EPILOGUE 5 #2
Mind zooming at top speed, I’m the first to come to my decision. “No gem. Ez likes us on things, right? Our initials would be the main focus, then.”
The depth of his thoughts clear on his face, Tate’s the next to decide, nodding firmly. “Yeah. I agree.”
Alby’s head bobs quickly when I glance at him.
Rubbing his palm over his stubble, Cooper thinks for a moment longer before saying, “Yeah. Yeah, okay. And she has my Avri in her face already.”
And I’m pretty sure the entire world knows it.
Ezla’s spoken on TV quite a few times—which is when she had the chance to announce that Joseph’s funeral would be private (non-existent) and that he’d want people to move on with their lives and have fun (be in misery for the rest of their lives because the oh-so-great Game Master who caused nothing but suffering for the majority of the population tragically died)—and people have seen her out and about as we’ve had in-person visits to see how things have been going around the region, so of course people would pick up on the dramatic change.
The previous shock of seeing her face and scar hadn’t even died down yet before everyone started talking about its new colour, and there’s been lots of speculation, but what everyone seems to have collectively decided is that it was a training incident due to Ezla starting her practice for the Games so young, even if no one but us and inevitable workers in the Techtis Council building know just how young.
They’ve clearly been studying the shades of Avri in her face extremely closely as they believe Joseph healed her with his Avri—though they can’t understand why and are assuming it was a “special case”, which is honestly the best outcome, no matter how infuriating and wrong it is that people don’t know what a true monster he was—and that when he died and his energy returned to an Avri pole, Cooper’s had to replace it.
Obviously, they’re not too far off there, even if their other conclusions are miles away, and Ez did have a struggle because of it, enraged and humiliated at anyone having sympathy for her or possibly seeing her as weak, but I’m extremely glad to say she let us know this time, and together, me and my brothers took care of her.
We made her favourite ice cream and gave her the best massage of her life, and Scotty was his usual honey-pie self and took the lead as we all told her what a scary-as-fuck, intelligent, gorgeous woman she is.
“We don’t want to be throwing more permanent colours at her,” Cooper finishes his thoughts.
Scotty doesn’t hesitate to dip his chin. “I agree. But if we did change our minds and wanted the other one, we could always have that ring as her wedding band.”
Excitement ping-pongs through me, and Tate’s low voice is filled with his obsessive kind of love as he rumbles, “Can’t wait for her to call me husband.”
Cooper seems a little more hesitant. “You’re so sure she’ll say yes?”
“Duh! She loves us, Coops! What reason would she have to say no?” I point at his black suit when he still seems uncertain. “Look at you! She won’t be able to resist you, my guy!”
Faint colour tints his cheeks. Smoothing a hand over his suit jacket, he clears his throat. “I’m just a little worried,” he admits carefully. “I’m not trying to be a pessimist, but she hasn’t commented on this any time she’s caught a hint of it in our minds.”
My brows knit. That’s true, but . . . Blowing a raspberry, I wave my hand through the air.
“That’s just her not wanting to ruin the surprise factor—she knows it was supposed to be a secret and that we’ve been doing our best to keep it one despite the fact she’s already aware.
Her heart’s all squishy for us, don’t you worry, Coops. ”
He huffs out a laugh under his breath, scrubbing a hand over his head. “Don’t let her hear you say that.” But I can tell he’s relaxed at least a little, the set of his shoulders less tense, and I smile, happy to have helped one of my brothers.
There’s a few moments of silence, and I think everyone’s taking in the gravity of what we’re about to do. Then Scotty says, voice low, “Everyone ready?”
Inhaling slowly before exhaling his breath at the same pace, Cooper seems to steel himself, dipping his chin. The rest of us follow with our own nods, Tate adding a, “Fuck yes.”
“Then let’s get these rings done and go home to our Bonded.”
***
When the glinting black taalk slides away, Ezla’s revealed before us, and my lungs fail like so many do around her .
. . some more permanently than others. She sits in the exact same place she did when we first saw her without her helmet, and just like then, everything and anyone else in the room disappears.
We’ve had the helmets fixed so they’re no longer poisonous, but even so, like us, Ezla doesn’t wear hers at all now other than when we’re in the Training Centre and using our Avri vehicles.
With her as empress, we can use those rooms whenever we want, and while we haven’t had loads of time for that with all the running around and rebuilding the entire region, all of us, even Cooper, have decided we want to keep up our routines for a few reasons: one, our Bonded’s training sessions are elite; two, we’ve always loved spending time with her there, and we’ll now be able to enjoy that fully without the dread always sitting in the background with the knowledge of exactly why we were training; three, it will keep us healthy and in shape; and four—which really should have gone first because this is definitely the most important one—Ezla loves it.
But I can’t really think about that right now when she’s right before me, those always-intense eyes digging into me and my brothers where we’ve frozen in the doorway, attention unwavering.
When they slowly slide over every inch of us as she takes us in in our smart suits, my own eyes do the same to her.
She’s wearing that dark wine-purple colour that I’m now starting to think really is rivalling her love for red, and the dress reminds me a little of the one from the Halfway Ball with its length and slip style, but there’s only two spaghetti straps this time, without the decorative arcs hanging down over her biceps, and the loose neckline dips low between her breasts.
Obviously we can’t see the back, but I know all her stunning light olive skin would be visible if she stood up and turned around, because I could never forget this dress.
I remember every single present we gave her on her birthday, and this one was one of Scotty’s.
One long leg is crossed over the other, her milky-smooth ankles on full display in her simple but elegant shiny obsidian heels, and her delicate necklace, bracelet, and drop earrings that I know for a fact Alby bought her match in colour.
The bun her hair’s held up in that’s allowing me to admire the jewellery is different from that night, too.
It’s more simple, but it’s no less beautiful; there’s no thread today, and her dark chestnut strands are slicked back, the length of them twisted up high on her head.
Feet carrying me a few steps into the room with her pull, I’m in too much of a daze to make it any further, and my brothers follow my lead. “Quick, someone hold out their arms,” I whisper. “I’m gonna pass out.”
Deadly Nightshade’s lips twitch upwards in amusement before her slim arms slide from the back of the couch that’s facing us and she rises to her feet in one smooth motion.
Brown and green eyes flicking up and down our figures once more, she walks over to us at a steady pace.
“You changed clothes while you were out,” she observes.
Cooper’s voice is deeper and rougher than usual when he manages to find it. “So did you.”
Humming, she stops directly in front of him, palm coming up to smooth over his chest.
His throat bobs.
“My Bonds are so handsome,” she muses. Then, “I kept my promise—I did not even attempt to break through the walls you put up in your minds.” Alby’s strangled sound follows as she moves on to him, running a hand possessively down his arm as her hungry eyes eat him up.
“However, as I have told you, I am not oblivious. I wanted to dress for the occasion.”
The velvet ring box held behind my back digs into my palm as she steps up to me.
Delight skitters down my spine and I subtly lift my chin to give her more access to my neck when she breathes in just slightly more deeply, able to smell my cookie dough scent patch.
Smirking, her gaze shifts up to lock on mine, and she holds it for a few seconds before she finds Scotty beside me.
“You look absolutely stunning, Love,” he murmurs lowly, the first to get his limbs to work again as he wraps an arm around her waist and presses a kiss to her cheek.
His other hand is in the same position as mine, while the velvet box for our joined engagement ring is in his suit jacket’s inner pocket, so he keeps his body angled so that she doesn’t feel it.
A smile and a light flush of pleasure come onto his face when she tilts her head to nip at his jawline in response before she heads back across the line we’ve formed to find Tate beside Cooper.
Except he darts down to one knee before she can reach him.
“Tate,” Scotty scolds, alarm flashing through his eyes as he steps out of our line as if he’s planning to storm over and drag our brother back to his feet.
He makes it halfway, pausing behind Ezla where she’s frozen in place, when Tate growls, “I can’t fucking wait,” and yanks his arm to his front, snapping his ring box open.
“Shit, I’m so sorry, Love. I had things planned. This wasn’t meant to happen here—”