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“HEY BOSS, CAN WE HAVE a little talk?” Keegan was sitting in an armchair, watching Ryane as she went through the journals he had given her. Apparently he had torn up the floorboards to get them. Just one more thing for me to fix, I suppose. I was going to let some of the things in my head go, but the way he watched her, surrounded by all those weapons and books... His movements were telling me that something was going on, he was nervous and distracted, more so than usual.
“Huh?” He had barely heard me as I stood next to him, so deep in whatever was bothering him that he didn’t notice me standing there and I had to repeat myself... Twice.
“I said we need to talk. Would you come outside with me?” I motioned toward the front door with a wave of my hand.
He stood up with a hard sigh and Ryane looked up.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you interested in my childhood?” She pouted as I looked past Keegan to her.
“We’ll be right back, just look at your pictures alright?” I said.
“Secrets don’t make friends!” She called after us. “You know what, it’s fine. Whatever.”
“What’s the matter Sig?” Keegan asked me before we even got out the door.
Making sure she was still preoccupied, I closed the door behind us. “There’s a lot that’s gone on in the last month or so, and frankly, the implications of all of it have me on edge. I’m not the type to pry, but I’ve known you long enough to know when you are troubled. It comes off you in waves. So I called you out here to ask you what’s going on?”
He ran his hands through his platinum hair and leaned against the doorframe. “It’s not that simple, Sig. There are several things weighing on me at the moment and I am still assessing their needs to be dealt with and in which order. I realize that what happened to me had more to do with my distractions than my actions. I let myself lose sight of what I’ve been working so hard for. The integration at Grigori has been my passion since it was first proposed. You know that.” He sounded drained as he crouched to sit on the ground.
“Yeah, you’ve been kind of busy with Ryane. It’s only going to get more severe now that you two are getting hitched.”
“Excuse me?”
I spun around to the voice of Keegan’s father. “Your Majesty.” I bowed shortly out of respect. He wasn’t my King, but he was a King to his people.
“Did I hear this correctly?” He stared down at Keegan, who did not make any motion to stand. “You’ve asked that child to marry you?”
“Did more than that. I blooded her permanently.” His silver grey eyes lifted to meet mine, then moved to his father. “She’s making the transition as we speak, and has your knack for compulsion if you can believe it.” He let out a small laugh, rolling his shoulders.
“Is this what you called me here for, so you could spoil my plans for you?”
I could see the heat rise into Herlihy’s face as he stared down at his son and I instinctively put myself between them. “Sir, if he has called you, I’m sure it has more to do with Vampire business than anything.” I had to try to diffuse the situation before they came to blows, and not for the first time. Probably not the last either.
“You suggested I make her a part of the family.”
“But I did not say anything about marriage. Blooding her was in our best interest. With her Hunter’s blood, it was the wise choice to make her part of the house of Teague. Marrying her and giving her political power was not what I had in mind.”
Keegan stood up and using his extra inches to his advantage, he looked down on his father. “I’ll not be dissuaded. She has saved my life, in more ways than she’ll ever understand. I can feel her, when she is not near to me, I cannot breathe. I will not give her up, even if it means giving up my position as your Heir.”
Herlihy sighed, shaking his head. “You have no idea of the shit storm this is going to be leaving me with. I had intentions of us joining with the Fey. Now I must explain why that is not going to happen. They will not be pleased.”
“If it must be severed, and it must, I will do it if that will make it easier for you, Father.”
“No, you’ll only make it worse. Now tell me, if this monkey wrench was not the cause of your distressed call, what is?”
“That you must come inside for, but please, try not to be the bastard I know you are.”
The King nodded his head, turning back to his Guardians Dodge and one I was not familiar with. They climbed back into the car as Keegan led us into the house.