Chapter 17

ELEANOR

Everyone made it home just before dawn. Angus and Aleesha had only met Selene and Orion once before at our wedding, but they got along pretty well.

We agreed Selene and her family could spend the day in the guest room. While I took Eleanor out to get some sun, my family went to bed.

I listened as they all fell asleep, except for Demetrius, who was used to staying up late waiting for me. I could hear him flipping the pages of his book.

Eleanor was playing with her scarf when it flew away from her, catching in the branches of a tree. She stood under it for a while then came back inside, overflowing with tears.

I hugged her to my chest, assuring her that’d I’d get it for her as soon as the sun set.

“Let’s get you to bed. You must be exhausted. It’s been a long night.”

She nodded in agreement and cuddled up in my arms as I carried her downstairs. She was already asleep when I put her in her bed and tucked her sheets in around her.

Demetrius set down his book on his bedside table when I entered the room.

“Hey, you.” He smiled at me.

I sighed and hurried toward him. I slid up on the bed, cuddling against his side. He wrapped one arm around me, holding me tightly.

“Neither Aric nor the twins were this difficult,” I murmured.

“What did she do?” he asked, a hint of anger in his voice.

“Nothing,” I told his chest. “But she’s human. I’m scared every second of the day and night. She’s in so much danger.”

“Rose, she’s five. She’s been living her whole life in danger. You’re there to protect her, and honestly, I don’t think anyone really wants to kill her.” He squeezed my shoulder.

“Aleesha.”

“Aleesha understands that she’s out of bounds. She’s stopped trying. She knows she’ll only worsen your relationship.”

I snorted and leaned back so I could look into his rich green eyes. He smiled at me. “As if I didn’t already hate her.”

“How do you feel about France then?” he asked abruptly. I leaned back and slipped off the bed. Demetrius watched me curiously.

“France is a great place to live. We love France,” I answered. I slipped my dress off and stepped out of my petticoat.

“I know. Are you afraid for Eleanor?”

“I love my sister, Demetrius—a lot. And I trust her, but Orion and I have never seen eye to eye exactly.”

Demetrius chuckled. “I know that. I was there when you met him.” He grinned. “So, you’re afraid for Eleanor.”

“I guess.”

“I think we should go.”

“Oh yeah? Why?” I demanded, slipping into bed next to him. He wrapped his thick arms around my naked waist and held me against him.

“Because, for one, it’ll be away from Aleesha, and as you said, it’s a lovely country. I know you don’t trust Orion, but it looks to me that Selene does, and she doesn’t want to hurt Eleanor.”

“I guess.”

“Another thing, this is a cold place to live. Eleanor is cold a lot of the time. France is warmer, and she’s never seen the sea. It’ll be good for her. She might even learn French!”

I cocked my head to one side, considering what he’d said. “You think we should go. What about the twins’ four hundred years?”

“We don’t have to live in France for eternity Rose,” he reminded me. I smiled.

“Fine, I agree. But I’m not saying yes until I see how these few days go with Orion.”

“Sounds sensible,” Demetrius agreed.

I smiled at him, nodding. He leaned over and switched the light out, though I could still see him perfectly in the darkness. I slid my arms around his waist, listening to Eleanor’s soft breathing in her room.

***

The first thing I did when the sun set was to go out and get Eleanor’s scarf. Instead, I found Aric and James in the stables, deciding which horses they’d take for a ride.

I picked the scarf out of the tree branches then leapt to the barn’s front door.

Aric was saddling his favorite, Zero, a year-old mustang, while James was gazing into the stable to find a horse he liked.

“The ones in the back are mixed races,” Aric told James before turning to flash me a wide grin as I entered.

“Hey, boys,” I greeted them.

“Hi, Aunt Rose.” James grinned at me too, then flicked his hand toward the horse next to him.

“Which do you recommend for a race?” I smiled.

“To make it fair, a year-old mustang. The mustangs are here.” I pointed to them.

“The youngest is two, Mother. Anyway, Zero here doesn’t need to play fair!” Aric grinned at me and patted the dark horse’s flanks.

I smiled. “You seem to know this horse,” I commented, wondering how much time he’d been spending on his mustang.

“I have high hopes for Zero. He’s pretty fast and handsome. Grandmother would be proud.”

“I like this one,” James announced, guiding a large Russian Trotter stallion out of his stable.

“That’s Furry. Father’s had him for twelve years now. You’re on!”

“Furry?” I made a face.

Aric gave me a sheepish look. “We ran out of great horse names a century ago, Mother,” he snickered.

I watched the boys finish saddling their horses. When they were both seated in their saddles, I grabbed the Zero’s reins. Aric frowned at me.

“Are there horses in France?” I asked James. He blinked at me for a few seconds, then nodded.

“Since when have you been interested in horses, Mother? I thought it was Father and Grandmother’s thing.”

“Since tonight. Aric, do you think you could teach Eleanor to ride?”

“Uh, I guess,” his brows pulled together, puzzled.

“A horse is a live animal, like she is, sort of, I don’t know, but maybe she’ll like being around another warm-blooded creature,” I explained.

Aric smiled slightly. “Sure, Mother, I’ll teach her to ride. We’ll have to find a small horse for her though. We don’t have any ponies.”

I nodded, smiling. “Thanks, Aric. I’ll see you when you get back.” I stepped back, allowing the space for the boys to ride out.

James tipped a fake hat to me, then jabbed his heels into the horse’s flanks. The horse flew forward, Aric winked at me, then rushed after his cousin.

I glanced around the stable, fingering the soft cashmere scarf.

Most of the horses looked about the same to me. I knew that Demetrius could tell a horse’s breed out of the corner of his eye. The horses up front all seemed a bit big and self-conscious to me.

I moved down to the back of the stables, where the half breeds were.

I peered into the first stable. A small brown horse with sweet brown eyes was munching on some hay.

Next to her stood a little filly. She looked sick to me. Her body was skinny, her fur ruffled, her knees knobbly, but she didn’t smell sick.

I was about to move on when I heard the cathedral door open, and three seconds later, Demetrius was by my side.

“Aleesha, Angus, and Orion are out. Selene is with Eleanor. I think they like each other,” he informed me, smiling.

“Thanks,” I answered, jutting my chin toward the filly. “So, what’s wrong with her?”

Demetrius chuckled. “Nothing, she’s just rebellious. She was born six months ago. She never does anything right.”

“What mix is she?”

“Her mother is an Arabian horse, and her father is a Brumby.”

“That’s a good mix?”

“Yes, do you like her?”

“She’s different from the others.”

“She doesn’t have a name.” I cocked my head to the side, staring at him curiously.

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t think of one to fit her. You know, she reminds me of Eleanor.” I arched my brow at him and smiled.

“So, the perfect horse for her to learn to ride on,” I concluded. Demetrius’s brows shot up in surprise, but he grinned.

“They would make a good pair,” he agreed. “So, do you want me to teach her?”

I smiled slightly. “I’ve already asked Aric. I think Eleanor feels comfortable around him, not that she’s not comfortable with you.” He smiled. “I think she likes him.”

“I think he likes her too.” He wrapped his arm tightly around my waist. “I also think that Eleanor is probably hungry, and Selene doesn’t know how to cook.”

I grinned just as the smell of burnt toast reached my nostrils. Demetrius and I rushed into the cathedral just as Selene handed Eleanor her burnt toast proudly.

Eleanor innocently thanked her and took the toast. I didn’t even have time to stop her before she let out a horrid shriek and dropped it on the ground. I bundled her up in my arms.

Selene stared at me bewildered.

“It was practically burning,” I told her. She nodded, once biting down on her bottom lip.

Eleanor was struggling to get out of my arms. I set her down on the ground.

“You okay, honey?” I asked her. She nodded fiercely, pressing her hands against my collarbone.

“Yup! Just fine!” she assured me. I nodded slowly. She glanced at the toast next to her and frowned. “Waste of food,” she told Selene, scowling.

“Sorry.” My elder sister apologized with a hint of a smile.

Eleanor bent and picked up the toast again, flipping it from one hand to the other. She dropped it on the table then smiled proudly.

“Are you okay now?” I asked, smiling.

“Mother.” She rolled her eyes at me. “I’m fine. I didn’t get burnt. It was just toast. I’m fine and dandy.”

Demetrius chuckled. I sent him a sideways glance.

“Finally, my revenge!” Selene hissed joyfully, arching her brow at me. I smiled back.

“Whatever. I’ll make some edible toast.” I bumped her out of my way and started filling the toaster with the bread that Eleanor instructed.

“So, how did you figure all this out?” Selene asked me, her arms crossed over her chest.

I shrugged one shoulder. “I guessed most of the time, and read the instructions, then watched Eleanor’s reactions,” I replied simply.

I heard three sets of high heels shoes downstairs, and a few seconds later, the twins and Eloise appeared.

“Where’s Aric?” Eloise demanded immediately. I frowned slightly. Last night James, now Eloise.

“He’s gone riding with James,” Demetrius replied quickly.

“Oh.” Eloise flipped her hair and smiled brilliantly at Eleanor.

“Hey, why don’t we go riding?” Phoenix suggested, bumping Venus with her hip.

“Hell yeah! I haven’t been riding in months!” Venus agreed.

“You were partying,” I reminded them dryly.

“Of course. It’s summer. That’s when the humans throw their best parties!” Phoenix grinned.

“So, let’s go!” Venus hooked elbows with her twin, and they dashed out of the room. Eloise lingered for a few seconds then joined them.

“Yeesh, your place is crawling with pureblood teens!” Selene shivered. “I’m glad I had only one.”

I grinned at her. “Yeah, but a good one.”

“I’ll agree to that, Sister!” Selene winked.