Chapter Two
Xav Ice
En Route to Earthside
Teddy shook out his hands as we walked through the bramble-filled shortcut to the gateway that would take us to the planet of his birth. Dude was stressed out. He’d slipped away on his family more or less. I didn’t blame him. My parents were alive and kicking but if they died and came back, I’d run away too. Knowing them in one lifetime was more than enough for anyone. Though, Fred and Elio weren’t that bad from what I knew of them. Nelum seemed decent enough too. He never took to being called Mum but that was probably the most relatable thing about him.
I shook the thought away as Baby Selatris cooed and waved his hands in the air. Selt and Liatris’s baby was in Selt’s arms, and his sire looked as if he might have to de-limb someone any second now who approached his offspring or mate. Liatris, as usual, was right at home. My friend and teacher was always at home as long as no one tried to boss him around too much or make him stay put. He squeezed Selt’s hand, and they must’ve exchanged something over their mating link because Selt grinned down at him.
I glanced back at Teddy because it felt pervy to watch their secret exchange. He was still shaking his hands out as if his fingers were clogged up with stuck magic.
“Dude?” I nudged him with my elbow.
“Yeah?” he startled.
“Is it that bad? So bad that you’re acting like we’re walking you to your execution?” I asked him.
“Not that bad but it’s out there, I guess,” Teddy shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“What is?” I asked him. “The whole Nelum is your mama thing?” I arched a brow.
“That and that Daliah is getting married, and she and Seq are fighting still. Is it bad that I don’t want any of that drama?”
“He’s always like this,” Selt said. “He worries about everyone else. He nearly choked me out the first time we met because I was giving his friend some smack talk.”
Teddy smirked, opened his mouth, and shut it again. We all knew the story. So, I guessed Teddy stopped himself from saying how much Selt liked it. I never broadcasted my sex life but if that’s what got their rocks off, more power to them.
“So, you’re worried about them?” I asked, trying to get the conversation back on track.
“A bit. I don’t know. I’m anxious. It’s like everything is about to change forever,” Teddy said.
I stopped in my tracks and looked at him.
“Either you forgot to inform me that you’re a seer or you might be having a panic attack, man,” I said, looking him up and down.
“I don’t get those,” Teddy shook his head.
“Alright,” I said and kept walking. “They make some good stuff for them these days, though.”
“I’ll get some pot from Seq when we get there. Don’t let him lie to you. He always has it on hand. He’s just stingy with it,” Teddy said.
“I got my cigarettes. That’s enough for me,” I shrugged pulling the pack out of my pocket before sliding it right back in. I wasn’t about to kick the habit any time soon, but I had a self-imposed rule about not smoking around Baby Selatris. Little man was part lion and didn’t need me getting him all sick or stunting his growth or whatever bullshit secondhand smoke did to babies.
“Probably not good for you either,” Selt laughed, picking up my thoughts over the flight link.
“You don’t know that. I might live with you, but you don’t know that. I haven’t even uttered the name of my home world. Now that the damn doorway’s up one of you all might go and beat the shit out of someone and conquer it just to prove a point.”
“I might,” Selt shrugged. “Do you think I could conquer it while the baby napped? I don’t have a lot of free time for all that these days.”
We all laughed. Even Teddy.
“Are you ever going to tell us what you shift into?” Teddy asked.
“I’m ice,” I shrugged because it was close enough to the truth.
“Ice,” Selt nodded. “We know you took it as your surname but what? You shift into ice cubes?”
“No, he shifts other people into ice cubes,” Liatris laughed. “You’ve seen him do it, baby.”
We arrived at the Earthside door laughing hard enough that the elves who guarded this side of the door smiled as if waiting to be let in on the joke. We told them where we hoped to go instead. The guys looked a bit let down, but I learned a long time ago not to hand out too much information. Teddy and I went through but Liatris and Selt lingered to speak with them. They were the people Liatris was born to after all.
“You really okay?” I asked once Selt wasn’t around. He was Teddy’s sort of ex but not ex. Well, that’s how it was according to them anyway.
“I’m fine. Anxious. Like I want to bounce into the sky or some shit. I wish Sunny could’ve come over with us instead of waiting until later, but he wanted to be there for Laken’s match tonight.”
“I don’t blame him. If Laken were my mate, I’d call that foreplay,” I shrugged, and Teddy laughed.
“So, this is Earthside, then?” I blinked looking around.
“Part of it. We’re near one of the lakes. I can never remember their names. We’ll fly out from here unless Selt and Liatris change their mind and want me to call a car.”
“I doubt it,” I shrugged. “They like shipping us. So, me riding on your back and all that.”
“Selt does not ship us,” Teddy laughed. “You’re too close to him for all that. Wait! You don’t ‘ship’ us, do you?”
“No,” I said, meeting his gaze so he knew I meant it. “You’re great but I don’t have time to make relationships with people who aren’t my chosen mate. That’s too much drama. I’m not going to explain my life more than once, ever.”
Teddy thought about it for a second and nodded like he understood. He might’ve. He dated enough and was well enough known in the purple district that maybe he ran into the problem of being from another world. My problem wasn’t a problem for me. It wasn’t a problem for a lot of the guys I hooked up with at the purple district either, but it might be a problem for some people and I wasn’t going to risk that bullshit. My first instinct was to freeze someone anytime bigoted bullshit poured out of their mouths. I wasn’t sure the Starscale Flight would look too kindly upon me for doing that.
“I don’t think any of them would do that,” Teddy said. “Maybe, I don’t know. Sunny was sure Selt was a full-blown asshole – like against omegas or anyone else having rights but he’s not. I don’t think they’re allowed to come in that flavor of bad.”
“I’m not taking any chances,” I shook my head. “My mate will come, or he won’t. I’m okay either way. I can barely conjure a door hinge. Believe me. I have plenty to keep me busy.”
“No conjuring hinges over here,” Selt teased when he and Liatris finally joined us.
“You don’t let me have any fun,” I rolled my eyes, really wanting a cigarette.
“If you can smoke on my back, go for it,” Teddy laughed as he stepped out of his pants as he jogged away so that both he and Selt had enough room to shift into their dragon forms.