Taken by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #8)(8)

I showered, then wrapped myself in a bathrobe just as a servant knocked on our door, bringing breakfast at the same time as usual. Whenever possible, Iannis and I shared our morning meal in the suite before starting our day. There was more food than what I usually ate on the platters the servant rolled inside, but I was confident I could polish it off on my own.

Iannis arrived when I was only a few bites into my meal, and there was plenty left for him. “Thank the Lady for hot coffee,” he groaned, sitting down in the chair across from me. He took the pot that the server had brought up with the trays and poured himself a large cup.

“You look like you’ve been having a fun time,” I observed over my forkful of sausage. Iannis usually looked fresh as a daisy regardless of sleep, but this morning there were faint lines of strain on his face, and his long red hair actually looked a bit frazzled. “You sure you don’t need to catch some sleep?"

He shook his head, then took a long drink from his cup. “Just caffeine and good food,” he said, and began heaping his plate with hash browns, bacon, and eggs.

We were halfway through breakfast when there was a loud pop, and suddenly an envelope appeared in the middle of the table. “What the hell is that?” I demanded, jolting back and turning over my chair at the unexpected intrusion.

Iannis stared at the envelope, his face turning paler than usual. “There is only one person who has ever sent me letters in this manner,” he said, gingerly picking up the envelope.

“And who is that?” I demanded.

“My mother.”

My mouth dropped open as Iannis ripped open the envelope. “Your mother?”

“Ennartha ar’Sannin,” he said, unfolding the letter. “I haven’t heard from her in over half a century. Fifty-three years, to be precise.”

“She sounds like a doting mother,” I said dryly, righting my chair and sitting down again. “Why is she contacting you now?”

Iannis read the letter silently, his expression growing more and more ominous with each passing second. His brows contracted, and his lips pressed tightly together. “What is it?” I asked, seriously worried now. Not many people could affect Iannis’s cool like that.

“My mother has heard about our upcoming wedding. She is scolding me for not consulting her about such an important decision,” Iannis said flatly. “She also says that while she does not personally object to our match, and my Aunt Deryna actually seems to be looking forward to it, my grandmother is furious that she did not receive an invitation.”

I frowned. “An invitation? But I thought you sent one to your family?” And was that his evil Tua grandmother? If so, I certainly would not have invited her or dreamed that she would consider attending. From what Iannis had told me, his grandfather had been kidnapped and bespelled by a Tua against his will, then sent back with his infant daughter when his kidnapper lost interest in them. Really, where did she get the nerve to consider herself part of the family, after that?

“There are not many family members left in Manuc.” Iannis sighed. “My father died three centuries ago—I wish he were still alive, he’d have loved you. I did send an invitation, of course, but it was a single invitation sent to my aunt’s home, since Deryna is the only relative who maintains a permanent residence anymore. I asked her to pass it along to any others interested in attending—there are some cousins, but I don’t even know if they are still alive.”

“That sounds reasonable to me.” The invitations had gone out a good six months ago—surely they could have responded by this point.

“One would think so, but my grandmother appears to be offended that I did not send an invitation specifically addressed to her. As if I could possibly have one delivered to the Tua realm!” Iannis sounded exasperated. “She demands that we come to meet her in Manuc immediately and halt all preparations for the wedding until she has given her verdict. My mother strongly advises me to comply with this edict, but then, she never could stand up to my grandmother.”

“Are you fucking serious?” I asked, incredulous. “I thought the Tua kicked you out when your mother brought you to visit that one time, as a young child. How does your grandmother expect you to consult her when she lives in a different dimension? Have you ever even seen her?”

“I did meet my grandmother on several occasions,” Iannis admitted, picking up a scone. “None of which ended cordially or endeared us to each other. In fact, she is the reason I left Manuc in the first place. I attempted to make a political career there in my younger years, but my grandmother ruined that for me. She demanded that I free a convicted criminal whom she favored for some reason, and when I refused, she destroyed the entire prison and took the fellow away. That was four hundred years ago, and she’s yet to forgive me for not jumping to do her bidding.”

“And she wonders why she didn’t receive a wedding invitation,” I said with a snort. “She sounds like a real piece of work.”

“Yes, as vindictive and capricious as they come,” Iannis said. “But even if we wanted to obey this summons—which I certainly do not—it is impossible for us to drop everything and go to Manuc on such short notice, especially with the added responsibility of hosting the entire Convention. I’ll write back immediately and send my politest regrets, as well as a promise to visit at some point after the wedding.”