Warrior (Relentless #4)(129)

I would have been here sooner if I hadn’t spent the last thirty minutes on the phone with my mother, who was overjoyed Sara and I had finally talked things out. Even the news that Sara and I were taking it slow couldn’t dim my mother’s happiness. Or mine.

I started toward Sara and realized someone was sitting on her left. When I saw who it was, I almost tripped on my own feet. What the hell was Desmund doing here? I hadn’t seen him in years, and the last I’d heard, he was still unstable, yelling at anyone other than Tristan who went near the second floor of the east wing.

After the Hale witch attack, Desmund spent half the last century in confinement at a facility in India. Once he’d recovered as much as he could, Tristan had brought him here to live because they were old friends.

Desmund and I had never been friends, but he’d been one hell of a warrior before the attack. He’d sacrificed himself to save his team from the Hale witch, and you had to respect a man who did that.

He looked well enough now, but no one recovered from a Hale witch attack. And I didn’t like how close he was sitting to Sara, as if they were old friends.

“Hey,” Sara said when I took the chair across from her. She smiled sweetly, and for a moment I forgot everyone else in the room.

“Hey,” I answered, glad to see her smiling. I’d worried she wouldn’t be able to enjoy the dinner without Nate.

“Tristan, Chris,” I said before I turned to Desmund. I noticed his eyes were clear and his clothes and hair were impeccable. He looked very much like the Desmund Ashworth I knew before, with the same arrogant gleam in his eyes. The transformation was startling.

“I’m surprised to see you here.”

He laughed. “As am I, but I am feeling quite like my old self again of late. It’s miraculous really.”

A suspicion hit me, and I looked at the only person I knew who’d fought off a Hale witch. Someone who also had the miraculous power to heal, and who was apparently keeping secrets again.

Sara tried to give me an innocent smile, and failed.

“Is that so?” I said slowly. “I wonder what could have caused it.”

One corner of Desmund’s mouth lifted as he placed his hand over Sara’s. She looked surprised, but she didn’t pull away, telling me they were well acquainted.

“If I could credit it to anything, it would be my charming little friend here. I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed our evenings together.”

I knew Desmund was playing with me, but the sight of his hand covering Sara’s did not sit well with me or my Mori. I bit back a comment, not wanting to ruin Sara’s first holiday here.

“We play checkers,” Sara said quickly. “One of these days I might actually beat him.”

“Checkers. How quaint,” said Celine as she took the chair on my right, reminding me that I needed to have a talk with her about her conversation with Sara.

But not tonight. Tonight I was spending my first Thanksgiving with Sara, and nothing was going to spoil it for us.

Celine laughed. “Although, I can think of much more entertaining ways to spend an evening.”

So could I. After dinner, I planned for Sara and I to spend more time alone together taking it slow. Maybe not too slow. If I had my way, there’d be kissing involved.

“Ah, the beautiful Celine,” Desmund drawled, sounding like his old self. “Did I ever tell you that you remind me of a courtesan I knew once in King George’s court? She was stunning to look upon and much sought after.”

“You flatter me, Desmund. Was she someone of noble birth?”

He took a sip from his water glass. “No, but I believe she serviced a duke or two.”

Sara choked on her water and went red in the face. Without missing a beat, Tristan patted her back while he sought to pacify Celine after Desmund’s well-aimed insult.

“Celine, I have a Beaujolais that would go lovely with this meal. If I remember correctly, you prefer French wines.”

“That would be lovely, Tristan,” she replied in a tight voice.

Dinner went smoothly after that. The wine arrived, and Tristan offered some to Sara. I didn’t try to hide my smile when she turned a little green and waved away the bottle. I had a feeling it would be a long time before she touched alcohol again.

Conversation at the table inevitably came around to Council talk. One of the older members had just found his mate after six hundred years on this Earth, and he wanted to step down to spend time with his new mate. Now people were wondering who was going to be invited to take his place on the Council. If Tristan knew who the choices were, he wasn’t saying.

The meal was almost over when Ben came to our table and spoke quietly to Tristan.

Tristan frowned and stood, looking slightly perplexed. “Please, excuse me. Something needs my attention. I’m sure I’ll be back before you finish your pie.”

He walked out, and I turned to meet Sara’s questioning gaze.

“The rest of the world doesn’t take a holiday when we do,” I told her. Although, it wouldn’t hurt the Council to go one day without talking to Tristan.

She nodded, but didn’t resume eating. Less than a minute later, she laid down her napkin and stood. “Excuse me.”

I stood, along with Chris and Desmund. “Is everything all right?” I asked her.

“Yes. I just… I need to check on something,” she said hurriedly. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”