Page 76 of Wicked Curses
“Is it time someone explains to you what happens when a man and woman come together?” Sahira asked.
His eyebrow quirked in that endearing, annoyingly charming way he had. “Honestly, little witch, I’d love to hear you tell me every exquisite detail of exactly what happens when a man and woman come together.”
Sahira rolled her eyes before dunking her nightgown in the river again. She’d been having an enjoyable afternoon with him. Now, she had to fight against her impulse to run away.
“But we both know that’s not what I meant,” he continued. “How did your mother and father end up together?”
CHAPTERFIFTY-THREE
With an exasperated sigh,she turned to face him. “How did your mother and father get together?”
“That’s easy. He was a dark fae king, and she’s from a prominent dark fae family. He needed to feed, she was more than happy to screw him, and after a few months, I was conceived. According to them, I was planned. My father would never love or marry again but wanted more children.
“After my birth, she stayed in the palace for a while. As I got older, she decided to return to her home and family. She wanted to take me with her, but my father refused. He didn’t think I was old enough to be away from his protection.
“Her family,myfamily, would have done everything to keep me safe, but the dark fae palace is a special place that protects its own. My father made sure I could take care of myself.”
“Were you allowed to leave the palace?” The possibility of a child being locked away like that horrified her.
“Of course, but I always did so with an army of guards and usually Cole or my father until I was strong enough to protect myself. The Gloaming was a safe place, and few there would have tried to harm me, but there were always those who had an issue with my father, and the only way to hurt him was through his family. Also, strangers sometimes arrived, and my father could never truly know their intentions.”
“What happened to your mother?”
“She came to visit often, and once I stopped aging and was strong enough to take on anyone who dared to attack me alone, I would visit her home and the rest of our family often. Sometimes I would spend weeks or months there before returning to the palace.”
“Why would you stay away for so long?”
“I didn’t have the same expectations on me as Cole. He was the firstborn and had it the worst, but there were still pressures and duties in the palace that I didn’t feel like handling. I was content to let Cole deal with all the bullshit of being a dark fae prince.
“There was no guarantee that one of us could take over the realm if our father died, and I doubt few believed we could. Cole is only half dark fae, and I didn’t take any of it seriously enough to try. None of my other brothers were interested in ever being king either… including Cole.”
“He didn’t have a choice.”
“I know, but despite no one thinking any of us could one day rule, there was still a lot expected of us. We were all expected to attend commission meetings, and there were other prominent families, such as my mother’s, who were always asking for something.
“There was also my father. He loved all my brothers and me equally. That might sound impossible, considering how much he loved Cole’s mother, but he loved us all the same. We were all vastly different, and he cherished those differences but was also very demanding. He expected the best from us, and sometimes….”
He looked away as if he’d been about to say something he’d regret.
“Sometimes?” Sahira prodded.
Orin shrugged and dunked a pair of pants in the river. “Sometimes I needed a break. I found that with my mother and our family.”
“What became of her?”
“She’s still alive. When I decided to go against my father in the war, I tried to get her to leave the Gloaming before announcing my decision. She refused. It was her home, and she was right in believing my father wouldn’t hold my choice against her, but I worried the Lord might.
“Thankfully, the Lord didn’t go for her either. I’m unsure if he didn’t have the time or was just waiting until he could level the entire Gloaming. She vacated the Gloaming during that attack, and for a while, I didn’t know where she went, but I found her last month.
“She returned to the Gloaming when Cole started rebuilding it. She and her husband still don’t have a home for them or my sister. They’re traveling back and forth between the Gloaming and Dragonia now. I found them a home in Dragonia where they can stay until their new home in the Gloaming is built.”
“You have a sister?”
She hadn’t expected it, but he smiled at her as his eyes gleamed with what could only be called love. When he spoke of his brothers, it was obvious he loved them, but his whole face lit up at the mention of his sister. It was like looking at a completely different man.
“Her name’s Elira. She’s three years old and the cutest little bundle of trouble you’ll ever meet.”
Sahira didn’t know what to say or make of this sudden, vibrant change in him. It warmed her heart in what could only be an extremely dangerous way.
