I studied her and repeated, again carefully, “Things are not well.”
“They are,” she returned and again shifted her gaze to my crystal before looking back to me. “And I’ll note, if you wish any news of the others, you simply have to seek them out yourself. You’ve been busy, this I know. But I’m not a messenger, my sister. If you want to know,” she tossed a hand lazily toward my crystal, “look.”
She was correct.
She still could have told me.
I let that go and shared, “I actually wasn’t looking for the Frey I know. I was looking for the Frey of this world.”
Her brows rose. “And why would you do that?”
“Curiosity,” I replied. “Noc has explained that the two worlds are unbalanced in regards to that part of the equation. Noc and I both are interested in understanding, as we provide a kind of balance to the loss of Cora and the loss of the me of this world, how the situation with the Frey of this world and the Sjofn once of my own balances between the universes.”
“The Frey of this world was in need of money to start his own custom furniture business,” Valentine began to explain instantly. “Thus some time ago he sold his sperm to a sperm bank. Perhaps a rash thing to do, but with his IQ and other charms, a smart one for he was unsurprisingly remunerated very well for it. This sperm was selected by Sjofn and the lover she’s married since coming to this world, and it has been selected twice. They have a son, Viktor, and a daughter was just born to them, Aurora Eugenie, both children Sjofn carried. Quite the coincidence, unless you understand the destiny at work.”
I stared at her.
She carried on.
“To fully assuage your curiosity, Frey of this world lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife, who is barren. His custom furniture business is quite the success now that he’s put a goodly amount of time, effort and talent into it. He sells furniture across the country. And they’re raising three children, all of Vietnamese descent who they adopted from that land. He’s quite happy, quite in love and quite proud of his family, having no idea he has a son and daughter of his seed, nor will he ever know. However, Sjofn does know as she’s seen photos of the donor she selected, which was one of the reasons she selected him. If possible, balance must be maintained and that is not lost on our deposed princess.”
“Well, that answers that,” I murmured, and it did, even if some of it I didn’t quite understand.
“Now, if that’ll be all…” she trailed off doing it moving out the door.
If that’ll be all?
I hadn’t spoken directly to her in days!
I took a step toward her, calling, “Valentine.”
She stopped, turned to me and again lifted her brows, doing all with clear impatience.
“There are things we must see to,” I told her something she had to know.
“Agreed, and we shall, after I see to the things I need to see to,” she returned.
“Can you perhaps share when you feel this would be?” I requested.
She tipped her head to the side. “Do you not have enough to occupy your time?”
“Of course I do, however, in the case of Circe and Lahn—”
“Yes,” she interrupted me quickly. “If you’d like to carry on with that, be my guest and keep me apprised.”
She finished that again turning to leave.
“Sister,” I said sharply, keeping tight hold on my displeasure.
And concern.
She turned back on a sigh.
I held her gaze steady. “Things are not well.”
I saw her jaw tighten. “I’ll not answer that again.”
“Things are not well,” I repeated.
“Franka, I have little time for—”
I took a step toward her and quieted my voice. “I know things are not well. I don’t know what is not well, but I know whatever it is is troubling you. And you need to know I know, so you’ll also know I’m here to listen and help should you have the need.”
She turned her head away and it appeared she was collecting herself before she turned back and the remoteness was gone.
I did not have the Valentine I knew returned when she again gazed at me but at least she’d removed the shield she’d been holding up against me.
And what I saw made my breath catch, I couldn’t quite read it, but I most assuredly didn’t like it.
“You’re right, ma petite sorcière,” she said softly, “things are not well. I find I’m experiencing something I had not thought I ever would. And I’m having some difficulty finding my way around it. I wish to do that on my own, but,” she lifted a hand when I opened my mouth, “if I should fail to find that way, I will take you up on your offer.”
I nodded and pressed no more. I knew women of her ilk for, until very recently, I was just that kind of woman.
“You’re also correct,” she continued. “You’re here and our plans for Circe and Dax Lahn need to commence. I just…I simply…” Again it seemed she was collecting herself before she finished, “This is not something I can do right now.”
She’d been seeing to her business but she could not see to that business.
That business.
I studied her carefully and at what I finally read, I felt my throat constrict.
By the gods, she’d had her heart broken.
Gods, the despair I now saw hidden deep in her eyes was that she’d lost a lover.
I took a step toward her, whispering, “Valentine.”
I saw her body brace. “Please, Franka, don’t.”