Chapter 6

The little gnome kept his gaze on the water, the moon shimmering over the surface, as he sat on the wooden railing, his legs dangling over the side. “Your coshey is above us,” he said to Rhychard. “He follows you to keep you safe.” He shrugged. “We follow the Warrior’s Blade in the same way. The ellyll remains close to you as does the Lore Master Apprentice. Even the female you call Buttercup stands by your side.” Pux swung around, pulling his knees up to his chest, his arms wrapping around his legs. “The faerie realm may confuse you at times, but the one thing we believe in is loyalty to our family, and that family does not have to be by blood or race. Family is the circle of people that surround you and see you succeed on your journey. They carry you and lift you up, protect you, and fight at your side. The faerie realm is family, and we are here as yours. Today proved the ends we would all go through for each other, even you as you allowed the aswang to remain behind to be with your friend, even though everyone told you to send her back to the Nether. Family unites, and a united family moves forward into success.”

Rhychard laughed again. “A misfit, ragamuffin family, I’ll admit, but I’ve never met a more loyal bunch. Tryna and Kree have put up with a lot from me and have done even more to defend me, both against the Unseelie and even the Seelie.” He thought of the pompous Kendalais who thought a human Warrior a disgrace and had almost allowed Rhychard to be killed just so that another elf could claim the Guardian Sword. “Even Famallumi has proven to be invaluable, but don’t tell him I said that.” He winked at her, and they both laughed. “Even Laci, with all she’s been through, has had my back more times than I can count.”

Renny grinned. “I remember,” she said. “I think that night in my townhome when you were trying to tell me the truth, she was about ready to kick my ass for even doubting you.” She placed her hands under her head, her fingers intertwined. “She’s done a lot to protect her sister. I’m not sure I could do it.”

“Thank god you don’t have to,” Rhychard said. Then he smiled. “It’s been amazing watching her evolve over the past couple of months. I’m proud of her. And glad she has her family back.”

Renny yawned, yanking a hand out from under her head to cover her mouth. “Sorry,” she said with an embarrassed laugh. “I guess the night is finally catching up to me.”

“Let’s hit the sheets,” Rhychard suggested. “If it’s one thing I’ve learned being a Warrior, it’s that you need to eat and sleep when you can because there’s always another battle right around the corner.”

Renny groaned. “God, I hope not.” As she stood and pulled the covers back on the bed, she stopped, the sheets dangling in her hand. “Rhychard, what are we going to do about… well, me? How are we going to tell our families that I’m alive again? How do we even explain that?”

Rhychard had been stripping his pajama pants off, but stopped mid-thigh to look at her, his expression revealing his concern. “I don’t know to be honest, but we’ll figure it out.” He smiled at her as he slid his pants the rest of the way off. “They will be shocked, but they’ll also be thrilled to have you back. I know I was.”

“If the shock doesn’t kill them,” she said as she slid into bed. “They’ll never believe us.”

He laughed as he leaned over and kissed her. “Babe, you’ll be standing right in front of them. How would they not be able to believe us?”

“I meant about everything else.” She rolled her eyes and slid down into the sheets, pulling the covers up to her neck as she did and rolling to her side to face him. “You, dear sir, are obnoxious.”

He leaned over and kissed her nose. “Now you sound like Tryna.”

Renny settled down into her pillows, rolling back over onto her back as she did. “Well, she’s a very observant…” She glanced back over at him, her brows pinched in confusion. “What did you say she was again?”

He grinned at her as he turned to his side, his arm bent and his hand under the side of his head. “An ellyll.” He shrugged. “It’s some sort of faerie, that’s all I know. Oh, and that she’s sensitive about her size. Whatever you do, don’t call her a little angel. She hates that.”

Renny giggled. “She hates it or just hates you saying it?”

“There’s a difference?”

Renny leaned over and kissed him softly, “Goodnight, brat,” she said as she laid back and closed her eyes.

Rhychard, however, couldn’t go to sleep right away. Actually, since Renny came back into his life a few days ago, he had been afraid to close his eyes, afraid she wouldn’t be there when he opened them again. He couldn’t survive losing her again. He almost didn’t survive the last time.

He knew they needed to tell her parents, tell his as well, but he didn’t want to just yet. Instead, he wanted to keep her to himself, holding her and proving to her how much he truly loved her. Selfish? Perhaps, but would anyone really blame him? He had gone through so much to prove to her that everything he said had been true, that he hadn’t cheated on her or betrayed her, and just when she realized he was telling her the truth, Vargas had split her open from navel to neck. The sight was one he could never shake.

No, he wanted it just to be them for a while longer. He needed them to figure out where to go from there before they told anyone else she was alive. He smiled to himself as he studied her soft breathing, the struggles of the day already lulling her to sleep. I need to propose to her again.