Now this man stood in front of my children, his hands on his hips and a frown on his face. “What did I tell you? Has your hearing gone, Rhys Donovan-Quinn?”
I started to walk toward them but Daniel stopped me. He had to stop Dev, too, because my faery prince clearly had the same reaction I did. Neither of us liked the idea of our kids being dressed down by someone who wasn’t their mom or dads.
“Don’t. He’s been their leader for years,” Danny whispered.
“No, sir.” Rhys’s expression had gone stony. “I heard you, sir.”
“Then why did you defy me?” Sasha asked the question on a low growl, his Russian accent thick.
“Because you were wrong, sir,” Rhys replied.
“We had four different dates, and we decided on one.” Sasha loomed over Rhys despite the fact that they were roughly the same height. “We agreed that summer of next year was the most likely date for the return of the royals. We only had enough magic for one attempt at rescue.”
“We don’t need another,” Rhys replied, his eyes coming up. “We don’t need another because we saved them. I know you and the academics and Trent used logic, but sometimes we have to go on feeling, on instinct. I felt them coming. I felt it in my soul. You thought that feeling was hope, but I knew it was right. I accept any punishment you feel you must dole out, but my siblings and Fen are blameless. They were following orders.”
Evan snorted. “As if I would follow your orders blindly. We all agreed.”
Sasha shook his head. “Lee has never followed orders once in his life, and you could not make Fenrir do something he did not wish to do. Even for all the beef jerky in the world. Only Evan can control him.”
“She makes really good jerky,” Fen said with a grin.
All of the kids had relaxed, as though they knew they’d gotten through the worst of it.
“Yes, that’s the reason,” Sasha said with a shake of his head. He put a hand on Rhys’s shoulder. “You followed your gut. You are a true leader, Rhys Donovan-Quinn. I wish you would have fought with me, made me understand, but I also know I am a stubborn ass much of the time. You brought your parents out and you lost no one. You are everything I trained you to be.”
I watched Rhys’s jaw tighten as he fought the emotion that had to well inside of him.
My baby was a man and a soldier, and he seemed to have a wonderful teacher.
Sasha turned and the whole village released a collective breath. “Your Highnesses, you have no idea how happy I am to have been wrong. Welcome to our village. We named it Frelsi, which is Icelandic for freedom. I’m more than pleased to turn it all over to you, as well as the primary care of these soldiers of mine. They are the best, the finest I have ever had the pleasure to train.” He turned to the crowd and raised a hand. “The king is not dead. Long live our king!”
A cheer erupted, and the happy chaos began again.
Sasha strode up and held a hand out to Daniel. “My king, tonight we will feast and drink and celebrate. Tonight is for reunions. But in a few hours, we’ll meet in the great house and I will answer all your questions. Our plight is grave, but the war will turn now. Thanks to your children.”
Daniel dragged the vampire in for a manly hug. “I want to know everything, but I cannot thank you enough for taking care of our kids.”
Sasha bowed his head formally. “It was my honor to do this for you, to have the chance to shelter the children as mine has been all these years.”
Sasha’s daughter had found a family to love and care for her, and he’d paid it back by loving mine. I could see it clearly in his expression and in the way my children looked to him. He might have been their general, but they adored him.
Sasha greeted us all with handshakes and hugs as the villagers started to set up tables and the ale began to flow.
“I must go and inform Trent of what has happened.” Sasha turned to Kelsey. “Would you like to come with me? He’s waited all these years to hear your voice again.”
Tears in her eyes, Kelsey nodded and followed after him, Eddie walking with her and promising to make her as comfortable as possible.
Dev put an arm around me as Daniel moved through the crowd, greeting all of them. “It’s going to be all right, my goddess.”
I didn’t know about that. It wouldn’t be all right until I held my children in my arms again and saved them from ever having to become soldiers at all. Still, I leaned against my husband and let his affection soothe me.