The Rebel Queen (Outlaw #1) - Lexi Blake Page 0,17

put a hand on Rhys’s shoulder. “You followed your gut. You are a true leader, Rhys Donovan-Quinn. I wish you would have fought with me, made me understand, but I also know I am a stubborn ass much of the time. You brought your parents out and you lost no one. You are everything I trained you to be.”

I watched Rhys’s jaw tighten as he fought the emotion that had to well inside of him.

My baby was a man and a soldier, and he seemed to have a wonderful teacher.

Sasha turned and the whole village released a collective breath. “Your Highnesses, you have no idea how happy I am to have been wrong. Welcome to our village. We named it Frelsi, which is Icelandic for freedom. I’m more than pleased to turn it all over to you, as well as the primary care of these soldiers of mine. They are the best, the finest I have ever had the pleasure to train.” He turned to the crowd and raised a hand. “The king is not dead. Long live our king!”

A cheer erupted, and the happy chaos began again.

Sasha strode up and held a hand out to Daniel. “My king, tonight we will feast and drink and celebrate. Tonight is for reunions. But in a few hours, we’ll meet in the great house and I will answer all your questions. Our plight is grave, but the war will turn now. Thanks to your children.”

Daniel dragged the vampire in for a manly hug. “I want to know everything, but I cannot thank you enough for taking care of our kids.”

Sasha bowed his head formally. “It was my honor to do this for you, to have the chance to shelter the children as mine has been all these years.”

Sasha’s daughter had found a family to love and care for her, and he’d paid it back by loving mine. I could see it clearly in his expression and in the way my children looked to him. He might have been their general, but they adored him.

Sasha greeted us all with handshakes and hugs as the villagers started to set up tables and the ale began to flow.

“I must go and inform Trent of what has happened.” Sasha turned to Kelsey. “Would you like to come with me? He’s waited all these years to hear your voice again.”

Tears in her eyes, Kelsey nodded and followed after him, Eddie walking with her and promising to make her as comfortable as possible.

Dev put an arm around me as Daniel moved through the crowd, greeting all of them. “It’s going to be all right, my goddess.”

I didn’t know about that. It wouldn’t be all right until I held my children in my arms again and saved them from ever having to become soldiers at all. Still, I leaned against my husband and let his affection soothe me.

Lee approached with a young woman. She looked to be in her mid-twenties and had dark skin, her hair a curly crown that topped a lovely face with wide warm brown eyes.

Was I about to get another shock? Had Rhys saved Lee from the busty bartender because he had a girlfriend here in the village? I’d lost the chance to see love bloom between Fenrir and Evan.

“Momma, Papa, I want you to meet Shahidi. We call her Shy, though it’s a misnomer. She’s not really shy,” Lee said with a grin.

“I am right now,” the young woman corrected. She was dressed in jeans and an emerald green sweater, boots on her feet. “I’m going to be honest. I didn’t think I was ever going to meet you. Do you prefer Your Highness or Your Grace? I’ve been told you go by both. Rhys teaches a class in royal etiquette. I am not his favorite student.”

Lee snorted. “Yeah, he can’t stand you.”

“He complains often enough,” Shy replied.

“It’s not you he’s complaining about.” Lee turned back our way. “We met Shy when she showed up outside the mountain seven years ago. She camped out until we let her in.”

“I don’t like camping, but your grandfather wouldn’t let me do anything else. Stubborn old man,” Shy complained, but there was affection in her tone.

My dad? Relief poured through me. “Where is he? I would love to see him.”

I missed my dad, and it had only been a few days since we’d talked. He’d been one of the last people I’d seen before we went missing.

“Maybe we should go sit down.” Lee looked around. “This could