Chapter 116 MUNCHKIN MAGIC
WILLA'S POV
The following morning came in a blink of an eye. It almost didn't feel like I had enough hours of good sleep, even though I felt unspeakably comfortable in Gallahan's arms, basking in his warmth.
Or maybe that was why I felt dissatisfied. Because I couldn't bask in his embrace for much longer, all thanks to the twins who knocked on the door at the same time as if they had every intention of bringing the house down.
Their excitement was just buzzing off of them in palpable waves, and I could almost swear it was contagious as I found myself and Gallahan grinning nearly ear to ear.
"We're going today, right?" Calisto asked after swallowing a mouthful of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "Daddy's going to keep his promise today?"
Gallahan shrugged. "I don't see why I can't. Unless, of course, Mommy has some objections."
"I don't," I said, rolling my eyes at him. But the gesture reeked with disgusting fondness that I somehow couldn't keep at bay. "So you better finish your breakfast and start getting ready for the trip."
The twins eagerly scarfed down their food, prompting me and Gallahan to remind them to slow down or else they might choke. But the gentle reminder failed to reach their ears. That was why it didn't take much time for their plates to be emptied and for them to dash out of the scene.
"Make sure the two of you wash yourselves properly!" I yelled after them as their feet thudded quite loudly on the staircase in their utter haste. "It's going to be a nightmare to rein them in today. Please tell me it's going to be a short journey to Moonshire."
Gallahan, who had been stacking the used plates to bring to the sink, chuckled. He then leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss on my forehead.
"Don't worry about it," he assured me as he headed for the kitchen sink, leaving me alone at the dining table.
He then started washing the dishes without caring to elaborate. The sight of him doing this chore almost made me remember our very first fight. The one we had when I found out who he really was.
"I hope you know that given our situation," I said as I gave him a pointed look, "I am not quite sold on the option of traversing different territories with our kids. Crossing Wiltcove Forest is off the table too. It's not up for a debate."
Gallahan scoffed but there was no bite to it. "I know, okay? I'm not too keen about getting seen so publicly with the kids. At least, not right now when creature hunters seemed to be actively pursuing me. So I was thinking... Would you be so averse to munchkin magic?"
"Munchkin magic?" I repeated almost instinctively. But as the question fully settled in my mind, an inkling had already formed.
"Yes." Gallahan nodded, completely nonchalant as his focus remained on the dishes that were starting to be covered in suds. "Zuleika and Maliya are out of the question as of the moment, considering their fight with my Dad. So even if I request help through the beaded bracelet Zee gave me, which I haven't seen in so long by the way, I don't want to put them in a difficult and awkward spot."
"Was the fight so bad?" I asked, leaning my elbow on the table and propping my cheek on my clenched fist.
"Hm. Dad really lost his composure. He can get very..." Gallahan trailed off as if he was unsure of the proper word to use to describe his father. "Disproportionately protective of me. It often feels like his protectiveness borderlines paranoia. But a huge part of me knows it was because of what happened to our family. I'm the only one he managed to protect that night after all. I'm the only one he has left."
"Hm. Is that why he had allowed you to," a hesitant pause, "do what you did back then?"
"Allowed me to do what?" Gallahan prodded with a light laugh. "Form my dear Culling Army and start a war at age eighteen? Yes."
I almost winced at his bluntness.
"My revenge was my purpose for years, Willa. It kept me alive."
The airiness of his tone did not match the gravity of his words. He didn't even seem to notice it as he rinsed the suds away from the dishes. His frame didn't betray any hint of tension or defensiveness, and his movement continued to be easy and without a single falter.
"So ending the war didn't mean much to him either? He just let you?"
"He did."
"Quite the spoiled little prince, aren't you?" I teased, hoping to slightly swerve our conversation back to a lighter territory.
After all, it was only morning, and I didn't want to ruin our day by continuously poking at a wound that was best left to heal.
"I am definitely not," Gallahan denied with mock outrage.
"So dramatic. As expected from a spoiled little prince."
"Anyway," Gallahan drawled, pointedly refusing to comment on my teasing remark. Then, as he began drying the plates, he continued to say, "We have digressed from our initial topic. Munchkin magic."
It almost took my entire willpower not to groan. I had nothing against munchkins, but their magic when it came to teleportation was unstable at its best and unsafe at its worst.
"Do you want our breakfast to come back out?" I asked with a tone that was shamefully close to whining.
It only caused Gallahan to shoot me a grin. "Billie and Mowie are the best munchkins in this continent. It's going to be safe."
"Do we not have any other choice?"
"Nope."
So that was how our little family of four ended up reaching Moonshire in just a few heartbeats. Through munchkin magic.
As expected, the kids and I ended up so nauseous that any stroll around the territory was put on hold for an hour, leaving us to gather our wits and calm our coiling guts to settle down.
But at least Billie and Mowie had been capable enough to teleport us directly to Gallahan's horrifyingly large bedroom in the castle. So we were in a safe and private place to let the nausea pass.
And right after that? It all became a blur of chaos, playing and a whole lot of shopping for the kids.
It was a good day.
Well... Until it wasn't.