The one watching me focused on Cassie as she knelt down and started wetting the baby’s hair.
“He doesn’t like water in his face,” the little girl said.
“Exactly,” Cassie agreed. “We have to be careful. We don’t want Caden to be afraid of bath time.”
All the fey watched raptly as she bathed the boy first then the little girl. It didn’t take long before the little boy was wrapped in a towel and handed off to the fey who’d carried me and the little girl was delegated to the man beside the tub.
“I want six braids this time,” she said, looking him in the eye.
“Is that how we ask, Lilly?” Cassie asked.
“Papa, may I please have six braids?”
She was adorable, and I ached as I watched him nod in agreement. My gaze shifted to the little boy. He and the fey holding him were staring just as raptly at one another. Then, the little boy reached out, took one of the fey’s braids, and stuck the leather-wrapped end of it into his mouth.
“He is hungry,” the fey said, looking at Cassie. “May I feed him?”
She pried the braid from the boy’s grasp. “He’s not hungry. He’s tired because he was up way too early this morning. Come on, you. Let’s get you dried off and put you down for a nap.”
With longing, I watched her and the baby leave.
“Feeling better about the situation?” Brooke asked softly beside me.
I understood what she was asking and what Cassie had been trying to do by letting me glimpse this little slice of domestic bliss. However, I’d already known the fey loved children. Who didn’t love kids? It was what the fey did with the adults that gave me nightmares.
“I just want to trade food for these baby clothes and go home,” I said carefully.
“I will trade with you,” the fey who’d carried me said.
“That’s great, Azio.”
Azio. I needed to remember that. Azio. Azio. Azi—
His gaze met mine, and my mind went blank.
“If you don’t mind, Solin and I will tag along to your house, okay?”
The fey grunted, not looking away from me. His pupils narrowed. My throat started to close, and my heart started to race.
Brooke turned me and nudged me down the hall.
“What kind of food are you hoping for?” she asked. “If Azio doesn’t have it, I’m sure some other fey will.”
Clinging to the change of subject, I took a steadying breath.
“Anything really. Neither Bram or Bobby went out on a supply run today.”
“Why didn’t Wayne go?”
“He’s cutting wood like he always does.”
“Right.”
Not liking her tone, I gave her a sharp look.
“That was rude of me. I’m sorry. Your husband. Your business.”
We left the house in silence, and I’d almost forgotten about the two fey trailing behind us until Brooke asked Azio which house was his.