Chapter Eight
Emhara paid attention when Meritha smiled. “Your magic will arrive fully when you are safe to use it.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Mik has already met the mages from the dark elves. The conversation went about as well as conversations do when Mik isn’t on the clock.” She grinned. “Chaos magic has an effect on social controls.”
“So, she is the chaos mage mentioned.”
“Correct. She’s a therapist by day, and she moonlights as a character in the Riot Magic game.” Meritha laughed. “She’s scrappy and gives absolutely no fucks.”
Myrtle’s eyes were darting between them, and she turned to her mate. “I am getting an idea.”
“Will it be done before the baby arrives?”
Myrtle ran her hand over her belly. “If you guys keep up a maintenance schedule, yes. Just like when I was pushing my last novel.”
“You can do it in six weeks?”
Myrtle nodded. “This baby isn’t coming out until I finish this story.”
Teyval chuckled. “Then go, and kiss Denith, and we will be on our way.”
Myrtle paused. “Emhara, can I talk to you again?”
“Yes. Of course. You want that mural, after all.”
Myrtle beamed. “You are right, I do.”
“Send me photos of your other two mates, and everyone will surround your baby.”
Myrtle smiled. “Thank you.”
Duran smiled. “They can get in touch with any of us, and we can do a phone swap.”
Teyval pushed his seat back and inclined his head. “It was interesting meeting you. As they will tell you, our training didn’t cover this.”
Emhara chuckled.
Duran nodded. “You are not kidding.”
Emhara nodded. “It was nice to meet you, Myrtle.”
Meritha nodded as well. “I am sure we will meet again, Myrtle.”
Denith came out of the kitchen, saw Myrtle being eased to her feet, and handed Teyval a foil swan. “Extra dessert. She has writing face.”
Teyval laughed. “She does indeed. I have to get her home before she explodes or starts writing on the dashboard again.”
Myrtle walked to Denith and got a kiss. “Everything was great. Well done. No notes today.”
Denith stared at her and leaned in for a more in-depth kiss.
Emhara chuckled. “She paid, and he’s giving her change. In pennies. It’s going to take a while.”
Her guys snorted, and eventually, Denith released Myrtle’s face, and she blinked sleepily.
Myrtle asked, “Do any of the mages have elves?”
Meritha pointed at Emhara and her three. “If you are wondering about a relationship, Nimue and Evadon have been together for a year. He will pick her up from work daily.”
Duran blinked. “Evadon?”
“Yes.”
“Right. Sure. That makes sense.”
Meritha said softly, “She sees beauty wherever it occurs. The scarring on his face and body speak their own words to her.”
Emhara cocked her head. “Are you saying his body talks dirty to her?”
Meritha laughed. “Yes.”
“Wow.” She smiled, and then her skin darkened as her brain tried to wrap around that.
The server came to them and slid the bill toward Duran, but Emhara pounced on it with her black card. “Uh, no!”
The server blinked as Emhara scribbled an appropriate tip on the bill and then handed the leather folio back.
Meritha smirked behind a hand. When the server walked away to run the card, she said to the deltas, “Did you know that this is the first time Emhara has ever been able to spend her own money? The. First. Time. Ever. She lived off the barter system most of her life, and now she can join the rest of the world.”
The server came back with a dazed expression. “Please come back another time, miss.”
Myrtle and Denith were still making out when the kitchen started calling for him.
Denith lifted his head and smiled. “That was...”
“Appreciation, Denith. Keep it up.”
Teyval laughed, and Emhara looked at the rest of her table. “Ready to go? I want to see what the card can do at the art supply store.”
Duran smiled and helped her to her feet by holding her chair. Emhara got to her feet and nodded to Denith. “It was a lovely meal. Well done.”
He blinked and inclined his head. “Thank you, miss.”
Teyval grinned. “Her name is Emhara. Get used to it. She’s going to be painting a mural in the baby room.”
Meritha chuckled. “Art calls to art.” She got to her feet. “And she got to play with her black card, so she’s happy.”
Emhara nodded. “Very happy. First time with my own money without running it through an abusive asshole first.”
Denith blinked. “I should have comped you.”
“No, your staff put up with a lot. If I ever come back, I will be more annoying.”
Myrtle frowned. “Why wouldn’t you come back?”
“Because I tried it, I liked it, but there are a lot of other restaurants around here to try. I am not screwing the chef, so there isn’t anything to keep me here.”
Myrtle paused and looked from her to Denith. “You could borrow him.”
Emhara recoiled. “Ew. No. I am not a fan of alphas. If I see you when I am working on the baby’s mural, I will show you.
Or your guys can ask Duran for the file and medical records.
They are part of an active investigation and court case, but I think you have a trustworthy face. I am also tired of hiding it.”
Three hands touched her, and she smiled slightly. “Thanks, guys. Now, I have gotten four hours of solid sleep in the last week, and that was curled up on Echel. So, I want to hit an art supply shop and then go home so I can sleep.”
Echel nodded. “Then, we shall go. How good was the tip? The server is in love. Looks like they want to carry you out of here.”
“Fifty percent. They kept their focus and adapted to the different orders well and caught up seamlessly when Myrtle and Teyval showed up.”
Denith nodded. “That is why I hire them.”
“And yet, Amber could throw me out without providing me with a new reservation because of training?”
He winced. “I lose focus around the hostesses. I don’t like getting too close. They get clingy.”
Myrtle snorted. “Let me at them.”
“See? That is why I don’t mention it.” He smiled and kissed her.
Emhara said, “There is a fire in the kitchen, so you had better get moving.”
Denith whipped around.
“Made you look.” She smiled, and Meritha laughed.
Emhara walked around the table and headed for the entrance, smiling as Nimue handled insistent influencers who were frantically looking around for Amber.
Emhara watched another woman walk in and give her name. Nimue grinned and nodded. “This way. Table for one.”
The others huffed and looked around the restaurant.
Emhara paused and asked the blonde woman, “Why do you want to eat here so badly?”
“I want to see one of those dark elves. They are hot, and they don’t always have a female with them.”
Nimue smiled as she returned. “Oh, good luck with that. Nice to meet you, Emhara.”
“And you as well, Nimue. Now, I am going to raid an art store.”
Nimue laughed, and it was genuine and beautiful.
Duran slid an arm around her and must have gone tall and dark because the ladies at the door gasped. Emhara chuckled. “Oh, look, you saw one.” She looked behind her. “Three.” They started to head to the sidewalk. “Lucky you.” Echel slid his arm around her, and Samsor chuckled. “So very rare.”
Duran was grinning, and Meritha was chuckling. “I am heading to my car.”
Samsor said, “I will walk you there.”
“Not necessary. I have two guards here across the street. They are on their way. You can just stay until the handoff.”
Samsor nodded, and two dark figures came toward them. They weren’t elves or anything unusual; they were alphas with serious expressions who nodded. “Miss? Heading to the car?”
“Yes, thanks, Henri, Dexter. That will be good.”
They flanked her, and a dark car moved silently from the curb down the street. Once the driver was confirmed, Meritha and her bodyguards tucked into the car.
Emhara waved cheerfully and knew that Meritha was smiling at her from inside the heavy tint.
She looked at Duran. “Right. Nearest art supply?”
Echel laughed, and they got to their vehicles and drove to the nearest art supply store. By the time she had filled the first cart, she looked at Samsor. “How big is your house, and how long can I stay?”
“You can have a room on the main floor until we have a studio built for you. You can pick one with good light.”
She grinned, leaned toward him, and in a husky whisper, she said, “Get me another cart.”
He laughed, and Duran went to get a second cart.
Sketchbooks, pencils, canvases, pencil sharpeners by the handful, acrylic paints, brushes, more canvases, and stuff to do magical effects. She watched as the clerk scanned every item, and then she brought out the black card again, and the clerk’s eyes bugged out.
She had never spent a thousand dollars at one time, but this was a special occasion. All the birthday presents she had never gotten were in these carts and the bags.
Once it was paid for with her thumbprint and a grin, the guys grabbed the bags, juggled the larger canvases, and headed out to the parking lot to distribute the fruits of her raid.
Duran smiled and tucked her into the car. “Have a good day?”
“Became legally independent, had a good meal, met some new friends, and am now swimming in art supplies. Pretty good day.”
“There will be a lot more court.”
“I know. Unless they all plead no contest, I am in for a fight. I think I will be able to manage it.”
Duran nodded. “I know you will.”
She smiled, and he came around to slide behind the wheel. He lifted her hand to his lips. “Now, we head home.”
She said, “Hooray!”
She was smiling and felt herself get warm and relaxed, and then she was asleep.
Emhara woke hungry, and Echel was nearby. “We have a shirt for you to sleep in, but we didn’t want to freak you out by taking off your dress.”
“How long have we been here?”
“Samsor’s house? About two hours.” He held up a tee. “Here you go. Do you need a hand getting changed?”