Chapter 30
The morning air was damp and chilly. Every time it blew Nora could feel her face soak up the humidity. She zipped her jacket and shivered in her boots as Hayden held her hand and they walked towards the palace with the medics behind them.
"Noor," Hayden whispered to the boy in his arms. "We talked about this, remember?"
Noor, with a deep frown on his face, continued to toy with the buttons on Hayden's coat. He refused to look up. Even when he could feel everyone's eyes on them.
"But I want to go back to Birdie and Eggs," Noor muttered.
"You can go back soon," Hayden promised. "As soon as we're done here."
As Hayden made deals with the little boy, Nora's eyes looked around at the many feys who had stepped out of their homes to catch a glimpse of them. She spotted Nico's girlfriend, Mareen, standing with her father, her eyes glued on Noor and Hayden conversing.
Some of the families whose children were in the infirmary stepped forward bravely and slowly nodded their head towards Nora while others simply watched curiously. Nico led the group through town and up the cobblestone path that stopped at the drawbridge in front of the stone forth.
"The medics can head upstairs to the children," Afet said as soon as the bridge lowered and she met them halfway. "Arsenio will show them the way."
Hayden nodded and turned to look behind him.
"Padma," he urged the lead doctor to step forward. "Get everyone settled right away. Call me or Nora if you need anything."
"Yes, your grace," Padma, a tall woman in her late forties with thick round glasses, nodded. "We only have half our supplies with us. The rest are on the ship."
"My men will bring them up," Afet said. "Please, come this way."
Nora and Hayden stepped aside as the group of twenty medical professionals and thirty nurses began to head inside with their bags and equipment.
"Hayden," Afet turned to face him as he shifted Noor in his arms. "Before you go see the children, some of the elders would like to meet with you."
"Why?" Nora frowned, her eyes flickering to the town and then to Afet. "I thought you said they all agreed."
"They just want to meet him," Afet explained. "And Maya. Where is she?"
"She's on her way," Hayden said.
"No one has ever seen a witch with a fey spirit or a jinn and fey hybrid," Afet turned to Nora. "They're all curious."
"Couldn't this wait?" Nora asked. "I think it would be better if Hayden met the children first."
"It will only take five minutes," Afet promised. "Please, this way."
As Afet turned to head inside, Nora and Hayden looked at each other. They both had no desire to meet anyone. But as Afet paused at the entrance to wait for them, Hayden took Nora's hand and stepped forward.
"How is your sister?" Afet asked as they all began to head up the stairs.
"She's good," Hayden said, his eyes looking around and his hand holding Nora tightly.
Is everything okay? Nora asked through their mind link. You're squeezing my hand.
I'm sorry, Hayden's grip loosened. I have never seen so many feys before. My jinn side is restless.
"No," Noor suddenly shouted as he looked around.
"What's wrong?" Hayden asked, stopping at the foot of the stairs to look at the little boy.
