Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Seventy-Four: Blinding

As I cooed to Fen, I looked up as I felt a presence in the doorway. It was Murtagh with Selene in his arms. Selene looked at us with her grey eyes, she held up her meaty baby fist and waved it in Fen and I's direction before belting out one of her minimal vocabulary words.

"Feh!" A Selene's squeal, Fen lifted her head and looked towards the door. Almost instantly, the two children were reaching for each other. Murtagh brought Selene over and handed her off to Fen who immediately hugged Selene to her chest.

"I can read Moony!" Fen announced through her tears. Murtagh looked at me, looking perplexed as to why our seven years old was both crying and elated.

"Fen packed all by herself," I said, answering the question that hung in the air. Understanding crossed Murtagh's face before he smiled proudly at Fen.

"Congratulations, Fen." Fen beamed at Murtagh before quickly returning her attention to Selene who was grabbing fistfuls of Fen's brown hair and tugging on it with a giggle. Fen started to make faces at Selene, which ensued even more laughter from the baby.

Murtagh walked over to us and dropped a kiss on my forehead before checking the bag I had packed

"We just need to pack Selene's clothes, did you grab everything?" Murtagh asked as he started to rifle through the pile of baby clothes I had set out.

"Everything should be there," I told him as I stood up. "just need to finish grabbing our own clothing, and we should be set."

"I'll pack the rest of it," Murtagh said before nodding his at the door. "Why don't you get Alethea, Fen, and Selene ready."

"You don't need help getting Thorn settled with the bags?" I asked as Fen slipped off the bed and held up Selene to me. I took her and set her against my hips while Murtagh laughed.

"We'll be fine," He said. "you ladies go get ready, I'd say we will be leaving shortly."

"If you need help, just give me a shout," I told him before giving him a kiss on the cheek and heading for Fen's room. Alethea trained behind Fen and me as I set Selene on Fen's beg and checked the bag. Everything was in order. "looks right, Fen."

Alethea coasted over and grabbed the bag in her claws.

"I shall be waiting with Thorn." She spoke to me before fluttering out of the room. I turned to Fen.

"Watch your sister while I get changed," Fen nodded at me with a smile before she started to coo at Selene.

"Are you excited about our trip, Moony?" Fen asked as I left the room. The skirt of my dress swished around my ankles as I strode towards my closet. I went for the dresser with the clothing I hadn't worn since pre-Selene.

Stepping out of my dress, I pulled on my pair of canvas trousers before I pulled on a short sleeve shirt. Standing in front of my mirror, I stared at myself. Reaching into the dresser, I pulled out the corset my two elf maids had given me and started to lace it up.

Once I had the strings taught, I tied them off and moved onto the full-body wrap I was going to use to keep Selene strapped firmly to my chest. Heading back towards Fen's room, I adjusted the black straps around my chest.

"Okay, Selene," I said as I entered the room. "time to get you wrapped up."

Selene squealed as I picked her up and slipped her into the chest sling. I tightened the straps, so Selene was pressed firmly against my chest and well protected.