Phoenix Found (Brothers of Fire #5)

Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Perrin snipped the wire and tied it off. He’d spent most of the day working on the fence to contain the goats that Oliver now wanted. Along with researching follies online together in the evenings, they had also looked at goats. And once Oliver saw the videos of baby goats, he was besotted.

Oliver had never had a pet. Perrin hadn’t either, but there were cats around the castle he’d befriended, and he enjoyed feeding them and petting them—they also liked chicken hearts.

His phone buzzed with a call from Oliver. Since Oliver usually texted, that meant there was a problem.

“Salut.”

“Uh, hi…Dalmon and Lucian are here. Dalmon said he needs to talk to you. Where are you?”

“North paddock. Is everything okay?” Worry churned in his gut. Even though he was almost done, there wasn’t time to finish today before it became dark. “I’ll walk back.”

There was a muffled conversation. “He said don’t rush.”

“Now I’m really worried. Are you in trouble?”

“No…I don’t think I am… ”

“He’s not in trouble,” Dalmon said in French, having taken control of the phone. “I have things to discuss with both of you. Separately… You know what, I’ll walk down to you.”

“You don’t need to trouble yourself, Monsieur.” The last thing he wanted to do was inconvenience the head of the Coven.

“It’s no trouble.” He ended the call.

Perrin swore. If Dalmon wanted to speak with him alone, that meant there was a problem. Was his father alright? Or was it about his potential wife?

He had twenty minutes to stew on it before he saw Dalmon striding over the field. Perrin lifted his hand in greeting even though he was certain Dalmon had seen him. It wasn’t as though there was anyone out there with him.

Dalmon was also alone, which wasn’t a good sign.

“Monsieur.” Perrin inclined his head.

“You’ve had a busy week. The place looks lived in.”

“The staff from the king’s lodge have made it a home.” He wanted to ask about his family. Fixing up Oliver’s estate was a convenient excuse to keep him away.

“Are you enjoying the change of scene?”

“I am. It’s very different from the castle.” Much lower-key and far less busy. “How are things there?” he asked carefully. Alice had only given his medical updates, and pressed him about what was going with Oliver—though he’d kept that information to himself.

“The castle is fine. Your father has lost his eye and been told to resign.”

Perrin bit back the curse. “He is a good chef.”

“He is, but we cannot ignore the violent attack or the coercion.”

Perrin winced. “He’s following tradition.”

He couldn’t believe he was defending his father, but he didn’t want his father to lose his job, as that meant that his family would be forced to leave the grounds.

“That is not an excuse. I understand your concern?—”

“It’s their home. It’s the only home my sister knows.”

“Alice spoke to me. She is worried about the same traditions you don’t wish to follow. But I’m sure you are aware of that.” Dalmon considered him. “Because she spoke to you. Her pleading, combined with your newfound affection for Oliver, was enough to push you into action.”

Perrin stared at the grass. “I’m running out of time. I’m thirty soon.” A few more days and he was supposed to marry.

“I am aware. When I get back to the house, I will send you the contact details for your match, Rachel. You may speak with her about how to approach the issue.”

“Thank you, Monsieur.” He was extremely lucky to be in a position where he was able to speak directly with the Coven—and the head of the Coven at that. He got the help that so many others couldn’t. “May I ask if this means the Coven will make some kind of ruling?”

“We aren’t ready to do that yet, though there will be discussions with some ghoul clans about changing with the times and how the danger point has passed. Not only that, but arranged marriages only became tradition relatively recently.” Dalmon ran his hand along the wire of the fence. “You are to remain here until your father has left the castle…though I can’t imagine you’ll be wanting to leave Oliver?”

“That is correct.” There was no point in hiding it. “I like him very much.”

He nodded. “From the way he talks about you, the feeling is mutual. How is he? I am asking as his brother and because I care about him.”

“Even though you don’t know him?”

Dalmon gave him a tight smile. “Perhaps I do not love him as a brother, but he is one of my kind who needs to be taken under wing after a traumatic start.”

Perrin heard the touch of warning. They were not on equal footing, and he needed to answer the damn question. “He is curious and enjoying being outside, but he is searching for meaning…a purpose.”

“Aren’t we all?”

That was true to a degree. “He has no place in the castle, no job. Nothing to aim for.”

Dalmon nodded. “Do you think he is ready for that kind of responsibility?”

Perrin studied the sky. He wanted to say yes. Oliver would expect him to say yes. “No. He is still finding out who he is and what he likes.”

“You do not expect his interest to remain on you.”

“I am a ghoul. For the moment, I am interesting.” He wanted Oliver to keep looking at him with the obvious heat in his eyes. He enjoyed waking up curled around him.

“I think you are doing him and yourself a disservice. We have decided he will not have a role to play in the castle in this life. He is free to do his own thing, to learn, and to heal. Are you still intending to travel?”

“I want to.” But he didn’t want to leave Oliver. Would Oliver be allowed to travel with him since he also wanted to see the world?

Dalmon nodded. “Oliver isn’t the only one trying to find his place, is he?”

“Non, Monsieur.”