Page 32 of Stone Heart
Rina held backher nervousness as she looked around Rhodack’s office. Solana, her foster mother, stood beside her while they waited to be connected to speak with Rina’s parents. It was still a tough cookie to swallow.
She remembered the last time she’d seen her mother when she’d been a child. At the time, she couldn’t comprehend why her parents would send her away. As an adult, she knew why the best option was to get her out of Faery.
She was the future.
She glanced over at Solana and gripped her hand. Solana faced her and smiled. She leaned over and placed a kiss to her forehead as she had always done. It comforted Rina immediately.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You don’t have to thank me, Rina,” Solana murmured. “It was my pleasure to be your foster mother.”
Rina blinked back tears and nodded. She could never repay this woman beside her.
She turned back to the room as they waited for the connection to be made. Rhodack and a couple of his most trusted gargoyles were in attendance. Her eyes met with his, as if he felt her watching him. He nodded to her, standing in front of the realm communicator.
Memories of their night together rushed forward. Her heart raced at her thoughts of the way his intense eyes had met hers when they’d both climaxed. She bit her lip to keep her body from reacting from the memories.
She was about to meet her parents virtually. She couldn’t be flushed from the memories of having sex with the gargoyle clan leader.
“It shouldn’t be much longer,” Vikuth noted and punched a few keys on the keyboard.
Lights flashed from where Rhodack stood. Two people filled the screen. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the royal couple. They looked just as she remembered.
“Rhodack Gahnoth, you have requested an audience with me and my wife?” the king’s deep baritone questioned.
She’d recognize the sound of his voice anywhere.
Her father.
Her entire human life she had always been told that her father had died when she was a child, leaving her mother, Solana, to raise her alone. She’d always felt as if a piece of her was missing.
Now that the blinders were off, her father was in another realm, having sent her away in order to protect her. She ached to go to them but now she knew she needed to wait until Rhodack signaled for her to come.
“I appreciate you taking the time to communicate with me, Your Graces.” Rhodack nodded to the floating images of the Fae royal couple.
“It has come to our attention that your realm may be in need of our assistance. We’re willing to help you in any way we can,” a soft musical voice announced.
Rina squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of her mother’s voice floating through the air. She swallowed hard to keep the sob from escaping her lips.
Her mother, the queen.
“I appreciate the quickness of your response to help. Something from the Forged realm is here on Earth.” Rhodack’s eyes narrowed on the virtual images.
He was in total clan-leader mode, and she knew that he took protecting the realm seriously. It was one of his reasons for being on this planet.
“Are you certain?” Khantar asked.
“I’m quite sure. Do you know why something from that realm would be here?” Rhodack practically growled.
There was pregnant pause as the room waited for the royal couple to answer. They looked at each other before the queen turned back to the camera.
“There’s someone on Earth that our enemies may be searching for,” the queen began.
“And you didn’t think that the protectors of this realm needed to know that you hid her here?” Rhodack cut the queen off.
“How did you know?”
“It’s my business to know when danger approaches to find out everything. But for you to hide your only child here on Earth and not communicate with the gargoyles is a breach of our agreement,” Rhodack said.
