A Court of Water and Shadow

31

They made it out.

Rhody and Verida stand before me looking happier and healthier than ever.

They made it out.

I look past them at the bakery, then back to them as relief thrums through me. As tears fall down my face, Rhody lets out a chuckle and looks back to his mother, who steps forward and gives me a tight hug. "Thank you." She whispers in my ear as more tears fall.

For the first time since coming back to Velaris, I feel like I did something right in my life. Sure, there was still a lot of wrong that I'm trying to make amends with, but this bakery is proof that I am capable of doing good things.

When I peel away from the hug, I wipe my tears away with a small laugh. "I'm sorry, I'm just caught off guard." I turn to Rhody and give him a warm smile. "You're all grown up huh? Why don't you show me your bakery?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

He grins at me and gestures towards the entrance. "It would be my honor. There's a few more people I'd like you to meet too."

We all follow Rhody into the bakery and I'm immediately hit with the sweet scents of sugar mix with the sharp tang of sourdough. The rest of our group is assembling the tables and organizing them with help from a few Fae I don't recognize. The theme seems to be light and friendly with a blue color palate. Rhody guides us to the back and shows us all of the treats he's baked and gives us fun facts about the different kinds of goods while Gwyn snags a cookie from a baking sheet. I conceal my laughter as I continue listening to Rhody, who seems to be filled with happiness and accomplishment for his bakery. It warms my heart to see his dream come true, and it makes me even happier to see Verida here with her son.

As we round the corner, Rhody stops us in front of a closed door. "This is my office, there are two people I'd really like you to meet." I can see how nervous he is as he glances from me to his mother. When he looks back to me, he continues. "When my mom and I were finally free, we came here right away. Cassian found us an apartment to stay in, and every day and night we prayed for your safety and thanked you for giving us our freedom. If you hadn't convinced my mom to share her information, she wouldn't have gotten out of that awful camp and I...I wouldn't have met my mate."

My eyes widen at the last comment, but Rhody just smiles as he opens the door. Inside is a beautiful female sitting at a desk focused on writing something down. Her black hair is braided in tiny strands and thrown up in a bun and her dark brown skin seems to glow slightly from the light pouring in through the window.

A high-pitched squeal gathers everyones attention. A small child stumbles over to us. She has Rhody's face and his Illyrian wings, but has the female's skin and hair. My mouth drops open in shock as the little girl is picked up by Rhody, who places a big kiss to her cheek, making her giggle wildly. "Damaris, this is Evelyn Hart." He looks over to the female at the desk with a smile.

I cringe at the use of my full name, but it doesn't hurt the way it used to. Sure, the memories still come back, but they're easier to push away now.

The female at the desk, Damaris, looks over at me in momentary shock, then stands and hurries over to me—capturing me in a tight hug. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

Rhode chuckles as we separate from the hug. "Evelyn this is my mate, Damaris."

"It's nice to meet you." I give her a smile, then turn towards the child. "And who's this?" I ask as I tickle the girl's bare foot.

She squeals in delight, then with a high-pitched mumble, she speaks. "My name is Evelyn, but all of my friends call me Evie."

My smile drops as my gaze turns to Rhody. He gives me a gentle smile, then sets Evie down to go play with her stuffed animals. "We wanted to name her after the female who saved my mother and I. I hope that's okay."