Page 63 of Clash of Kingdoms
“Where is he?” I pulled away to look, seeing my mother staring at the open gates, waiting for him to emerge.
Then Uncle Ian and Atticus rode in, war-torn and disheveled, but there was no sign of my father.
“He decided to stay behind and honor the fallen and comfort the families who’d lost loved ones,” Aurelias said. “He’ll return with them in a few days.”
My mother rushed to Atticus and embraced him, squeezing him like he was still a boy.
Uncle Ian moved to Aunt Avice and Lila, hugging them both simultaneously.
I missed my father and was disappointed he hadn’t come home, but I was unsurprised by his decision. “I’ll see him soon, then.” I left Aurelias’s embrace and walked over to my brother.
He pulled away from Mother and looked at me, his boyish grin coming through. “Disappointed?”
His question nearly made me sob on the spot. “Atticus…” I moved into his chest and hugged him, gripping him hard, so thankful that my little brother had come home in one piece. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
He pulled away. “We almost weren’t. We weren’t prepared for them to come out of the ground like that.”
I couldn’t even imagine.
“Thankfully, we had our soldiers in front so we had a line of defense for the civilians…not that it lasted long. We lost a lot of people. A lot.”
“I heard.”
“Father is… There are no words.”
“I know.”
He dropped his chin in solemnity. “Uncle Ian told me these things are like cockroaches, come back even after you’ve cut off their head. When I thought it was over, I could accept the sacrifice of so many good people, but knowing it’s not over… It’s fucked.”
“I know.”
“We won’t survive another siege.”
“Father will figure it out. He always does.”
Atticus looked past me, and he seemed to see Aurelias because he looked at me again and said, “Uncle Ian tells me you’re in bed with a vampire.”
“Uncle Ian would never say anything like that.”
“Fine. He mentioned you’re in love with one.”
“I am.” I said it proudly. He’d joined my father in battle to protect him. Accompanied him to the east and kept him alive. He’d sacrificed as much as any one of our soldiers, all because he loved me. “And he’s in love with me.”
“You know that’s weird, right?”
I grinned.
“You could literally have any guy you want, and you go for one with fangs?”
“His fangs aren’t exposed, Atticus.”
“Whatever. He has ’em.”
“If Father is okay with it, then you should be too.”
“It’s not like my opinion matters to you anyway,” he said. “And there’s a difference between being okay with something and tolerating it. Father tolerates it.”
“You just got back, and you want to argue?”