Chapter 38
Since they had left that cabin, Liri hadn’t gotten much time with Abraham at all. There had been one thing after the next to deal with. Overall, the meeting with her parents hadn’t gone as badly as she thought it would. Now the big worry was that her mother would play detective and end up giving away what was going to happen before they got to do the inspection. They owed Aunt Ama a huge favor. She was keeping her sister distracted by all things babies. The Queen of Solrelm was going to need a holiday after that. Thankfully they were going to do the inspection in the morning, so it was just tonight that they had to get through.
Putting the note on the wall, she backed up and looked at it. A lot of spaces had been filled in with the other realms adding to it, but they were still missing something that was going to break it all open and help them end it.
The links found at the research facility were a dead end. They weren’t registered anywhere, or if they had been, that information had been deleted. Bastian was even more annoyed that all the discoveries of late turned out to be dead ends.
Voices behind her had her turn to see Bastian and Abe standing outside the door, talking. Abe gave her a quick glance, and her insides felt like they were ignited from one simple look.
They came into the room. “Liri, have you heard back from Price Art? About that Sem person?”
Liri shook her head. “Last I heard, he was still trying to track him down.”
“What about Princess Aireese, did she find those fae,” he waved his hand around, “Belford, Florin, and what was the other, Satine?”
“Not yet.” Liri bit her lip. “If a fairy doesn’t want to be found, they won’t be.” She shrugged, “that’s what she said.”
Bastian rubbed his hand vigorously over his hair. “One dead end after another.”
“As much as I don’t want one of your own to be guilty,” Abe crossed his arms over his chest, “I’m hoping we find something in the morning.”
“Like a big neon sign that says traitor would be nice.”
“Bas, I wanted to talk to you about something.” Liri set the note cards down.
He glanced at Abe and smirked. “When she gives you that look, it usually means you’re going to do something that you shouldn’t.”
Liri rolled her eyes. “No, it doesn’t.” she grinned, “and now I can do things I couldn’t before.” It was the truth, being mated to a man from Alterealm, she could walk around all the time with her weapon, go outside, go to areas that she hadn’t been able to before, and her favorite, she wasn’t stuck in Solrelm.
“What are you up to this time?” Bastian crossed his arms and looked at her.
“I want to get some of the women from Solrelm,” she bit her lip, “that don’t want to or can’t have children to help with the safe houses. I’m going to the first one in a few hours that Nova has arranged, and I need women to help me set it up.”
“How many guards are you taking?”
She shrugged, “I wasn’t planning…”
“You need to take guards.”
She glanced from her cousin to her mate, who was nodding in agreement. She sighed. “I could take Riaz and maybe borrow Tor?”
Bastian jerked his chin and looked at Abe. “Work for you?”
“I’ll see if Uncle Raf has a few more to spare,” Abe shrugged, “if I’m not busy, I’ll go as well.”
“I’m hoping you are busy hauling traitors from my realm to your cells all day tomorrow.” He looked at the wall for a second and then spun on his heel. “I need to go check in with Tre and see if it’s all set for the morning.” He glanced back, “Are you going to be there tomorrow, Liri.”
She bit her lip. “I haven’t decided. I want the traitors found, but I don’t know how well I’ll deal with it if we do find them, and I know them.”
“I want to be introduced to the women you select to help with the houses, but it has to be in the next two hours because all hell is going to break loose, and I’d like to spend some time with Nova before that.”
“You’re agreeing?”
“Of course, I’m agreeing.” He held up his finger, “But they can’t tell all of Solrelm yet.”
She nodded. “Absolutely. I know those who want to help and won’t tell anyone.”
Abe smirked at her. “Text me when you’re going over to the house.” He looked around, “and keep your guard with you at all times when you go get the women.” He rubbed the back of his head. “I’ll get Uncle Michael to bring you some stabilizers.”
She nodded, feelings of excitement bubbling through her.
He watched Bastian walk out of the room. “I’d like to go to the cabin tonight before the chaos of tomorrow.” He smirked. “We can discuss where you’d like to call our main home. I was hoping to take you to my house in the city today, but I’m needed everywhere.” He blew out a breath. “I’m sorry we’re stuck with my room…”
Liri hugged him tightly. “Abraham, I don’t care about that. We’re together. The where doesn’t matter right now with everything going on. I don’t care where, just not Solrelm.” Lifting her head, she looked up at him, “We’re going to have to tell Riaz where we are, so he can bring my elixir.”
He kissed her mouth softly. “As I understand, you may not need it anymore because we’re linked together.” He studied her face for a second. “We’ll talk to the doctor and get his take though, so don’t stop taking it.” He kissed her and then released her.
“Abraham?”
He stopped and tilted his head while looking at her.
“Are you happy that we’re mated?”
He smiled. “Ecstatic.” His expression grew serious, “I’ve never felt the peace I do now. Even the memories seem to be manageable.” He stepped over quickly and took her hands, “I spent two hundred years trying to find an explanation or drug to manage them, and apparently, all I needed was little Aliria to fix me.” He kissed her mouth again, “I’ll need another dose tonight.”
She felt her cheek heat. “Yes, going without for too long may have adverse reactions.”
“Mmm, can’t have that.” His smile was wide as he released her hands and stepped back. “Go get your women from home to help and stop distracting me.”
Liri felt like a young girl when he looked at her that way. Biting her lip, she spun around and looked at the wall. “We’re going to solve you,” she waved her finger at it, “and then all the women from home can feel like this.” She nodded and popped open her link bracelet. “I know just the ones to help me.” She was going to have to get Aunt Ama in on this so the woman could leave. Rolling her eyes, she closed the bracelet. “Stabilizers.” She turned around with her hands on her hips and wondered where she would find Michael. She grinned. Lately, he spent a lot of time in the nursery assuring Autumn that everything was fine. She’d start looking for him there. She really needed to get everyone’s phone numbers.
Hopefully, one of the women would be able to port her there or call him. The best place to find one of the Princesses was their girl cave. Her stomach felt like it bottomed out. She blew a breath and stumbled and caught herself on a desk.
Eyes wide, she looked around. She was in the girl cave.
“I guess you can port now, huh?” Princess Bethany was sitting on the other side of the desk.
“Uh,” Liri straightened and checked to see how steady she was, “is that what happened?” She sat down in the chair. Her heart was beating out of control.
“Could have been a worse place.” Princess Autumn got up, “like the roof of the palace.”
“Or a rat-infested condemned building.” Princess Paisley glanced up from her phone and smiled at her.
“Or a snowstorm in Canada.” Princess Kara sighed, “But I can’t get mad about that, or I wouldn’t have Tawny.”
Liri pushed her hair back from her shoulder. “I didn’t know I would be able to do that.”
“The Whitham genes are strong in Abe.” Princess Kinsley laughed, “Emil is going to be thrilled.”
“Hey, babe,” Prince Arius and Abraham walked in, “I need that list again. Leone lost it.”
“Liri?” Abraham gave her a weird look and came over. “How did you…”
“I can port.” She still didn’t believe she’d done that.
“Go with her and make sure she’s got it down.” Princess Paisley suggested, “Otherwise, she’ll be afraid to think like Autumn was.”
Autumn snorted. “I was good, just couldn’t think of the roof for a few days.”
“I was going to go get the stabilizers and thought I could find one of the princesses here, and they could help me find Prince Michael.” Liri stood up.
“First, drop the princess thing. You are family now.” Kinsley stood up. “I’ll go track down Michael while you practice porting.” She glanced at Abraham. “Meet me in his office.”
Liri looked up at Abe; he was smirking at her. “What?”
“I’m just thinking I need to put a tracker on you so I can find you now.”
She laughed.
“Already has one in her porter.” Paisley went over and held out a sheet of paper to Arius. “I think you lost it, so you could come to see me.”
Arius smiled down at her, “Maybe.” He glanced around at the other women. “You’ll have your guards back in a few days; we’re almost done rearranging prisoners.”
“Oh, yay, how exciting,” Bethany rolled her eyes, “I love Mac, but the constant shadow…”
“At least we’ll be able to go places again.” Autumn nodded, “get in on some action.”
“You’ll be up to your elbows in spit-up and diapers soon enough,” Kara told her.
Autumn nodded, “I’m going to check on Rena, and then I should make sure the other things were put in the nursery.” She pulled out her phone, “I need to talk to the doctor too.” She walked out of the room without another word.
Liri sighed and leaned against Abe’s warm chest. This is what she’d been missing her entire life, a family that wasn’t hung up on status and protocol.