Noc nodded like he was pleased and straightened, turning to Josette. “Can you make her some of that tea?”
“Right away,” Josette whispered and scurried away.
“Kristian?” I said my brother’s name as a question.
Noc looked back down at me. “Your brother’s good, babe. His wife, kid, they’re all good. Valentine got to them in time.”
Thank the goddess.
“My father?” I asked.
“Your dad and mom are both currently sitting in a jail somewhere, on a variety of charges.”
That was…
It was…
I couldn’t even decide what it was before Noc continued speaking.
“And Valentine stripped your mother of her magic. Frey’s pissed, babe. I mean seriously. They’re not gonna hurt you anymore. They’re not gonna hurt your brother anymore. They’re not gonna hurt anyone anymore.”
My mother was stripped of her magic?
I couldn’t help it, I felt my mouth curve into a gleeful, malicious smile.
“I know,” Noc stated, and I focused again on him for I had no idea why he said this. “Wish you’d been there, sweetheart. Valentine magicked out your dad’s tongue at one point so he’d shut the fuck up. If I wasn’t so pissed, I would have bust a gut laughing.”
I couldn’t fight my eyes going wide.
“She magicked out his tongue?”
“You shoulda seen his face, Frannie. It was creepy as all get out, but still, I’ll never forget it…in a good way.”
I thought of the other punishments that my father had given me, hundreds of them, perhaps thousands, none of which involved a whip. But they did involve the verbal lashings of his tongue.
Yes, I too wish I’d been there.
“She gave it back but only ’cause Frey made her,” Noc shared.
In speaking, he regained my attention and I made an immediate decision.
Kristian well. My parents neutralized.
Onward.
“You need to leave,” I declared.
His brows drew together a moment before his expression showed clearly that comprehension had dawned.
Sadly, comprehension might have dawned but he didn’t leave.
He crouched by the bed and offered in a soft voice, “You need me to carry you to the other room so you can have a bit of privacy?”
Dear goddess.
He thought I needed a chamber pot.
But…
What was happening to my face?
Dear goddess!
The heat I felt in my cheeks could be nothing other than me blushing.
I didn’t blush. I’d never blushed. Not even when I’d set about seducing my first lover at age sixteen.
I needed to be quit of this man as soon as possible.
“No…I…do…not,” I bit out.
“Sure?” he asked kindly.
“I need you to leave, Noctorno,” I used his full name in an effort to irritate, something that worked if the flare in his eyes was any indication, “so Josette can prepare me. We’re away to Kristian’s this morning.”
Another drawing of his brows before he asked, “What?”
“After my toilette, Josette and I are to my sleigh so we can begin our journey to my brother’s home.”
His eyes got bigger as his mouth inquired peculiarly, “Are you high?”
“No,” I answered his ridiculous question unnecessarily, “Indeed, I’m low. As you can see since I’m lying abed.”
For a second he just stared at me.
Then he threw his head back and burst into loud, deep, beautiful laughter.
I wanted to throw something at him.
Unfortunately, in my current position, this was not an option open to me.
“I fail to see what’s amusing,” I noted.
He controlled his mirth only to mutter, “I’ll explain it later.” He went on more distinctly, “Frannie, you’re not goin’ to your brother’s today. Or tomorrow. Or until you’re fit. Then, maybe Valentine will spirit you there, or whatever the fuck that’s called. But for the foreseeable future, your ass is in that bed and you’re resting so you can heal.”
Well!
Who did he think he was, telling me what I would or would not do?
“As you’ve determined,” I began, “this is not the first time I’ve been in this condition so I do believe that I know best what I’m capable of and…”
I stopped speaking because he came slightly out of his crouch so he could put his face into my face and he was no longer looking mirthful.
He was looking angry.
Very angry.
“That was when you had no one lookin’ out for you but that’s not the case anymore. So this is how it’s gonna be,” he announced.
He then, to my shock, irritation and outrage, announced how it was going to be.
Like he had the right to tell me how it was going to be!
“First, like I said, you’re gonna hang tight, rest and heal. Second, once you start feelin’ better, then we’ll discuss what’s gonna happen after that. And the last is the most important, baby, so listen up. You’re gonna take care not to remind me your mom and dad are such motherfucking assholes because I got a few solid shots to his face last night but I let Frey’s boys pull me off before I did the damage I intended to do. You keep remindin’ me, I’m gonna find those two monsters and do somethin’ that’ll mean my time here won’t be about discovering a parallel universe but memorizing every inch of a jail cell.”
There were a large number of things to discuss regarding his announcement. So many, on the fly, I couldn’t decide a priority so I said the first that came to mind.