My Summer Girl

Chapter Three

Raevar

Drops of Jupiter – Train

The loudest, most bellowinglaugh reaches my ears. Even with this tavern full of people shouting, singing, and conversing, his chuckling makes my face heat.

He stands, his head gesturing outside. Without argument, I follow him out. The darkness greets us and as I meet the sky above, I note the blackness. Solera has stars, galaxies, and flares that fly across. Here, it’s like a blank canvas without the utensils to paint it.

All you can do is stare and hope for something.

“Vex is a person. Well, a Saephyn.”

“Saephyn?” I say aloud, trying to remember what that means.

“Bloodsucker,” Cin elaborates.

“Then how are people finding love from a person?” I surmise, wondering how a person could be the answer.

“They’re not just a Saephyn,” he corrects, pulling out a pack of sticks. Using a lighter, he places it against the smoke and a flame sparks it. “Vex is also the most exclusive monster lifestyle club there is.”

“Does this creature turn into a club?”

My mind travels to how this is possible. I’ve heard of monsters with abilities to morph themselves and things around them, but this is new.

Cin lets out another chuckle, puffs of smoke leaving his mouth with each movement. “No. They own a sex club and decided to name it after themselves. I’ve always said it was an ego trip but my brother says it’s more of how they became well-known. They used to conduct gatherings. It was at one point their home, and people would speak of going to Vex’s. They eventually figured their house and name was moniker enough.”

“Makes sense, but I don’t see how a lifestyle club can bring you love. I’ve lain with all sorts of creatures and have never garnered feelings.”

“Interesting,” he muses, taking another long inhale before the smoke leaves his mouth. Reminds me of the few dragons in my realm, the steam leaving like fire brewed. “Want to try?” he offers. I immediately shake my head. Drugs alter my ability to be on task.

“So, this club. I’m helping a friend find love. Where do I get in?”

“It’s quite private. You need an invitation,” he explains.

“Then invite me,” I grumble, not understanding the secrecy.

“It’s not that simple,” he says with a flick of the stick from between his fingers. “The best I can do is sneak you in. It takes months to be approved for Vex’s and for some reason, I don’t think you have that kind of time.”

I shake my head, thinking of my queen and her sudden urgency. “Sneaking me in will have to do.”

“My brother and his partner are going to kill me,” he jokes. “If Obscura doesn’t first, at least.”

Grumbling, I pull my hair from my bun and run my fingers through it. Tension leaves my body as I continue the ministrations, releasing stress with every rake of my fingers.

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. You see, he is friends with Vex. But not just that, his partner’s kid sister is also friends with the Saephyn. If you follow her and somehow put one of your port-paths on her person, you’ll be able to enter by her. Loopholes and all.”

Defeat trickles through me as I pace back and forth. “How will I find this sister?”

Cinder grips my shoulders, his wings spreading. “I’ll do you one better,” he says, jumping and holding me to him as we glide upward. I don’t get a word out before we’re somehow zipping through a realm break in the trees.

When we land, I heave out the most ragged breath. Bending and placing my hands on my knees, nausea climbs up my throat while the contents of my stomach try to spill out. They don’t, but the burn and gagging doesn’t stop.

“For someone who mostly portal travels, you have a weak stomach.”

“Flying isn’t my way of travel,” I hiss, taking deep breaths to calm my stomach.

“While I can’t exactly introduce you to Dulce—that’s her name, by the way—I can show you where she usually goes.”

“How does that help me? I don’t know what she looks like. I don’t know anything about her.”

“She’s peach in color, like the human fruit. With curly, bouncy hair, and sass that rivals my mother’s,” he says, thoughtfully shaking his head. “She likes to frequent this sorbet shop in Amantes, and she especially likes to swim in this weird colorful lake over here...” he trails off, pointing while walking in the direction of whatever he’s wanting to show me. We approach and it’s dark, but somehow the moon above illuminates the water, making it appear bright and almost amethyst in color.

“Where am I supposed to wait for her?”

“She comes here weekly, sometimes more than once a week. She’s what they call a Cupid.” Before I can say that I’m not sure what that is, he prattles on. “Cupids are a human and Darchon realm thing. Solera doesn’t get their type. If anything, they’re insanely dedicated to their craft. She’s no different.”

“Then why her? If she’s so dedicated, why will that help me?”

“I’ve heard Val, my brother’s soon-to-be husband, say that she’s a freaky freak who does all these kinky things, as well as go to Vex’s often. By often, I mean twice a week—at least.”

A weird sensation hits my chest and it makes zero sense. “Okay, so I wait for her, somehow put a port-path on her, and then what?”

“You find this love thing you’re searching for. Maybe even Dulce can help you. That’s exactly a job for Cupids, they give love to others. It’s literally part of their job description. Maybe that’s exactly why you should meet each other. Fate and all that garbage.”

“Thank you, Cin.”

“Don’t mention it. Literally. If you somehow meet my brother, Val, or anyone in relation to me, just pretend you stumbled upon this information.”

“I’m a terrible liar.”

“Better learn quick!” he amusedly hollers before disappearing. The fact that he left without the Obscura port-path immediately tells me he trusts that I’ll follow through with what we agreed to, even if it’s not until I can get back home.