Something Flowers Can’t Fix

Valentine had no qualms with telling the rest of his family all at once how he had handled Rhyme’s failures...but he couldn’t do that to Rhythm. The boy had been with her all those years with the slavers and he no doubt held a special place in her heart. For her sake he would tell her in private.

Though Valentine thought he might have to convince her otherwise, he had no intention of taking Rhyme from her. She would still be his mother same as Valentine would still be his father. They would never have what they’d once had, for Rhythm’s sake he hoped Rhyme would at least keep in touch with his mother. All of that was assuming, of course, that her fury didn’t send Rhythm rushing into Abaven’s arms.

Valentine was prepared for the worst. He’d had some time since leaving Rhyme to decide what to say to Rhythm but he was still no closer to a perfect answer. Her mate had disowned her son. There was no softening that fact. He was reminded of a time when Rhythm had nearly left him over a foolish slave. That scenario had played over and over in his head since the day he’d decided what needed to be done with Rhyme. Eventually Valentine had come to terms with the fact that this could very well be the end for them. He’d done his best to make peace with that but in the end, even as he’d walked to Abaven to talk to Rhyme, the thought had disquieted him. She knew what his name meant to him. Knew the extremes he had always been willing to go for his ideals. All he could hope for was that she understood that it wasn’t something he had done flippantly, that he had thought long and hard about the decision and he took no pleasure from it.

After reaching Rhythm’s den Valentine dropped to his elbows beside it and peered inside. He couldn’t see her but he thought she might be in there. ”Rhythm? Are you in there? I have something to tell you.”