Long Way From Home
Felix
My family might seem like they drive me fucking insane, but they don’t.
Fitz, Chess, and I had nothing remotely like this outside of my Nonna.
She was exiled before we were adolescents, which is when it got much, much worse with the Raj.
The one barrier he semi-respected was gone, and we were forced into the roles he chose for us with brutal efficiency.
Our submission on that helped us keep Chessie safe; that’s why we did it.
No one else would have protected him, and the possibilities terrified us constantly, especially Fitz.
I shudder to think what he would have done to burn the entire island down if my father had gotten his paws on the adopted cheetah.
As we wait for the early boarding our expensive as fuck tickets grant us, I look around at the crowds.
We were safe in the hidden gargoyle compound during our stay there, but that doesn’t mean we are now.
There are no safeguards in the small eastern European village, and I don’t trust anyone now that we’ve exposed how far this conspiracy goes.
Keeping the people I love away from those who want to do them harm is in my genetics as the future king and a Khan.
Our family once stood for that sort of thing, as my Nonna used to tell us, but several generations of weak sons brought us to the place where our name stands for something entirely different now.
“Deep thoughts, bro?”
I shrug, giving my twin a blank expression. I don’t want him making a big deal of my concerns in front of the others; the train journey is sketchy enough as it is. Being trapped in a moving cage is better on land than in air, but none of it makes my tiger happy. “Just musing. Nothing important.”
He snorts, arching a brow suspiciously. “You know that I’m your fucking twin, right? I know what my face looks like when I’m thinking about dark shit. Come on, man.”
Laughing, I move away from the group slightly. Aubrey and Ren are chatting with the princess and Chess, so I feel okay doing this much. “I was thinking about home, our family, and how much I hate being out of control regarding our security.”
“That’s… a lot at once.” Fitz scratches his chin as he looks at me seriously.
“You know that we’re all capable of defending ourselves, and together, we’re a powerhouse.
I don’t think the train journey is going to be as busy on the way home, and you’ll be able to have us all right where you can see us. ”
Dolly bounces over, her eyes dancing with merriment. “I’m really glad we’re going home. I miss Ru-Ru and Coco, plus the Captain’s crew, and even our renovated library home. Rennie’s family took good care of us, and I think it helped him a lot, but we had to come back to reality sometime.”
“Princess, you’re far more sentimental than you want anyone to know,” I reply with a soft smile.
“I’m happy to get back to our current home, too, and I’d like to see everyone, even Zhenga.
I want to get all this shit done and sorted before school starts.
It’s already the beginning of September, and things will move quickly as they start the semester. ”
“It does always seem to fly by as we’re ducking all the attacks and asshole enemies,” she says as she links her arm in mine. “I guess being on our toes constantly makes things move more quickly? I don’t know.”
“Do you think she and Coco Cabana will have new shit for us from their vacay in Paris?” Fitz asks as he bumps her shoulder with his.
“I have to say, they got the plum job for the summer. The prey animals went to the isles, we journeyed to vampire-land, and the badger had his shit. Those two spent all these weeks ‘ooh-la-la-ing’ it up while we hiked and the prey camped out on remote islands.”
“Fitzy, we weren’t exactly roughing it in that lovely house with all the room and dinners with the clan, and—”
I hold my hand up, nodding at the train to get their attention. “They’re going to call the private cabins now. Come on, you two. Time to grab the others and get on our first leg of this return trip.”
“Hell, yeah, bro! Train sex time!”
Dolly’s eyes fly wide as my twin shouts that while moving toward the rest of our family, and I chuckle. “You might have spoiled him last time. I’m not sure you’ll be able to talk him down after that.”
Not that I’m complaining…
Boarding the Venice-Simplion Express again doesn’t take very long—in fact, I’m not convinced that they don’t have our names in some book that says ‘don’t piss these fuckers off’ so no one makes the mistake they did last time.
I’m perfectly fine with that if that’s the case, though.
Keeping all the tempers in line when some random person questions us is hard enough without it being the damn valet.
That guy is supposed to bring us drinks and whatever else we need, not avoid us at all costs.
“Same rooms as before, obviously,” Dolly says with a resolute nod. “I’ll stay with the cats this time since last time was Aubrey and Rennie’s turn. That feels fair.”
I grin over her head at the grumbling dragon, but Fitz does a double fist-pump as he sticks his tongue out at the gargoyle. “Sounds fair, Princess. But we’ll grab some lunch once we’re settled and on the way.”
“I want to get copies of as many newspapers as they offer on the train,” Aubrey says as he pretends Fitz isn’t bothering him. “We’ve been cut off, and I do not want to be slammed in the face by going to the internet first. That cesspool will be infuriating and unhelpful.”
Renard rolls his eyes. “Fitz and I can surf the web on our phones while you look through the papers, Flames. Chester will take notes on his tablet, and the Raj and ma petite will monitor the surrounding preds in the restaurant car. Oui?”
I nod, pleased with his breakdown as I open the door to our cabin. “Bring in our stuff and the princess’s bag.”
Dolly gives me an eye roll, but she lets Chessie and Fitz carry everything in. “I can heft my own bag, Felix. I know you’re all trying to be chivalrous, but you don’t always have to do that.”
“Snack size, we enjoy doting on you, and that will not change. Plus, we’ve all been trained in that sort of behavior since birth.
It is difficult for us to adapt, especially the two of us who are ancient.
” The dragon smiles at her fondly before leaning in to kiss her cheek lightly.
“And you will owe Rennie and me time on the next train, yes?”
“Don’t be silly,” our mate says as she looks at him adoringly. “I let you guys do so much that I have to train for the Pred Games stuff or I’d gain a billion pounds from Chessie’s food. You’re just trying to make me feel all squishy with the gallant act.”
“C’est possible*,” Renard says as he kisses her, too. “And Flames is correct about owing us time. The tigers and Chester are getting their wild time on this one. It must be even, you know.”
“She gets it, you poetry-spouting asshole,” I say as I shove them toward their cabin. “Stop holding everything up. We’ll all meet here in a half an hour; that should give us time to unpack and get settled as the train pulls out of the station.”
Not much time to have a bit of fun, but it could happen if the princess is willing…
Chess clears his throat and opens our door to carry in our stuff, giving Fitz and me a dirty look. “The two of you are acting like children. Dolly, come on in so you can help me get stuff arranged.”
She grins, letting go of my arm to follow the cheetah into the cabin, and I huff as I look at my twin. “I am not acting like a kid.”
He claps me on the shoulder, shrugging in that carefree way he has as he replies, “Bro, it doesn’t even matter if we are because my Baby Girl is in our room tonight and everyone else can suck it.”
“Hard to argue with that,” I say as we head inside. “Good point.”
The door shuts behind me, and I smile as I see Chess fussing with the bags and Dolly watching as she looks around the room.
They’re planning out what to take out for our overnight stay and what to leave in the bags.
Our mate pulls a small vial out of her pocket, setting it next to the liquor on the bar.
I guess the gargoyles gave her a little more of the protective poison-prevention juice, and I’m glad of that.
I’d hate to travel all the way back to France and not feel safe eating or drinking.
“Now, everyone is going to behave as Chessie and I get things together. I want to shower—alone—real quick so I’m not stinky.
After that, the rest of you can do so as well.
We’re not going to that fancy dinner car smelling like a mountain hike.
It’s gross, but it will also make us stick out like sore thumbs. ”
“Anything you say, Baby Girl,” Fitz says as he jumps onto the bed and sprawls out. “I’m hungry as fuck, and I refuse to miss out on the good eats because of a little muskiness. Plus, it’ll be harder for you to say ‘no’ to some chugga-chugga-woo-woo when we come back if I smell delish.”
Dolly snorts, covering her giggle with her hand. Once she’s recovered, she gives my brother a fake stern look, to which he just grins cheesily. “You behave, Fitz Khan, or I’ll decide you’re all sleeping on the floor out of pique.”
“No way,” I reply as I join her, putting my arms around her waist and burying my face in her rainbow hair. “You’d never sleep alone—not anymore.”
Sighing as she turns her head to rub her cheek on mine, she whispers, “Don’t test my resolve. I’d hate to show you just how stubborn I can be just to prove a point. It would be lonely, and I don’t think any of us wants that, Sir.”
Every. Damn. Time. She. Gets. Me.
“Okay, okay, enough,” Chess cuts in as he opens the bags. “Angel, it’s time for you to go get squeaky while these jokers and I set up the security.”
I let go of her so she can move to the bags and grab whatever she needs.
I hate doing it, but my other brother is right—we have to set things up to ensure we’re safe while we sleep.
Ren and Aubrey are probably doing the same in their cabin, and it will be time to meet for dinner sooner than we think. “Go on, Princess.”
Dolly sashays away on purpose, knowing she riled me up with that comment.
I love that she and I have the push-pull that turns us both on, but I also know that I have to make sure it doesn’t keep me from focusing on the bigger picture.
While she’s messing with her stuff, I walk around the cabin as if it’s the first time I’ve seen it.
It’s not, but if I let familiarity disguise a problem, I’ll fail the people I hold most dear.
“Chess, open every drawer and cabinet to check them top to bottom. Look for anything out of the ordinary, but don’t touch what you can’t identify. Fitz, under the furniture and between cushions and pillows. We need this room locked down by the time our girl is done showering.”
Now that I’m in a publicly accessible space, it’s time for ‘non-vacation’ Felix to return.
* It’s possible.