Page 56 of From the Edge

“I was busy. I got the stitches out on my own.”

He flinched.

Aspen turned grey. “Rowan.”

Rowan frowned. “What? You were trying to join the ether, and I had to fight that for years. It took me going through all of Grandpa’s books to find the spell to bind you to the carriage house. Then the second attack and I needed to be somewhere that wasn’t next to Mell, so I had to make up the apartment in the woods with a lot of the leftovers from the attackers.”

Aspen said, “Why did you need distance?”

“Because I told her not to answer the door, and she opened it anyway. Four came for her. Eight came for me.” She felt the heat on her cheeks and wiped at them. “She didn’t listen, and I paid.”

Renyet held her close and kissed her temple.

Aspen whispered, “Does she know?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Do you want her to know?”

“No. She’s a mom now. As long as she keeps putting little Rowan first, I won’t mention it. She was young, she was stupid, she was online dating, and her date showed up at the door.”

A different voice spoke behind Ren. Norecayet. “She needs to know.”

“Why? Why does she need to know?”

He looked at her seriously. “Because she is wondering why you don’t want to be at her side like you used to. She wants to know if you hate our son because of me.”

“I don’t hate him. He’s a baby. He has weird ears, but consider the source. Your goblin owes me a fight, but I am not healed enough yet. I need to be healed so I don’t use maximum defense on you.”

Ren said, “Her grandfather is the executioner.”

“No, Avor said he is the necromancer.”

Ren stiffened. “He did?”

“He would know. He knew him.” She smiled. “That is probably why Grandma is waking at the same rate he is.”

Aspen grinned. “Mom and Dad are waking up?”

“Yup. She’s over her tired, I guess. It’s why I needed the carriage house. Didn’t I mention this?”

“I think you might have. I am still getting used to having elves and djinn and orcs in the house.”

Rowan smiled. “It is easy to get used to. They are just really obvious omegas and betas who can use magic.”

She laughed. “No alphas?”

“No, but some of the djinn are really tall.”

Aspen frowned. “Why are the magic users all women?”

“They aren’t. They used to be the elite. Homegrown elves. They were encouraged, and they learned ways to boost their power by draining the women. Well, the girls. They never let them grow to be women.”

Aspen paled. “Oh, shit.”

“Those little girls are the ones Laurel got to safety. Six little girls who are now the same kind of elf as Regis is.” She smiled. “We video chat now and then. They are almost finished high school. Mom and Dad are booked solid. I have a phone for you on the desk in your room.”

Aspen smiled. “Thank you.”