I laughed as I took a few steps back so I stood next to him, blinking back the tears. “You noticed, huh?”
Bella’s lips quivered up into a smile. “Yeah. Hard to miss.”
I wanted to hug her again. Her sarcasm was like music to my ears. Even though that sarcasm was typically aimed at me, I was just glad I was able to hear it again. I wasn’t sure I ever would again, with everything going on.
I glanced up at Tavlor, who’d gone strangely still. I couldn’t read his face, not really, but I knew he wasn’t going to kill her.
“Tavlor, this is my sister, Bella,” I said. I looked back at my sister. “Belle, this is Tavlor. He is the head of the Council guard, and he’s half Fae, half Warlock.”
Tavlor’s jaw flexed, as though he wasn’t too keen on me telling my sister that. Perhaps that wasn’t any of her business, but I knew my sister, and I knew she wouldn’t judge him badly. If anything, she’d be intrigued.
Bella turned to Tavlor, eager surprise in her face. “What an incredibly potent mix!”
I laughed. I should have known she would react like this. “Bella is the bookworm in our family,” I explained. “She has read a lot about, well... everything.”
Bella stepped forward, throwing her arms out. “It’s so nice to meet you. I have so many questions.”
Tavlor looked at me, his eyes strangely wide. I pressed my lips together, trying to contain my laughter.
I put a hand on his arm. “Don’t worry,” I said. “I won’t let her take too much of your time. But now that you know I’m safe, would you like to head back, or...”
He interrupted me with, “I have questions too, if I may stay a little longer?”
The question burst out of him, like he had been trying to hold it in. I blinked, surprised by his enthusiasm.
Bella shivered and I had to clap my hand over my mouth to stop the giggle.
A red blush stole up my sister’s face and when I saw Tavlor stiffen, I squeezed his arm again.
“Don’t assume everyone’s reactions are negative,” I said. “It’s your voice... we like it. Right, Bella?”
My sister clapped two hands to her burning cheeks. “Yes, I’m sorry. I just haven’t heard anything like it.” She twisted her foot in the grass. “Honestly, I haven’t seen anyone like you. Like Ava said, I read a lot but that doesn’t mean I’ve actually experienced anything like this before.”
Tavlor’s shoulders dropped from their stressed-out high position.
“See,” I said, shooting him a playful wink.
He looked at me, bewildered.
“Your genetics are very unusual,” he said.
I laughed. “Oh, you haven’t met the weird one yet.”
His eyebrows flew up on his forehead. “Excuse me? There’s more?”
“Yes,” Bella said, totally unaware of how unexpected this information was for him. “We have one more sister. She’s back at the house.”
Tavlor gripped my hand. Tightly. “Three? There are... three heirs to the High Warlock?”
Bella furrowed her brow. I cleared my throat, nodding quickly.
I squeezed his hand back. “Yep, and all daughters! Surprise!”
Tavlor went pale. The palest I’d seen him.
I shot a look at Bella. She shrugged, telling me she had no idea why someone would react that way. She didn’t yet understand what it meant to be an heir to the High Warlock. I wasn’t sure how I was going to explain it, or if I was going to explain it at all. Would it be better to leave my sisters in the place where they didn’t know anything? Was ignorance better than possessing information that could potentially put them in danger?
Ignorance had been my enemy so far. Knowledge was always better.