Mountains Vast and a Kingdom So Red

Chapter 54

Before I play interloper in my siblings' lives, I ascend the stairwell and ask my parents if I may enter their chamber. My mother answers yes, so I slip inside, nose taking in the slightly salty breeze. The Queen uses magic to bring the coastal air closer to her as it helps her relax. She emerges from the master closet and my father sits upright in bed.

"My boyfriend is visiting me and he has brought his family members to Aux Duvrex. I am asking for permission for them to dine with us tonight?" I am not close to pleading, but I will arrive there if necessary.

"Of course, daughter," my father replies. "It will be a nice salvation from Gerran's war stories."

My mother crosses her arms, but smiles. "It is a wonderful idea. We will need Tess to prepare dinner now and adorn the communal table with fine decoration."

"Meat is off the menu for them, including poultry, so Tess will need to become creative," I say.

"Why, you should shop with her, and take Damien and Winter," my father says and the conversation seems to wrap up because he asks the Queen to help him into his wheel chair so they can entertain themselves with a walk.

I agree to the shopping task, although I wish I could teleport myself to Leviys, and change out of the clothes I sweated through.

"Tess!" I call. "Where are you? We will have guests tonight!"

She finds me in the west hallway, eyebrows raised in delight. "The half wolves?"

"How do you know?"

She informs me she that she has seen a wisp of russet fur treading toward the guest house.

"You were up at dawn?" I then blush. "It is not my place to be nosy. Freshen up, we will be on track for the market."

While she does, I pivot to the east hallway and knock on my siblings doors. Damien's expression portrays irritation but Winter's is bright. "Dress, we have a market day."

"I am dressed!" Winter claims, pointing to her drawstring shorts with paint on them.

"Mm, hmm. Dress again," I implore and glance over my brother's attire.

"You too," I say but he simply mirrors me and rolls his eyes.

"Why do we need to shop? I hate shopping," he complains.

"Because the kitchen has no vegetables and no fruits and so our pitiful kitchen is poor suited for our guests."

"What are you talking about?" He says, pushing up his glasses.

"Shifters. Only the baddest of creatures," I say and Damien can hardly contain his intrigue. He runs into his room.

"Is Ryder coming?" Winter blinks at me.

"Maybe next time," I say and give her a light push toward her room. Tess, with light cosmetics on, crosses into the east hallway with a pen, paper and clip board and asks me the type of ingredients we will look for and we form a list.

The Market in bow two has a unique title: Honey on Toast, a tribute to the bees the entrepreneurs kept before they placed their savings into the market venture and here we have more produce selection along with the yogurt cups my sister goes mad for. Damien holds a basket along with Tess and he poses different questions as if he's never seen an avocado before.

"Is this one good?" He hands to Tess so she feels it and says yes.

Twenty minutes pass and it becomes time time for Tess to pay with her veTone. Our baskets burst to capacity and I am grateful we snuck in some snacks.

Winter rides on Damien's hoverboard and Tess rides on mine and while they remove the items from the knapsack, I go off to find Gerran.

My uncle is in Simmons' chamber and I broach the topic of our hushed plans.

"Azichaedus spoke to one of the soldiers we interviewed and is privy to knowledge he did not have before," I begin.

Simmons rotates his chair to face me. "When did you see the Purist?"

"Today, we had a meeting."

Uncle Gerran sighs. "It seems sensible, Azi thinks about the Armada's safety, but I could have come with you." Too late now.

"Would you like to see my choices?" Once Gerran nods, I move my wand and recite a spell to bring the stationary from my room. He reads the names: Julissa, Ismene, Viev, Eloy, Cayman and Alake then he shows Simmons.

Simmons offers some advice, but he believes all of them will be assiduous.

"Ismene may prove a concern," my uncle says and continues. "If she hung onto the word 'complaint' it might have made her feel nervous."

"But we made it clear that was not what we meant. However, if she wanted to speak to Azichaedus, it is her right." Garren grows silent, considering.

"Did he side with the plan? What does he know?" Gerran asks.

I fill him in on all the details and we eventually agree to edit the soldiers list and remove Ismene, replacing her with Ditiyahi, a defender soldier. This drama clamors in my mind, so I leave the men and retreat to my bedroom. Soon I nap, and dream about Leviys biting off a fairie's wings.