“Awhile.”
“Sam.” His voice was flat.
“The night of the date with Todd.”
“Sam,” Mom said. “Why didn’t you say anything? We would’ve—”
“I couldn’t. Okay? I just couldn’t. He’s not mine. He will never be mine.”
“You still should have told us,” Dad said, and I knew he was trying to keep his anger in check. Knowing him, it wasn’t toward me, but the situation. “We could have been there for you. Why’d you keep that to yourself?”
“He didn’t,” Morgan said, throwing himself on the fire along with me. “I knew.”
“As did I,” said the King. “And forgive an old man his selfishness. I wasn’t thinking clearly. Justin had just been taken and I was concerned with his well-being. I never should have asked this of Sam.”
“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have,” my father snapped. “I’m sorry about your son, I really am. And I am overjoyed that Justin’s safe. But this is my son we’re talking about. Not only did you put him in danger, you did so knowing how he felt. Gods, Anthony, if you weren’t the King and if I didn’t respect the hell out of you, we’d be settling this with our fists. Spoiler: you would lose.”
Ladies and gentlemen, my father.
“Dad,” I admonished lightly. “You can’t threaten the King. You’ll be pooping in buckets by nightfall.”
“I don’t care,” he retorted. “I’d poop in buckets for the rest of my life if it meant your heart was safe.”
“Oh my gods.”
“Okay,” he said. “That didn’t come out the way I wanted it to. But I stand by it.”
“Oh my gods.”
“Sam, I want you to listen to me, okay?” the King said. “I’m about to give you a direct order.”
I stood a little taller without even thinking about it. He was my King, after all. “Yes, Your Highness.”
“Come home.”
“Of course. Anything you—wait. What?”
“I want you to come home. Back to Castle Lockes.”
“I can’t,” I said, a small fissure of want bursting within me. Gods, I just wanted to go home. “I have to go to Randall at Castle Freesias. We talked about this.”
“He can wait,” the King said. “I think you need your family more than anything right now, and I’ll be damned if I let a little thing like your magic keep you from them.”
“But it’s not a little thing,” I said. “It’s getting worse. I’m doing things that no wizard should be able to do. Morgan was right to send me to Randall. He’s—”
“Morgan,” the King interrupted. “Is it important?”
“Yes,” Morgan said slowly. “I think it is.”
“And do you agree with me that Sam should be surrounded by those that love him most?”
“Yes.”
“Good,” the King said. “Then make Randall come to Castle Lockes. He can just as easily evaluate you here as he can at Castle Freesias.”
“I don’t think—”
“Morgan. He’ll need to be here, regardless,” the King said quietly.