“How would they know you’d even be there?” Alden asked.
“Good question,” I said and shook my head sadly. “But I don’t really have a good answer to it. They just could have guessed that we would show when they started in on Ristan. Right now I have to worry about saving my children and that’s why I came to see you.”
“How’s the little miss?” he asked with a guarded look.
“She’s a fighter,” I said with a broken smile. “I wanted to be the one to tell you what’s happening. I’m sure we can fix it, but I need you to be a little patient with us. Get better first and we’ll get a plan together after we get the babies to the Tree. I’ve threatened everyone inside these walls with certain death should they assist you in leaving here before I return.”
“Is that so?” he asked as he narrowed his eyes on me.
I smiled.
“Damn, kid,” he said as he shook his head, and then winced in pain. “Don’t think I’m ready to do much of anything right now anyway.”
“Good,” I said. “You can join us today if you wish. I know you love learning the Fae’s secrets. I took them into the Guild and showed them some of yours, so it’s only fair that you be invited to this event,” I teased lightly.
“You took them inside of the Guild, kid, but it was to save us. I know that had to be hard for you to do, and couldn’t have been easy on your conscience. What you did wound up being for the good of those children, too. They wouldn’t have lived if you hadn’t intervened and found them.”
“Be that as it may, that argument won’t help us with the Seattle Guild. I do however have plans in mind for them, but my children come first right now,” I said as I watched him.
“Kid, you do what you gotta do. You go take care of those children and I’ll be right here when you get back. I’m glad you asked me to go, but this one has too much riding on it and I don’t want to slow you down. Besides, if the Mages attack, you’ll need to be focused on those babies and not this old man.”
I looked at him and shook my head. “Please wait for us; together we’re a force they can’t beat. I can’t lose anyone else, and I won’t. If you leave, and they kill you, there will be no Guilds left standing when I am done. Do you understand me? I will personally make it my mission in life to rid the Human world of them. Do you understand me?” I asked with a don’t-fucking-do-it-look.
“Damn,” Ryder said as he awarded me with a crooked smile.
“Didn’t you feed her, Ryder?” Alden asked as he looked past me to Ryder. “She’s only this grumpy when she’s hungry.”
“I don’t feed her anymore,” he said as he gave me a smoldering look that was loaded with lust. “She’s my meal, but she no longer feeds from me.”
“Try it anyway. Maybe find her a doughnut or something,” Alden offered before he turned back to me. “I’ll be here, I promise. Don’t go wiping out the Guilds; it would be total chaos without them in place. The Fae would declare it open season on the Humans.”
“They already have in Spokane,” I said as I exhaled. “Luckily Vlad sent out a warning which seems to have lessened the instances of open attacks on the Humans. I’m sure he and Adrian will be effective in stopping the Fae until we can we create another Guild and place you back in lead of it. But, Alden, I think the one you run—that we help you run—it shouldn’t be a part of the actual Guild. I have an idea for one, and once things calm down enough, we will talk about it and see if it’s something that’s workable.”