Moving back into the bedroom, I nab the thin robe I’d brought in here last night before bed and put it on. While pajamas in general wouldn’t embarrass me to wear in front of Zaid, my tank top is on the thinner side, and, without a bra, that’s just not something I want on display.
It’s quiet as I move through the living area, but as I get nearer to the kitchen, I hear a voice I don’t recognize. I do fully recognize a slight rolling in my stomach, indicating a dark creature is in there, so I come to a halt. I can’t see inside the kitchen, but the voices are clear thanks to my—what did Maddox call them—my baby powers?
“Look at that aura,” the male voice says, a slight hint of disgust in his tone. “Getting lighter every time I see it.”
“No one says you have to come around and see it.” That’s Zaid, tone as dry as ever.
“Got to check in on my boy now and then, don’t I?”
My boy?
Is it Zaid’s father?
My curiosity gets the better of me, and I decide it’s perfectly fine for me to walk in there and get some coffee. I take one step that way but get no farther before a hand is on my elbow.
It’s Carrick, already freshly showered and dressed for the day. He must have been down in the library as he wasn’t in his office when I walked past.
He shakes his head, expression telling me it’s not a good idea to go in there.
Instead, he takes my hand and leads me back into his bedroom.
Closing the door, I complain, “I was just getting a cup of coffee. I can’t wake up properly without it.”
“You were being nosy,” Carrick admonishes. “And you can wait a few moments for your coffee. Boral never stays long.”
“Boral? Is that Zaid’s father?” I ask.
Carrick nods, leads me over to the bed, and pushes me down on it. He follows me on there, causing me to scoot over to give him room, but his eyes remain banked and he merely lays on his side, head in the palm of his hand. “Zaid’s father isn’t someone I want you around. He’s about as bad as Dark Fae come.”
“Really?” I ask, sitting up and turning to face him, crossing my legs. I like a good story. “Tell me everything.”
The smile Carrick gives me is one of amusement and obviously, he thinks I’m adorable at this moment. He indulges me, though. “Boral was summoned in a ritual from the Underworld, which is how most Dark Fae come to the Earth realm. He’s a ravager fae, pre-programmed to lean toward violence and mayhem.”
“Wow,” I murmur. “So, no goodness in him whatsoever?”
Carrick gives a half shrug. “Not really. He does come check on Zaid periodically, but it’s really to get him to return to the fold.”
“Return to the fold?” I ask curiously.
“Come here,” Carrick says as he rolls to his back. He pats his shoulder, indicating I should lay down and cuddle into him.
I study him for a moment, taking in how radically different this Carrick is from the one I met. I never in a million years would have seen this man as a cuddler, yet with every day that passes with this new intimate bond we share, I have a hard time remembering the old Carrick.
I don’t hesitate long. Any chance I can have to press myself into his strength, I’m going to take it.
I lay beside him, put my head on his shoulder, and relish his arm coming around my waist to hold me there.
“Boral is about as evil as they come,” Carrick says. “He was summoned several thousand years ago to the human world and did terrible deeds for hire. I’m talking about murder, rape, raiding villages, and assassinations. He has no moral code. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do.”
“His vibe didn’t seem that dark,” I murmur. “Maybe because I wasn’t close enough?”
“Maybe,” he replies. “But I also think you’re developing a tolerance for it. Plus, you automatically see beneath veils now, so you don’t have to rely on a heavy vibe. But who knows as that’s just a theory. Anyway, the story is that Boral raided a village and fell deeply in love with a Light Fae he met there.”
“Zaid’s mother,” I hazard a guess.
“Yes,” Carrick says with a nod, but by his expression, I can tell this isn’t going to be one of those happily ever afters. “Zaid’s mother was an empath Light Fae named Mala who had chosen to live in the human world because she had fallen in love with a human. They knew it couldn’t work, but because her feelings were tied up in someone else, she couldn’t return Boral’s affection, which angered him.”
“If he is such an evil Dark Fae, can he really even love to begin with?”