60. A White Lie.

“There you are.”

I look up from where I was lying on the floor playing with Blue and Aid.

“Ax? What are you doing here?”

“Keon told me you were hiding, then Dru sold you out. So now I’ve come to get you for class, you missed lunch.”

“What?” Blue and I shout in horror simultaneously.

I’m on my feet dragging Blue up with me as we hassle it out of the library and down to the cafeteria.

We burst past the door Blue hanging on my back, only to freeze at the now silent cafeteria, crap!

Everyone was here and they were all staring at us.

“Food.”

Blue’s firm words jolt me and I ignore the stares moving swiftly towards our seats from before. They had a stellar view of the quad outside and were also a bit hidden, well, as hidden as they could be in this open plan space.

Still ignoring the silence, I hurry and order enough food for Blue and me then we settle to wait. About two minutes after we burst in Axel and the pixies join us, Ax shaking his head in amusement.

“Drac, I’ve never seen you move that fast.”

You lied,” I scowl up at him Blue joining me, “You said lunch was over.”

“Got you out of there, didn’t it?” the asshole answers proud of himself.

“Axy,” Blue says still staring at a now-seated Ax.

“Yes, little man,”

“Don’t joke about food, mama hates it and I do too.”

The man has the grace to act ashamed though I could still see the humour dancing in his eyes, “Got it, I’m sorry Blue next time I’ll find another incentive to get your mama away from hiding.”

“Good,” Blue says with a regal nod so identical to Rhys’ I pause gaping.

But before I can think on it further, Aid interrupts, his mates balancing on his shoulders, “Please excuse us highness,” he continues before I get a chance to object to the use of a title, “We would like to head home for lunch and a well-deserved afternoon nap, that boy is a lot of work, Her Majesty will be here for him later.”

I nod and Ax says something but I’m distracted by the arrival of our food, and miss them leaving.

I settle Blue next to me in the booth and hand him his food, then we both dive in without any preamble.

The bread melts in my mouth and I let out a satisfied sigh. I alternate between helping Blue with his food and stuffing my own face. By the time we both lean back satisfied I want a nap too.

“That,” Ax says cutting up his steak the epitome of grace and etiquette, “Never ceases to surprise me.”

“That was disgusting do you have no sense of decorum?”

I let out a tired sigh at the new voice, does she not get tired?

I don’t get a chance to retort as she rounds the booth so that she’s standing in front of me and behind Ax when her whole face is engulfed by blue flames.

She lets out a scream swatting at her face but the flames are gone as fast as they started.

It takes me a moment but when I get a good look at her face, I almost lose it. Her eyebrows and lashes were gone, scorched off her face, and her hairline was pushed a few inches back. You could see where the fire had touched.

She must see my constipated face as I try hard not to laugh in her face, “What? What did you do to me you bitch!”

The fire comes back and when it dissipates again her hairline is further back almost to the middle of her head.

Can’t she feel a breeze?

I get my answer a second later when she moves to push her hair back only to find nothing.

Guess not.

She lets another sonic scream and for a second, I wonder if she’s part banshee.

Faster than human eyes could track she lunges for me, I register Ax’s horrified face and subsequent lunge at her, probably to stop her but she’s too fast.

I brace myself for impact only to watch her bounce off a blue shimmering light. Sprawled on the floor she lets out another scream.

I wince, she must have been a horror as a baby, I could totally see it.

“What the hell is going on here?” a deep voice bellows and the cafeteria goes silent once more.

I glance up to see my dad accompanied by Killian and Mor, who is fighting to keep a straight face.

Same girl same.

My humour is cut short when I glance at my dad to find stern eyes fixed at me. I glare back, I didn’t do shit and he wasn’t going to make me feel guilty for no good reason. Humour flashes in his eyes but it’s gone in the next second almost like I had imagined it.

“Axel, care to explain what is going on? Fighting is strictly forbidden away from training you all know that,” dad asks while helping up Stephanie who decides to milk the situation for all she’s worth practically clinging onto him sobbing.

Ax opens his mouth to answer but Blue beats him to it, I had even forgotten he was next to me with how silent he was being, “You hurt mama so Blue hurt you.” he answers sneering at Stephanie.

You know you are the biggest scumbag when a child glares at you with disgust.

Then his words register, “Wait, Blue, that was you?” I ask failing to conceal the pride in my voice, I almost held my hand up for a high-five but this was a tough crowd so I decide I’ll hype him up later.

“Yes,” he answers finally tearing his eyes from Stephanie who was now standing alone everyone else having moved closer to us at Blue’s words.

“You did that?” dad asks gently.

“Yes,” Blue answers then promptly dismisses him moving to my lap and cradling my face in his little hands.

“Good?” my little boy asks softly.

“Yes baby, I’m okay,” I reply, “You have to answer him though.”

With an exasperated sigh —fates I loved this kid— Blue turns back to dad looking at him expectantly.

Mor and Ax are dissolving in their seats fighting to swallow their amusement, even Killian looked like he was fighting it. With an equally frustrated but amused smile, dad crouches next to me putting his face level with Blue’s who was seated on my lap like a gentleman; legs crossed and everything. You had to see the humour in all of this.

I look around realising everyone in the room was done pretending they weren’t listening and all their attention was on us, most importantly on Blue, I didn’t like that.

Killian notices my frown and glances around the room, “Lunch break is over everyone out. I want you warming up when I get to combat class later, out now!” he bellows and everyone scrambles to leave.

I guess curiosity couldn’t beat the fear and respect they had for the man, all except one person.

“Are you kidding me! That stupid bastard of a child burnt me, and no one is going to do anything.”

That’s it! I place Blue on the table and lunge at her before anyone else could react. Well almost anyone, Killian grabs me from the air and pulls me back into him, the impact has him grunting but he doesn’t let go. I flail for a second before giving up, I’m never getting out of the fierce hold he had me on.

“Miss Finn, I seem to remember you assaulting my daughter; a princess and instigating a fight, would you like to remain behind and discuss the consequences?” dad asks and Niamh/Stephanie pales and scrambles out the door.

I gape at dad half terrified half impressed, I had never had him use that tone, ever! I had somehow forgotten he was a ruler as well as the dean.

“Sorry about that,” he says normally, turning back to us like he didn’t just scare the attitude off the idiot in heels.

Blue takes that opportunity to yank the rug from under our feet, nothing in all the realms of possibilities could have prepared me for what he says.

“Dad told me since he isn’t around, it is my duty to protect mama.”

We all freeze staring at him, not comprehending his words.

“Wait he calls your—, the guys daddy, Blue do you mean…”

My boy cuts off Ax shaking his head like he couldn’t believe we were this dumb.

“Dad, the one who made me with you.”

I collapse back into my seat staring at Blue, “Where did you see him baby?” I ask what everyone else was thinking.

“He’s here now, he says to tell you he won’t leave us again, and that I’m a misun…mis…” he chuffs in frustration when the word refuses to come out.

“Misunderstand?” dad asks tentatively enunciating the word for Blue.

“Yes,” Blue claps excitedly, “Smart new papa, very smart,” he says cupping the dean’s awestruck face, “Not like Blue,” he adds looking defeated and on the verge of tears. Was he bipolar?

Shaking that thought I cradle my baby, crisis momentarily forgotten, “No, Blue is very smart, he can do things no one his age can, even Enid says you are learning so fast, and you are also a very brave boy, you saved mama. No more negative talk, capiche?”

He nods, face lighting up again, I swear he was bipolar.

“Now that we’ve cleared that, what the fuck did he even mean?”

No one reprimands Killian for the language because we are all thinking the same thing.

This day keeps getting crazier and crazier.