by W. J. May
Devon chuckled, acknowledging the bizarre truth. “Because it isn’t in the middle of a war zone, with danger closing in on all sides, and your invisible brother prowling the grounds?”
“Yep.” She shook her head with a wry smile. “Because that’s our life now.”
“Hey.” He took her hand and slipped something inside. When she opened it, she saw her diamond ring sparkling in the soft lamplight. “This is our life now.”
“How did you even…?” she trailed off as he slipped it onto her finger. “How did you even have that with you? Do you carry it around all the time?”
“Everywhere I go.” He kissed it once, before covering her hand in both of his own. “This is our life now, Rae. The rest of it…lunatic madmen, dining with the royals, base-jumping off the Alps? That’s just stuff we do to fill the time.”
Just stuff we do to fill the time…
She laughed softly and shook her head, before pulling him in for a sudden kiss. “Do you know how lucky I am to have you?” she murmured, gazing back at his beautiful face.
He blushed slightly, before flashing her a wide grin. “You’re not so bad yourself, Kerrigan.”
“Rae? Devon?” Sarah’s voice called from downstairs. “Supper’s ready if you’re hungry!”
Devon sighed softly and pulled away. “Speaking of dining with the royals…”
“Oh, come on, you like them,” Rae teased as they quickly changed into the clothes she’d conjured upon arrival.
“A lot, actually.” He nodded. “Philip reminds me a little of Julian.”
Rae grinned. “Sarah reminds me of Molly.” He cast her a doubtful look and she amended, “Okay, if Molly had like ten times less caffeine in her system at all times.”
“I miss them,” Devon said suddenly, glancing around at the ornate walls. “It feels weird to be here when they’re…”
Rae stifled a sigh. “When they’re sleeping in bunkbeds, training for their lives?”
“Yeah… That.”
He stayed perfectly still as she ran her fingers through his hair, combing it back down into submission. When she was finished, she pulled back with a smile, albeit a somewhat forced one.
“Well, that’s why we’re here. To help with the cause.” She gave him a comical salute, drawing out a reluctant grin in return. “Besides, I don’t know why you want to get back in such a hurry.”
Devon followed her down the stairs with a rather confused look on his face. “What do you mean?”
She waved brightly to Sarah and Philip before casting him an over-the-shoulder grin. “You know Julian saw you lose the race today…”
* * *
The dinner went better than Rae could have hoped. Although by this point, she didn’t know why she was even surprised. Philip and Sarah were exactly the kind of people she’d want in this position, exactly the kind of people who would rally to their cause. The right kind of people who would be leaders of their country in a few years. There could be hope for the future. As long as there was a future.
Which was exactly the point of the meal. They waited until after the appetizers and then launched into the whole crazy story. The infiltration of Guilder, the rogue agents corrupting the Privy Council, the search for the missing pieces of the brainwashing device and the list of hybrids, and then finally—the man behind it all.
Cromfield.
As a man bent on total world domination and based in England, it was a pretty sure bet that one of the first things he was going to do was pay a visit to the royal family. Especially because it was an equally sure bet, that by now he knew about Sarah.
The young couple absorbed it all as best they could, giving Devon and Rae all the leeway they needed to help them understand. They sat quietly and nodded, their lovely faces painted with thoughtful frowns. When Rae got to the part about Cromfield knowing about Sarah, Philip reached over and took her hand.
“So what would you have us do?” he asked when they were finally finished. By now the candles had burned low in their crystal holders, and the full moon had risen high in the sky.
“Continue on exactly as you have been,” Devon replied. “I know it sounds counterintuitive, but the best you can do is act as though everything is perfectly normal. Don’t make any drastic changes in policy or schedules; do nothing to indicate that anything is other than the way it’s supposed to be. We don’t know who, if anyone, may already have infiltrated the palace and placed themselves in a position of influence.”
“The only thing you can do is beef up your security,” Rae added. “With our people. Our president—Carter—has given us a list of twenty names. Choose as many as you like. Each one of them has been vetted thoroughly by our people. Each one will be trained to know exactly what to look for in terms of protecting you. Things your people won’t necessarily be aware of, but ours are.”
Philip and Sarah looked at each other silently, before he reached out and took the list.
“And if we want to hire them all?” he asked quietly.
Devon and Rae breathed a silent sigh of relief. That was exactly what they’d been hoping he’d say.
“Then hire them all,” Devon encouraged. His eyes flicked momentarily to Rae, before coming back to Philip. “If it was me…I’d hire them all.”
Philip locked eyes with him, and then nodded slowly.
For a moment all was quiet. As much fun as they’d all been having before, the Cromfield announcement had effectively killed the mood at the table.
Then a quiet voice broke the silence.
“And what will you do?”
Rae looked up in surprise to see Sarah looking at her with concern. Her face was drawn and her blue eyes were filled with worry, the same worry reflected in Philip’s face just behind her.
“Don’t worry about us,” she quickly tried to reassure them. “This isn’t about us—”
“We do worry about you,” Sarah interrupted steadily. “You saved my life, Rae. I know in your world, that may just be something you do on Thursdays—go out and save someone—but in my world…it leaves a lasting effect. We are indebted to you, for as long as we’re alive. You have to know that. And as such, yes—we worry.”
Rae leaned back in her chair with a blink, feeling just as Devon had earlier, a bit overwhelmed by the amount of gratitude pouring in their way. She took a second to gather her thoughts, before looking up into the princess’s eyes. A princess she could officially call a friend. “This is what we do,” she said simply.
Devon reached across the table to take her hand, and their eyes met as they shared a smile.
“It’s what we do to fill the time.”
Chapter 8
Rae and Devon pulled away from the estate the next morning in the sports car Philip had lent them the day earlier. When Devon had asked where he should leave it back in the city, the Crown Prince had merely shaken his head. “Consider it an engagement present,” he’d said, bowling Rae over and forever winning Devon’s love.
“You want to know something?” Devon asked as they drove away, waving out the window to the royals as Alfie sulked just beyond. “We should invite them to the wedding.”
Rae turned towards him with a knowing smile. “Is that right?”
He held up one hand in innocence as the other lovingly stroked the wheel. “I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not that. They’re really good people, another couple our age, which is always nice to have, and I’d have to say that, after this visit, I’d call them friends.”
Rae watched the way his fingers lingered affectionately on the chrome.
“…and if this is just an engagement present…” she pressed with amusement.
“This is not just about seeing what they’d get us for the actual wedding,” he swore. But he breathed in the ‘new trillion-dollar convertible’ smell with the same kind of childlike grin Philip had when he talked about racing. “…but just imagine what it might be…”
Rae laughed and smacked him on the shoulder.
They drove in silence for a while, taking advantage of the rare November sun. It was only after about ten minutes or so that she realized they were going out a different way than they’d come in, weaving around the back roads while avoiding the interstate altogether.
“Where exactly are we going?” she asked curiously as they passed a roadside fruit stand.
“It’s quicker this way,” he answered automatically, shifting down an unpaved gravel road to cut across a field. “Traffic’s always bad at this hour heading back into the city.”
He seemed to realize his mistake just as Rae placed her hand over his and gently steered the car to the side of the road. They pulled to a stop on the gravel and sat there for a moment, neither one of them saying a word.
The November wind pounded impatiently against the sides of the car, but the skies were clear and Rae was content to wait. She’d wait as long as he needed.
“I grew up in Esher,” Devon finally broke the silence, keeping his eyes fixed on the steering wheel. “My mom still lives here.”
She turned to him in shock, dazed at both the opulence of his old stomping grounds and the fact that it had never come up before. Then again, when she thought about it, both things made perfect sense. Devon rarely if ever talked about his past. The way he told it, his life basically started the second he got to Guilder. Rae knew that his father had raised him with what could generously be described as an iron fist, and she always got the feeling that he’d had a hard time with the fact that he could never tell his mother who he really was. What he was really doing with his life.
It was like that with most of her friends. Each one had grown up with a tight familiar bond with their parents, only to have one half of that bond shattered permanently by an all-consuming secret they could never tell. When Carter had officially lifted the ban on including one’s family, Rae had been surprised when everyone didn’t go running off to do just that. Now, looking at the fractured look on Devon’s face, it was beginning to make a bit more sense.
“When was the last time you talked to her?” she asked quietly, trying to press but trying not to press all at the same time.
He didn’t answer for a minute. His eyes were locked on something far away and he was lost in thought. When he finally clued back in, there was a dark shadow flickering in his eyes. “A few months ago,” he answered flatly. “I try to check in every couple of weeks, but things have gotten so crazy lately, and it’s not always easy to…” he trailed off, bowing his head to his chest.
Rae’s heart broke for him and she reached over to take his hand. “It’s not always easy to know what to say,” she finished gently.
He nodded and pressed his lips in a tight, thin line.
They were quiet again. For a long time. Every now and then, Devon’s eyes would flick out his window to the west, coming to rest each time on the same dented street sign on the other side of the field. Rae squeezed his fingers and rubbed gentle circles into the palm of his hand. She had a feeling she knew exactly what road his house was on. In fact, she had a feeling he’d driven them this way on purpose, even if he hadn’t been quite aware of it himself.
“You know, I’d really love to meet your mom,” Rae finally said coaxingly. His face turned truly unreadable, and she hurried to backtrack. “Or we could just head back to Scotland. Whatever you want to do.”
She could practically see the battle warring on his handsome face. The struggle between what he’d known all his life, and what his life could have been. The uncertainty of acceptance. The unfamiliar feeling of the truth.
When he finally spoke, he sounded as insecure as Rae had ever heard. Insecure and perhaps something even more. Perhaps even a little bit afraid.
“I’d…like you to meet her.”
Rae’s heart jumped in her chest, practically exploding with pride, but she kept all those emotions carefully at bay. Devon was the one who got to lose himself to emotions right now. Not her. Right now, her only job was to be a rock. Steady and secure. Exactly whatever he needed.
“Alright,” she said deliberately, flashing him a casual smile. “Well, do you think we should give her a call first to let her know we’re coming—”
“No, we should just go,” he said in a sudden rush, pulling the car back out onto the road and screeching it around in the opposite direction. Rae got the feeling he knew that if he overthought it or failed to rip off the Band-Aid, it was a visit he’d never make.
Only about five minutes later, they were pulling down another long drive. This one looked remarkably similar to the one they’d just left, as did the mansion sitting at the end of it all, only there were a few major differences.
Instead of a labyrinth of shrubs in the back, there was a sea of wildflowers. A blanket of color blooming so richly, even in the fall, that Rae could smell it the second they cleared the gate. There were also tall shade trees scattered about the yard. The kind of trees that you’d climb up into as a kid to read, or spy, or just swing your legs in the air, staring out at the horizon. But perhaps the most striking difference was also the smallest. It was small, perhaps, but for whatever reason it caught Rae’s full attention.
It was the wooden rocking chair set out onto the wrap-around porch. Unlike the rest of the house, which was in pristine, almost clinically cold condition, this chair looked worn and loved. It was a chair that obviously got a lot of use. As if a woman sat in it every day staring out towards the road. Waiting for her son to finally come home.
It was empty when they parked alongside the house, but Rae could have sworn she saw Devon’s eyes flick to it as well. They lingered there as the engine died, and when he could put it off no longer he smoothed down his hair and took a deep breath.
“Hey,” she said softly, taking his hand, “I’m right here. You know that, right?”
He stared into her eyes for a minute—seeking strength, seeking reassurance—before he nodded slightly. His fingers traced her engagement ring, and the corners of his lips curved up in a faint smile. “Yeah, I know.”
Rae’s face paled as she glanced down at the ring; she hadn’t realized she was still wearing it from dinner the night before. Her eyes flashed up nervously to the paned windows, before she covered it quickly with her other hand.
“Sorry. I totally forgot.” She began to slip it off. “I’ll just stick it in my purse for—”
His hand stopped hers. “I’d like you to wear it.” Their eyes met again, and amidst all his uncertainty, about this particular point he seemed perfectly clear. “If you don’t mind…”
She glanced down, staring with little waves of anxiety at the huge diamond. There was no missing it. Even at a cursory glance. But Devon was sure. And if he was sure, then she would be, too. “Of course I don’t mind,” she said brightly. Maybe a little too brightly.
He laughed softly, before abruptly sobering up as he stared out his window at the door.
She let him sit there for a moment, before giving his fingers another squeeze. “Devon?” she asked softly. He turned her way. “What’s your mom’s name?”
It was the perfect thing to ask. The second she said it, his face softened with the same kind of loving tenderness she’d seen so many times.
“Marian.” He opened the car door and stepped outside. “Her name’s Marian.”
They walked up the steps together, hand in hand. When Devon reached out to ring the bell, Rae felt a little tremor run through his whole body. He didn’t have a key, she noticed. At least, he wasn’t using the key that he had. Nothing happened for a moment, but then they both heard a soft shuffling on the other side of the door. The cloud of sweet perfume drifted through the wooden slits, and Devon’s eyes closed momentarily as it misted across his face.
Then the door pulled open and they were standing face to face.
For a moment, nobody moved. Devon and his mother froze like identical statues, both staring at the other in shock, while Rae hovered nervously to the side hyper-aware of the giant diamond ring sparkling on her finger.
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br /> Then Marian’s mouth fell open with a little gasp.
“Devon?”
The next second, they were in each other’s arms.
Rae would replay the moment over and over again in her head in the days that followed. In the end, there was only one way she could ever accurately describe it.
It was like coming up for air.
Both mother and son gripped each other like it was the end of the world. Or perhaps, more pointedly, like it was the very beginning.
They were quite similar. Rae was able to observe for a second without being noticed. The same high cheekbones, the same curved mouth, the same blue eyes. As they pulled back, Marian ran her hand up through Devon’s shaggy hair with the same lovely sparkle in her eyes. In all likelihood, she had never seen it so long.
Then, just as quickly as they’d come together, Devon visibly crumbled. His face tightened in what looked like real pain, as he bowed his head to his chest. “Mom, I—”
“Hush,” she commanded gently, squeezing his broad shoulders as a flood of silent, joyous tears rolled down her cheeks. “You’re home now. That’s all that matters.”
His chest rose and fell with broken, shattered breaths, but he nodded his head, lifting his chin to stare at her once more. During the entire encounter, he had—rather awkwardly—kept Rae’s hand gripped tightly in his own. Now that Marian had assured herself with the knowledge that her only son was home in what appeared to be one piece, it was a fact she couldn’t fail to notice.
“And who might this be?” she asked curiously.
Her eyes swept Rae up and down, and Rae was struck again by the strong resemblance between the two of them. Now that she thought about it, Devon didn’t look like his father much at all. He got all his looks from his regal, beautiful mom.
With the diamond clinging to her hand like a ticking time-bomb, Rae fought the urge to hide behind Devon as he gently pulled her forward.
“Mom,” his eyes were shining, “this is Rae. Rae Kerrigan,” he added, although his mother would have no reason to recognize the name. He paused for a split second, wondering how to proceed, before diving in headfirst. “I’ve…I’ve asked her to marry me.”
