Page 23 of The Night Prince 6

Finley felt a vise suddenly tighten around his heart. His head snapped towards Rhalyf, but the handsome elf had eyes only for his sister and there was no love in them.

“Oh, goodness, I thought we’d never get back,” Shonda said as she and Michael came over with plates of barbeque in one hand and frothing beers in the other. “So many people to talk to and catch up with! Really, we should host more parties like this to truly get to speak with everyone.”

Michael helped Shonda settle down on the bench beside Finley before seating himself opposite her next to Rhalyf. “You’re not wrong. And the grub looks pretty good, too. Gemma is going to be disappointed that she missed this.”

“Where is Gemma?” Rhalyf immediately brightened at the name of his little sister.

Shonda met Michael’s eyes before letting out a sigh. “Though she claimed she was going over to a friend’s house after school, we’re pretty sure that she went out unicorn hunting.”

“Unicorns?” Rhalyf’s eyes widened. “Goodness, she does know that they can magically sense people nearby and avoid them? They’re terribly shy creatures and avoid nearly everyone.”

Shonda shrugged. “Well, I don’t think that would dissuade her. She’s loved them forever.”

“Her first stuffed animal was a unicorn,” Michael explained as he tucked into a rib with an appreciative groan as he chewed the tender, caramelized meat.

“She begged me to buy this terrible book where a photographer had glued horns to horse’s heads and claimed to have captured photos of them in the wild,” she sighed again, but it was fondly.

Finley was frowning. “Gemma would know that if she were to have even the slightest chance of finding a unicorn she’d have to leave the dome.”

Another, much longer sigh from Shonda as she started buttering one of the rolls on her plate. “Yes, we are aware. Very aware of that. But we can’t… we can’t ask her to live her life only under the dome.”

“Instead of her home, it will become a prison,” Michael muttered as he set down a rib bone now stripped of all meat. “There is danger, but–”

“The area around Tyrael is very safe,” Rhalyf quickly chimed in.

Finley wondered if he were casting a spell right there and then to locate her. And that must have been exactly what he was doing, because Rhalyf’s head suddenly shot towards the tent opening where Gemma and Darcassan, of all people, suddenly appeared. Her bright eyes scanned the room and immediately landed on him and Rhalyf. She brightened and hurried over with a very reluctant Darcassan in tow. In fact, Darcassan looked to be trying to convince her to leave the tent. But just like she had with Finley in the Athenaeum she had Darcassan by the hand and was pulling him after her like a kite.

A very reluctant kite. But it’s strange he would be with her at all! I didn’t think they even knew one another!

“Gemma?!” Shonda blinked at her daughter as she suddenly appeared by her side, plucking a rib off of her plate.

“Food! Oh, it tastes so good!” Gemma devoured the rib and before she was halfway done, she was reaching for a second.

“You’re eating like a starving wildebeest!” Shonda laughed.

“What are you doing here, honey?” Michael frowned. “And with Lord Darcassan? I thought you were going to spend the night at Rachel’s.”

Something dark fluttered through Gemma’s eyes, but then she was smiling again, maybe a little forced, as she said, “Oh, yeah, she and Laura were being sort of jerks so… I bailed. And then I found Lord Darcassan here and we hung out!”

“You hung out with Darcassan?” Rhalyf enunciated each word very clearly and that just made his disbelief more apparent.

Darcassan, who was doing his best to be invisible behind a thirteen-year-old girl, visibly bristled and snapped, “Better than with you!”

“Oh, I can attest that hanging out with me is infinitely better. Lady Gemma knows this well,” Rhalyf proclaimed haughtily.

“Don’t fight, boys, there’s enough of me to go around!” Gemma grinned. “Anyways, I heard from Helgrom that you all were here so I had Darcassan ride me over.”

“Yes, yes, and now that I’ve done that, I should take my leave,” Darcassan said. “Gemma, we should speak… ah, tomorrow perhaps… or something.”

“Darcassan?!” Elasha’s voice suddenly rose up in delight from behind her twin.

Darcassan froze, looking like a deer in headlights, before he slowly turned around to face her. “E-Elasha? Oh, you did come–”

“Of course, I did! And so did you!” Elasha was beaming. “I admit I didn’t think you would… Well, I’m so glad you did. Come sit down with me. The food is delicious and the music will start soon. I’ll get you a plate!”

Darcassan attempted to wave her off. “Oh, no, I–”

“Go with your sister,” Gemma commanded. “And we will talk. Tomorrow.”