CHAPTER 119: CHAPTER 119: THE CALM

"GOOD MORNING," Mailah said, stepping into the room.

Three heads turned toward her, and the expressions she encountered were varied and telling.

Chen nodded politely, offering a professional "Mrs. Ashford" before returning to his breakfast.

Elin’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of something like recognition and gratitude passing across her features before she dropped her gaze back to her plate.

But it was Grayson’s reaction that made Mailah’s breath catch.

His blue-gray eyes tracked her movement across the room with an intensity that felt almost physical, and when their gazes met, something sparked between them—memory and promise and the weight of everything they’d admitted in the dark hours of morning.

"You’re awake," he said, and his voice carried layers of meaning that had nothing to do with the simple observation.

"I am," Mailah replied, moving to take the seat beside him. "Though I don’t remember getting to my bed last night. Care to explain how that happened?"

A faint smile tugged at his lips. "You fell asleep. I carried you upstairs. It seemed preferable to letting you spend the entire night in an uncomfortable chair."

"How chivalrous," Mailah said, unable to keep the teasing note from her voice. "Though I’m disappointed I missed it. I imagine you looked very heroic, carrying your damsel to safety."

"I looked tired," Grayson corrected, but there was warmth in his expression. "And concerned that I might drop you on the stairs, which would have rather undermined the chivalrous effect."

Chen made a sound that might have been a suppressed laugh, while Elin looked up with something like curiosity breaking through her shell-shocked demeanor.

Mrs. Baker appeared with perfect timing, carrying a fresh pot of coffee and a plate that she set in front of Mailah—eggs, toast, and fresh fruit arranged with the kind of precision that suggested she’d been watching and waiting for Mailah’s arrival.

"Good morning, Mrs. Ashford," the housekeeper said, her expression as unreadable as ever. "I trust you slept well?"

"Eventually," Mailah replied, accepting the coffee gratefully. "Thank you for this."

"Dr. Morrison left early this morning," Mrs. Baker continued, as if delivering a routine report. "He said Miss Elin should make a full recovery with proper rest and nutrition. He left several vials with instructions for administration."

"Where is the doctor now?" Grayson asked.

"He mentioned something about returning to his nest," Mrs. Baker replied. "Whatever that means."

"It means he burned through a lot of energy healing Elin," Grayson whispered to her as soon as Mrs. Baker. "Phoenix healers need to essentially recharge after significant expenditures of power."

Mailah absorbed this information, filing away yet another piece of supernatural knowledge to add to her growing collection. She turned her attention to Elin, who had gone very still at the mention of the doctor.

"How are you feeling?" Mailah asked gently.

Elin’s hands tightened around her fork, and for a moment, Mailah thought she wouldn’t answer. Then, quietly: "Better. Stronger. Like I can actually think clearly for the first time in months."

"Dr. Morrison is a great doctor," Grayson said. "His elixirs don’t just heal physical damage—they help restore what’s been drained from you. Your life force, your energy, your sense of self."

"All the things Varrow took," Elin whispered, her eyes filling with tears that she quickly blinked away.

Mailah reached across the table, offering her hand palm-up in invitation rather than demand. After a hesitation, Elin took it, her fingers cold and trembling.

"He can’t take anything more," Mailah said firmly. "You’re under our protection now. That means something."

"Does it?" Elin’s voice was small, uncertain. "What if he comes anyway? What if protection isn’t enough?"

"Then he’ll have to deal with me," Grayson said, and there was steel in his voice that made even Mailah shiver. "And I assure you, I’m far more dangerous than Varrow when properly motivated."

Chen, who had been quietly observing this exchange, cleared his throat. "If you’ll excuse me, I should prepare for departure. Unless you’ve changed your mind about me leaving, Mr. Ashford?"

"The daylight should provide sufficient safety," Grayson replied, though his expression suggested he wasn’t entirely convinced. "But check in when you reach the city. I want to know you arrived safely."

"Worried about me?" Chen’s tone was light, but there was genuine warmth beneath it. "That’s almost touching."

"I’m worried about the political ramifications if my brothers’ pilot disappears while under my protection," Grayson corrected dryly. "Though I suppose your welfare factors in as well."

Chen laughed outright at that, standing and offering a small bow. "I’ll send word as soon as I land. And Mrs. Ashford?" He turned to Mailah. "It was an honor to fly you last night. Not many humans would have the courage to do what you did."

"Or the stupidity," Mailah replied, but she smiled. "Thank you for getting us home safely."

After Chen left, the dining room settled into a more intimate quiet. Mrs. Baker had vanished on whatever mysterious errands occupied her time, leaving just the three of them surrounded by morning light and the lingering weight of last night’s events.

Elin picked at her food, eating small bites with deliberate focus.

Mailah could see the effort it took—the way her hands shook slightly, the careful concentration required for each simple action. This was someone rebuilding herself from fragments, and the process would be long and painful.

"I don’t know how to thank you," Elin said suddenly, her voice breaking the comfortable silence. "Both of you. For what you did last night."

"You don’t need to thank us," Mailah replied immediately.

"But I do," Elin insisted, finally meeting their eyes. "You risked everything for someone you barely knew. Challenged a demon in front of everyone, fled the anniversary, probably made enemies of half the supernatural world. Why?"

Mailah glanced at Grayson, who was watching her with an expression that suggested he was curious about her answer as well.

"Because it was the right thing to do," she said finally. "Because I saw what was happening to you and I couldn’t just walk away. Because someone needed to stand up and say that what Varrow was doing—what he and his collective are doing—is wrong, regardless of tradition or law."

"Very heroic," Grayson murmured, but his eyes were warm.

"Very stupid," Mailah countered. "But sometimes heroic and stupid are the same thing."

Elin’s laugh was watery but genuine. "I think I’m starting to understand why you two work together. You’re both impossible."

"Impossibly stubborn," Grayson agreed.

"Impossibly reckless," Mailah added.

"Impossibly committed to disrupting centuries of supernatural tradition," Grayson finished, and there was pride in his voice rather than criticism.

They fell into an easier rhythm after that, conversation flowing more naturally as Elin slowly began to relax. She asked careful questions about the estate, about what would happen next, about whether she could contact her sister in Seattle.

"Of course," Grayson replied to that last question. "Though I’d recommend waiting a few days. Let Morrison’s treatments take full effect, and let us ensure Varrow isn’t monitoring your known contacts."

"He will be," Elin said with grim certainty. "He’s obsessive about tracking his... his property." She stumbled over the word, her face paling.

Mailah squeezed her hand. "You’re not property. You never were. And we’ll figure out how to contact your sister safely."

"In the meantime," Grayson said, "you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need. The estate is warded against uninvited demons—well, except my brothers--and Mrs. Baker will ensure you have everything necessary for your recovery."

Elin nodded, tears spilling over now despite her efforts to contain them. "Why are you being so kind? You don’t even know me."

"We know enough," Mailah said simply.

The conversation continued through breakfast, gradually shifting to lighter topics as Elin’s tension eased. By the time they finished eating, she looked exhausted but more settled, as if some of the horror of the past months had begun to loosen its grip.

"I think I need to lie down," she said finally, pushing back from the table. "Is that... is it okay if I just rest for a while?"

"Of course," Grayson replied. "Mrs. Baker will show you back to your room. Rest as long as you need."

After Elin departed with Mrs. Baker, Mailah and Grayson found themselves alone in the dining room. The morning light had shifted, casting new shadows across the table, and the silence between them felt charged with unspoken words.

"So," Mailah said finally, turning to face him fully. "Last night."

"Last night," Grayson agreed, his eyes meeting hers with an intensity that made her pulse quicken.

"We said some things."

"We did."

"Important things."

"Very important things."

Mailah laughed, the sound breaking some of the tension. "Are we going to spend the entire morning talking in sentence fragments, or are we going to actually discuss what happened?"

Grayson’s smile was slow and devastating. "I thought we could start with this."

He leaned in and kissed her, slow and deliberate, his hand coming up to cup the back of her neck. It was different from the kisses of last night—less desperate, more assured. This was a kiss that said we have time, that acknowledged the feelings between them without rushing to define or constrain them.

When they broke apart, Mailah’s head was spinning pleasantly. "That’s a good start," she managed.

"I thought so," Grayson replied, his thumb tracing along her jaw. "Though we should probably discuss the practical implications of last night as well."

"You mean the part where we publicly challenged supernatural law and made enemies of powerful demons?"

"That part, yes."

Mailah sighed, reality reasserting itself despite the pleasant haze of the kiss. "What happens now? Do we just wait for Varrow to retaliate?"

"We prepare," Grayson said, his expression growing more serious.

"And us?" Mailah asked softly. "What happens with us?"

His hand found hers on the table, threading their fingers together with familiar ease.