Chapter 134

Grace

"Eas'?" My heart leaped at the sight of him, and a mixture of relief and scolding words was on my lips. "I-- What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be on bed rest at the hospital!"

He had some sort of brace on his arm, a crutch under his arm, and a cooler with a briefcase sitting on top, but his suit was well-pressed, Cecil's gift was pinned neatly to his shirt, and he had that easy, confident smile he always had. His eyes were practically sparkling, or maybe they were. They were still that icy, almost otherworldly gray, and it was hard to tell if it was a new color or if it was just magic in his eyes.

He waved away my worries with a casual flick of his hand, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Surprise. I got out early. Apparently, my body doesn't believe in magical exhaustion. I'm an anomaly as far as they can tell, and I should submit myself to dissection."

"Eason, please tell me you're joking..."

"Nope," he grinned. "Well, maybe the dissection thing. They may have said observation, but I have things to do, and you need me not laying in bed playing at being an invalid."

He stopped on the other side of my desk and picked up the briefcase before opening it and starting to put stacks of paper on my desk. There was a notebook among it as he sighed.

"I really would feel better if I knew you were actually okay and properly resting."

He smiled. "Resting is the last thing I need right now... And I think you can understand that... your lipstick is smudged."

My face heated as I thought about my goodbye with Charles this morning. He wiggled his eyebrows. My gut clenched, and my toes curled at the memory of the promise in his eyes.

Next time, I'm going to put you on your knees.

"Lucky wench," he winked at me. "Use lesser folk have to settle for work. Don't worry, though. I've been following the healer's instructions to the letter, and George and Ethan have been on my ass since I was discharged."

I blinked. "Did you mean that literally?"

He laughed. "No. Life-affirming activities are firmly off the table: healer's orders. Though... I've been promised that if I behave, I'll get rewarded."

I blinked at my brother, stunned at what he was implying, as he pulled out a stack of pages that were all marked up with his handwriting and sticky tabs.

"You... really are the best bitch I know." I shook my head. "I don't... even know what I would do with two of Charles."

"So glad you've arrived at the party, and I hope you're figuring out what to do with the one." He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. I huffed. "Now, let's get talking about this honor challenge. Eleven months isn't a lot of time, but more has been done with less. I got you out of the house and under a new man in a matter of weeks."

I sputtered. "I had a part to play in that, you know?"

"I know. A plus... on that and B minus on the speech."

My jaw dropped. "B minus? I deserve extra credit for duress."

He smirked. "That B minus includes extra credit."

"You're terrible."

"I'm magnificent," Eason said. "And glad my notes helped. Solid A on the impromptu follow up, but if you want the rest of that extra credit, you'll need a more formal, not-under-duress statement, preferably with less cursing. We don't want people thinking you're unpolished, just earnest and relatable." He slid a handwritten page toward me. The first few lines of it seemed like another address. "Read this to start, and let's workshop. I need to know--"

"Eason," I said, stopping him before he went on. I leaned forward, staring into his eyes that were still so unfamiliar. I could hear his enthusiasm, his conviction, but I... I needed to know for sure.

"Are you fact-checking?" He asked with a soft, amused smile.

"Something like that."

"You're making me proud, Grace."

My lips twitched as I searched his face. "Do you really think it's possible?"

He leaned forward. His eyes softened even as the light in them seemed to grow. It was almost painful to look into his eyes, like looking at the sun.

"I think you've got this in the bag."

I blinked at him. There was no lie in his eye, though I haven't ever really known Eason to outright lie to me. His words warmed my heart, and for the first time in a while, I felt a flicker of hope that maybe, just maybe, my plan could work.

"Now, get to reading while I get these papers sorted."

I frowned as he started unclipping pages. "Why... don't you have your laptop with you?"

"Part of my early release and reward conditions," he said, rolling his eyes. "I can only use it under George's supervision. Something about overworking. I'm not sure what George and Ethan have been talking about while I've been unconscious, but they're on one accord, and neither of them is dating me officially. It's nice that they aren't fighting but irritating."

I scoffed. "Oh, the woes of having two attractive men worrying about you."

"I know, right?" He grinned, scoffing. "Next thing you know, they'll be clamoring to lick syrup off me."

"What?"

He shrugged. "I'm brainstorming my rewards, Grace. But enough about that, let's talk about how to keep Alpha Shadow's mouth shut until he accepts the challenge."

He turned a document towards me and started twirling a pen. "Your man didn't want to give me the details of what exactly Alpha Shadow had planned down there, but I weaseled it out of him anyway."

I cocked an eyebrow. "In exchange for what?"

"Spoilers," Eason said. "Just remember to thank me, Senator Prospect."

I bit my lip. "Don't talk about my sex life with Charles."

"I don't. I do talk about your wardrobe, though. And you're going to need a new one, Madame Senator Prospect, but that's later. First, we need to make it a clear statement not just for Mooncrest but for anyone with any interest in your state, Fenris, the president, nay-sayers, and otherwise, that you're not fucking around. You have a plan, even if it's not fleshed out yet, that'll be enough for most people. Anyone else who can understand the details will speculate and keep an eye on you, whether to block you or help you, and--"

Something chimed, and he reached over, casually opening the cooler to retrieve a tub of ice cream and a spoon. He popped it open and peeled off the seal.

"--that's when we'll start getting an idea about your real enemies and potential allies."

"Eason, if you're still feverish, you should be at home, resting."

Eason rolled his eyes and took a spoonful of ice cream, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Being smothered at home with George, the kids, and Kelly is the last thing I need. You can't get handsy with Cecil around trying to play nurse. No thanks. Besides, the ice cream is for calories right now, not fever. The healers think I've broken through that part, and my body just needs the extra, quick-burning calories to heal up the rest of the way. His Majesty bought half a store's worth of ice cream and popsicles for me when I was feverish. I'll be moving on to insane amounts of bread as soon as I've cleared it out. Want some?"

I shook my head, eyeing him. His reassurances didn't entirely ease my concerns, but I knew there was no changing his mind. There was something off about him, but I didn't know how to describe it. A different nervous, overactive energy that was flowing out with his words. Maybe this was his catharsis, a way not to think about what had almost happened. I sat back.

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure that George would not have released me from his medical watch, even on probation, if he wasn't sure... even if Ethan is still under his full-time care."

I bit my lip. "George and Ethan, hm?"

He smirked. "A work in process. Root for me."

I shook my head. "I want your help and support more than anything, Eason, but... I think you should think about going back to Selene."

He went still looking at me. The spoon of ice cream hovered in the air.

"You've been through a lot, and I... I would feel better if I knew you were really safe."

He said nothing, lowering the spook back to the tub as I went on.

"Charles told me that you getting training could help, and you've already done so much for me, been through so much because of me. I think it's time that you focus on you."

Eason sighed. "So we're doing this now? Okay."

He stuck his spoon in his carton of ice cream. "My visa runs out near the end of this year."

I looked up at him.

"And if I have to renew it, I will," he said. "I'm not leaving again until I'm sure I won't have to come back to save your ass."

I scoffed. "Eason, really. I'm fine."

"I know that," he said. I went quiet, staring at him. "I've always known that. You're the only one who doesn't, so when you believe it, when you know it, I will let you and your King deport my ass back to Selene for training, then spend the rest of my days being doted on by his right hand and my soon-to-be no longer ex. Deal?"

My lips trembled, and I nodded shakily.

He picked up his carton. "Good. No more of that, please. We've got a lot to cover aside from your next address."

I glanced over the pages. There was a copy of Amira's notes printed out and marked up. A highlighted line caught my eye. It was the eighth pillar of Senate candidacy: material commitment to the welfare, well-being, development, and sustaining of the independence of the States.

I hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"What do you think about local outreach for the material commitment requirement? I think... maybe leaning on Wolfe Medical's previous contributions could be seen as a cop-out."

Eason grinned, flipped over a page, and poised himself to write.

"Tell me what you're thinking."