulder to guide him through to one of the many sitting rooms.
“Nothing. Love you, Father.”
Verin made a humming noise but made no further effort to correct Kira’s behaviour. He glanced at Leander, with a look that suggested it was all his fault.
The demigod shrugged—she was a pre-teen after all—and followed his brother through to the other room.
The familiar scent of smoke from the hearth and wildflowers picked and sitting on the table greeted Leander. More pleasant, perhaps, the room was alive with the sound of crackling flames and chatter of the family he realised he had actually missed.
Leander’s heart swelled with affection as he hung back, watching Verin insert himself onto the loveseat next to his wife, Aerilyn, as Everly clambered up onto his lap and folded his arms around her waist. Smiling, he met Aerilyn’s gaze as she looked over and gestured for him to join them. He rounded the edge of the sofa and took a seat.
“So how was it, boys?” Aerilyn asked as she rested her elbow on the arm of the love seat and leant her head against her hand.
Verin huffed out a breath. “Tough.”
“Yeah?”
“The village was decimated, the survivors…” Verin trailed off, glancing down at Everly, who was fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt.
The youngest was clearly not paying any attention, but a quick glance told him that Kira, self-aware, and Alix, who wanted to be grown up already, had their full attention on the conversation.
