Total pages in book: 148
Estimated words: 139178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 696(@200wpm)___ 557(@250wpm)___ 464(@300wpm)
“To meet you,” was her grandchild’s patient answer before he tried to lunge at a part of the energy wall that appeared close but wasn’t.
Scowling, he looked at the wall, then at his parents. “I go play?”
Caliane couldn’t bear to let go of his small, warm weight, but when Elena and Raphael nodded, she bent to place the child on the ground. Where he ran off into Amanat—to be immediately accosted by a small brown-and-white pup. Laughter and happy puppy barks sounded, followed by more delighted cries from her people as the news spread.
Do not crowd my grandchild, Caliane sent out to the entire city. But watch over him. His name is Phoenix. Then she turned to Raphael and Elena, and felt her heart crack when she saw how at ease they seemed with having their precious babe wandering her city.
It was the biggest show of trust they could have given her.
Her tears unhidden, she went into her son’s arms as he opened them.
“I’m very glad to see you, Mother.” His voice was gravel, his embrace tight.
“I will never allow it to get to that stage again,” she said when she could finally bear to let him go. “That is a promise I make to you.”
She turned to Elena, went into her embrace. “And you, Elena. You are a mother now, and so I understand that your heart wanders my city. I will cut out my own before ever becoming a danger to him.”
Elena’s eyes shone wet as they parted. “I know,” she said in a voice as emotionally open as Caliane’s.
“Papa!”
Smiling at the call, Raphael walked over to his son…to Caliane’s grandchild—oh, her heart!—while Caliane and Elena followed, walking side by side. “Oh, before I forget.” She took the blade from her pocket to return to Elena.
Strapping it to her upper arm, Elena laughed as, ahead of them, Phoenix argued with his father that they should take the puppy home. “He already has two dogs,” she told Caliane. “Plus two felines of unknown lineage who might as well be canine. Nix is definitely the leader of the pack. I’m sure you can guess who gifted him the original not-housecat.”
“The wild creature who chooses to serve Raphael?” Caliane laughed. “Oh, Elena, I did not ever think of such a waking.” She had no idea how to handle all the emotions pumping through her veins.
Just then, the pup licked Phoenix’s face, and the boy’s giggles took him to the ground. He sat there happily, playing with the wriggling pup, who was overjoyed at having a small friend.
Raphael crouched down in front of the pair, his grin so young that Caliane sucked in a breath. It had been so very long since she’d seen such a smile on her son’s face. “I think I would like Sharine to paint just this scene,” she whispered.
“Hold on.” Taking a slim phone device from her pocket, Elena took an image. “I’ll send it to you so you can ask Lady Sharine for the painting.” Her eyes were soft as she looked at the tableau. “You’re right, you know. About my heart walking outside my body.” A painful poignancy to the words.
And Caliane remembered that Elena’s mother was gone, lost to grief.
Phoenix reached out toward his father at that moment…only to zap him with a bolt of power that Raphael shrugged off with a grin.
Elena groaned. “I don’t suppose you know about that? Raphael said you might. I’ve never heard of a kiddo who accidentally zaps people.”
“I do,” Caliane said with a smile. “Do not worry. If he is like Raphael, he won’t get any stronger while yet a child. And by the time he’s of an age to go to school, he’ll have forgotten he could ever do it.”
“He’s growing up in New York,” Elena told her. “The Legion came to be with him. But I know it’ll be good for him to go to school in the Refuge with other angelic children even if only for a season at a time—we’re still thinking about the logistics of how that’ll work for the family.”
For the family.
Because Caliane’s son had a consort from whom he didn’t need to be parted for long periods. For that, she could feel only happiness. “You can ask me anything,” she said hesitantly. “About raising a strong angelic child.”
“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to wake up,” Elena said with feeling. “I have a long list of questions! Lady Sharine has been wonderful, and so have Keir and Jessamy, but I figure, having raised Raphael, you have the inside track on our boy.”
Throat thick, Caliane surrendered to another wave of gratefulness. Not just because her son had found a woman who loved him so—but that Elena had a heart generous enough to permit his damaged and imperfect mother to be part of their lives. “Anything,” she rasped. “I will tell you anything you wish. If I could, I would relocate to your city so I could watch Phoenix grow.”