He went to her, stroking light fingers down her arms.“The care and feeding of familiars,” he reminded her softly.“You told me from the beginning that you were high maintenance, so I’m acting accordingly.”
She craned her neck to look up at him in chagrin.“I hope I’m not,really.Probably that’s another way in which I need to evolve.”
“If you were,really,” he returned, gravely mimicking her, “it wouldn’t be nearly so fun to give you presents.Now pick one out and get dressed, or I won’t be responsible for my actions.”He smacked her nearly naked bottom lightly, pleased by her gasp and the immediate heating of her magic.
“That’s not exactly a threat,” she taunted as he removed himself a safe distance from the temptation she represented.
“Hmm.Good point.How about: pick one out and get dressed or no arcanium sex after we get home?”
“That will do it,” she agreed cheerfully, immediately selecting a gown.
They rode thehorses to his parents’ cottage, Vale and Salve pleased for the outing in the balmy evening, dark as it was, the days still short.Gabriel had barely dismounted, turning to help Nic down, when his mother burst out of the illuminated doorway.“Did you find Selly?”she demanded breathlessly.
“Not yet,” he answered, irritated by both his failure to bring Selly home and that she was his mother’s first concern.Nic squeezed his arm in sympathy, then breezed over to his mother, kissing her cheek.
“We brought you some ginger cake,” she said, pressing the package into Daisy’s hands, then putting an arm around her to steer her into the cottage.“We had so much left over from dinner, and it’s best fresh, you know.”
His father rose from his chair by the fire where he nursed a cup of tea, holding out a hand to shake, then pulling Gabriel into back-pounding embrace.“Thank you,” he murmured in Gabriel’s ear.
“GF, do you want cake?”Nic asked brightly.
“I do,” his father answered.“And I’ll show you how to make my special whiskey sauce to put on it.”
“I can do that,” Daisy inserted, moving to do so.
“Nothing doing,” GF declared, affectionately nudging her aside and pointing Nic to the kitchen.“It’s my secret recipe that I’m sharing with my daughter-in-law.No spies allowed.”
“Oh,you,” Daisy fumed, wringing her hands in her apron and looking everywhere but at Gabriel while the other two left them alone in the sitting room.The discomfort between them thickened.
Gabriel could see how this would be up to him.“I’m sorry, Mom,” he offered.
Her startled gaze flew to his.“Whatever for?”
“I should have talked to you right away.I know that all of this has been hard on you.I don’t—” His voice caught on the emotion, and he had to take a breath.“I don’t blame you for hating all the ways things have changed.”
Tears filled her eyes.“I don’t.Not really.I didn’t mean those things I said.”
“It’s all right if you did mean them,” he said gently.“I know I’ve changed, that you never wanted a wizard for a son.Or a familiar for a daughter.”
She wiped away the tears as they spilled over.“I just… I thought our lives would be different.Simpler.It would’ve been enough for me.”
“For me, too,” he told her, waiting for her to see the honesty in his gaze.“But my mother always told me we have to take whatever life throws at us and make the best of it.”
She laughed, a watery sound.“I did always say that, didn’t I?Who knew you listened to anything I said, though!”
“I listened, Mom,” he said.“I still do.”He opened his arms to her, hoping she’d take him up on the offer of a hug.
To his relief, she moved into his arms, hugging him tightly.“Iamproud of you, Gabriel,” she said softly.“And Nic is right: you are still all those things I’ve always loved about you, no matter the color of your hair or eyes.”
His heart thawed from the tense fist it had hardened into ever since he overheard her words to Nic.“You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
“Oh, I know that.”She pulled away.“But you will bring Selly home?”
“We’re working on it.”
“And you will make her normal again?”
He winced internally over the word “normal” but let it go.“We have a lot of people with the expertise to help her.And I’ll do everything in my power to do what’s needed.”