Just as I get lost in my head, my thoughts are broken by Otis falling to the floor.
“What the fuck?” he growls from the ground.
Serenity bursts out in laughter as she clutches her stomach. Then, I hear my dad laugh. Which is odd in itself because I have never heard him laugh before.
“What did you two do?” Otis asks as he stands up. He puts his hands on his hips.
“We had some time to kill today and decided to have some fun,” Serenity says through her laughter.
“What did you do to my chair?” Otis asks.
“Relax, we just took a couple screws out because we knew you liked to rock back and forth in your chair,” she says, waving a hand dismissively at him.
“Dad’s right, you really are observant,” Otis states while glaring at her.
“Be sure to remember that,” she says, making it sound like a threat.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lorenzo butts in.
“One day, all of you will find your brides, and I will have a lot to tell them. I already know that we women have to stick together. I haven’t met any of them yet, but I know they are out there,” she says while smiling at Lorenzo.
“I’m not taking any fucking bride,” Lorenzo mutters angrily.
Serenity looks at him and laughs.
“You think that now but, when she comes, you won’t be able to deny it,” she replies.
“What makes you so sure?” he asks, sounding like he doesn’t believe her.
“Because I denied it at first, but you can’t explain this pull you feel. This person was meant for you in every way. It may be scary, or you don’t want it at first, but there is somethingamazing knowing that there is one person out there for you who will love you even with all of your flaws. A person who would never turn their back on you and that you know that, no matter what, they will always be there,” she says, not realizing she just stunned everyone at the fucking table.
“That sounds wonderful,” Gareth says with a sigh.
“Of course, it does. Just because I’m not ready to jump in fully doesn’t mean I don’t understand the importance of this bond. I have had a lot of time on my hands this week to think about everything, and it has helped me to realize a few things,” she says.
“This is the most I have heard you talk. Maybe we should get you drunk more often,” Leopold says with a laugh.
“It’s the alcohol, but it’s also actually having food that actually tastes good instead of feeling like I’m eating the meat of a hellhound,” she says, and my dad breaks out in laughter.
“We have not been feeding you hellhound,” he says, chuckling.
Serenity looks at him skeptically.
“I don’t know. One day they were hanging outside the palace and, the next day, they were gone.”
“What do you mean gone?” my dad stops laughing suddenly to ask.
“They were here a few days ago, just chilling outside like they were guarding this place; but the last few days, they are nowhere to be found. No one said anything, so I assumed they aren’t always here,” she says while looking around and realizing the seriousness of what she’s saying.
“There are a few hellhounds that we have had guarding the palace for centuries. They never leave the premises,” Dad states.
“Then where have they been? How did you not notice they were gone?” she asks.
“I don’t know, but I will find out where they went. With everything that is going on in the underworld, we have been too busy to notice. When we get busy, the staff take care of them. I had assumed they were in good hands,” my dad says.
“One of the staff could have done something to them. A lot of people aren’t allowed on palace property. You said it was magically protected. There are a select few you let in and out. One of them must know something,” Serenity says, sounding like she’s trying to figure this out herself.
“I’ll call them in and we will get to the bottom of this. Are you wanting to be here for this?” Dad asks Serenity.