“You already almost did. Twice.”
Skalla fully faced me.
“I am sorry for that, Wylfrael,” he said, and I could hear the honest regret and pain in his words. “I am endlessly thankful that I was not successful. I would have come to Sionnach, to see what became of you, but I have not been able to tear myself away from Suvi, especially now that she carries my babe in her belly.”
“I am just glad you and I are both alive. And Suvi, too. I admit, I feared I’d find something very different here today. Torrance will be glad to hear the news. All the women will be. They are all together, safe on Sionnach.”
Skalla smiled, stretching his snout.
“And that news will make Suvi happy. I would take her for a visit to Sionnach, but I find myself concerned about bringing her through a sky door while pregnant.”
“Perhaps I could bring some of the other women here to see her?” I suggested. Skalla’s grin widened.
“Yes. Bring them any time. Suvi is healthy, but even with me here, I fear that she grows lonely. Being around her own kind, especially as the birth nears, would do her good.”
“Then it is done,” I promised. “I will bring them as soon as they wish to visit.” I doubted that would be long. As soon as I told them of their friend, I was certain they’d all be clamoring to come see her, Torrance at the front of the line.
“We will look forward to it,” Skalla rumbled. “Will you stay and take a meal with us, or will you return to Sionnach now?”
“I will go now,” I said. “I want to get back to Torrance.”
Skalla was already heading towards the palace, no doubt feeling the exact same way.
“It is good to see you, Wylfrael,” he called as he stepped into the shade of the pavilion. “Until we meet again.”
I took off into the air. But when I opened a sky door, it was not to Sionnach.
I had one more world to visit before I could finally go home.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR Torrance
Wylfrael was gone so long I started to panic. I tried not to show it, and threw myself into readying bedrooms for my human friends with Aiko. But soon enough, all that work was done. The sun had set hours ago, my friends were tired, and they collapsed into their new cushy beds in various rooms in the castle.
I wanted to stay with them. It had been so long since I’d seen any of them, and I knew we had so much more to talk about. But every minute that passed without Wylfrael made me feel like crawling out of my own skin. With a weakly uttered, “Goodnight,” I headed back for the room I shared with Wylf in the Eve Tower, hoping that I’d maybe find him there.
I didn’t.
I paced the room, digging my fingernails into my palms, trying not to imagine what might have happened to him. Skalla had nearly killed him twice before. Why had I let him go? What if Suvi was gone, and now Wylf was, too? What if I’d sent him into a deathtrap, and I’d never see him again?
Would I even know? Would I feel something, if he died? Or would I be forever left wondering if he was out there, somewhere, hurt, bleeding? Dead, with no one to mourn him but me?
I was on the verge of full-blown hysteria when the door to the room opened. I jumped like a frightened cat, my heart skittering and making my chest ache the way it still often did.
“Wylf!”
If my husband hadn’t been a stone sky god with a body akin to a brick wall, I would have toppled him. I leaped onto him, wrapping my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck, and kissed him all over his face, planting my lips messily in between shaky breaths.
“Hello, beloved,” he murmured. The next time my mouth passed near his, he captured it, sliding his tongue inside until I moaned. I tugged at his vest, his hair, desperately drawing him closer, reminding myself that he was here, strong, safe, alive.
But was Suvi?
I drew back from the kiss.
“What happened? What did you find?”
Wylfrael placed one more soft kiss on my mouth before answering.
“She is well. She is healthy and with child. Skalla’s child.”
My brows shot upward.
“Holy shit. So he’s...”
“He is sane. His mate-madness has abated. She is being well taken care of, and you or any of the other women can visit her whenever you like.”
“Can we go tomorrow?” I stammered, elation coursing through me. This was the best fucking news I could have ever gotten. She was safe. And pregnant! Oh, my God!
Wylfrael chuckled, and the sound went straight to my groin.
“I thought you might say that. As long as you’re feeling strong enough, I’ll take you tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, kissing him again. “I’m so glad you’re alright. You were gone so long, and I got worried.”
“I was gone so long because I had one more place to go before I returned. I have something for you.”
I wiggled down his body, feeling a hot thrill at the swelling at his crotch as I did so. I landed on my feet, and noticed for the first time that he had something in his hand. It was a tube, about three feet long, with spindly extensions poking out behind him.
No... it can’t be...
“Is that...” I couldn’t finish the question. Tears closed my throat.
“Cursed skies, I hope it is,” Wylf said. “I certainly flew over enough houses that looked like the one you painted.”
I took the telescope from Wylfrael with shaking hands, sliding my fingers down and opening up the tripod of its stand. Muscle memory made it all so easy, and I half-laughed, half-cried when my finger brushed the sticker I’d put there on the eve of my twelfth birthday. Property of Torrance Hayes, printed on my dad’s label maker.
“How?” I stood the telescope up, and almost couldn’t even see it through the tears.
“You showed me where you lived on that map. And drew your father’s house.”
“Um, excuse me, my art sucks!” I cried, whirling on him.
“Well, I wouldn’t like to diminish any of my fair mate’s qualities, but I will say that the lack of accuracy in your paintings hindered me a little.”
“A little! You must have had to check a thousand houses! Oh, my God, you didn’t go inside them, did you?”
Now I was picturing him, like some hot, alien Santa Clause creeping into unsuspecting Canadians’ houses.
“No, no,” he said, chuckling. “I merely flew close to them. Any houses with people living in them I knew were not the right ones. I found one that I thought could be the one from your drawing, and when I got close, though the scent was very faint and muddled, it smelled a little bit of you.”
I wanted to hug my telescope, though it wasn’t very huggable. So instead, I hugged Wylfrael again.
“Thank you. I can’t tell you what this means to me,” I said, voice trembling. I sniffed hard, trying not to cry.
Wylf dipped his fingers to my jaw, tipping my face upwards. I let myself fall into his blazing blue eyes, feeling, for the first time in a long time, that things were starting to turn out alright. We didn’t know what the hell was going on with the council, but we were alive. We’d survived and were together, we’d found my friends, we knew Skalla and Suvi were alright, and we’d be able to check on Marta soon, too.