Chapter 8
Eight
Keoni
It'd been three days since Zephyr and Nolan fixed the Sanctuary, and absolutely nothing had gone wrong.
I'd gotten so used to the little issues that I realized I'd stopped noticing them only when they ceased to be.
Like that one spot in the corner of the sky in Forest that sometimes showed daylight at night and a black sky during the day. Or the flowers that had smelled of wet soil, and the mud that was fragrant as flowers. Little, stupid things that said something was wrong without causing trouble.
All of them had disappeared when the whole Sanctuary flashed with the colors of Nolan's and Zephyr's magicks. Since then, not a single thing had gone wrong.
"Can I tell Khush now?" I asked as I peered at Zephyr.
We were in his office because he refused to stop working.
Apparently, even with the Sanctuary in order, my mate had a lot of work to do.
I had to do something about that. Zephyr needed some time off—he'd more than earned it—but he was the kind of person who wouldn't easily hand over control of his job to someone else, which was why I hadn't managed to find a way to get him out of here yet.
Zephyr glanced up, then blinked a few times as he processed what I'd said.
"You can, but be honest with them. If it were up to me, I would want to wait and watch for a few more weeks.
But Dustin's due date is coming up, so if they're adamant about having the baby here, tell them Nolan and I will do everything in our power to keep everyone safe. "
I smiled, then squeezed myself beside him so I could lean down and kiss his cheek. He gave me a startled look, and I smiled before retreating to the other side of the desk.
Since Khush had chewed me out last time for calling and waking Dustin from his nap—he could be a tad irrational when it came to his pregnant mate—I chose to text him.
Me: Hey, K. I have news.
Khush: What's up?
I grinned at his speed, then tapped out a reply.
Me: Nolan and Zephyr fixed the Sanctuary a few days ago. You can come home!
Khush: A FEW DAYS AGO?! Why am I only hearing from you now?
Me: They wanted to make sure everything was working right first. They said there's still a slight chance something could go wrong, but they promised to keep you safe.
Khush: I just told Dustin, and now he's trying to pack. I gotta go before he pulls something. Will the headmaster portal us home?
"Khush is asking if you'll make a portal for them," I said, and Zephyr glanced up from his notebook, a puzzled look on his face.
"Of course. Just let me know when they're ready."
Me: Text me when you're ready to come, and Zephyr will make the portal.
Khush: Will do. Gotta go!
I snickered as I imagined him trying to get Dustin back into bed while the human insisted on packing up. They were so made for each other.
"What are you doing anyway?" I asked as I slid my phone into my shirt pocket. I stepped closer to the desk to peer at the notebook and saw a bunch of upside-down numbers.
"Finances," he said with an adorable frown. "I have a human accountant who takes care of most of it, but I try to keep a log of the money spent for the Sanctuary."
"Do you have a lot of money?" I asked, curious. Then I realized that was probably a rude thing to ask someone, and added, "You don't have to tell me."
"I don't mind," he said with a chuckle as he met my gaze.
Even in a few days, the result of not having to worry about the Sanctuary was obvious.
The bags under his eyes were still there, but they looked lighter, and his blue eyes were brighter than they'd been in months.
"I don't know what you'd describe as 'a lot,' but I have enough that the Sanctuary could survive on it for at least a decade.
But I also have investments that keep the money growing, so we don't have to worry about running out. "
I knew from talking to Nolan that Zephyr was over two centuries old, and I imagined he'd been saving money for at least half of that time.
While we had farms at the Sanctuary, all animal-based food—milk, eggs, meat—came from the human world, as well as clothes, tools for Draven, books for the library, and many other things.
I imagined it wasn't cheap to keep this place running, especially because most of the supes who ended up here didn't have a penny to their names. I certainly didn't.
"Can I ask you a question?" I asked after a few minutes of silence, and Zephyr hummed without looking up from his work. I wasn't sure if he was bothered that I was hanging around here, but he hadn't asked me to leave, so I planned to stick around until he did. "Why did you create this place?"
Zephyr's pen paused, and he stared blankly at the notebook for a moment before glancing up at me. He bit his lower lip as he mulled over his answer, and I dragged my gaze away before I did something stupid like ask him if I could bite it for him.
"When I was young, I wished there was a place like this.
Somewhere I could be safe from humans and supes alike.
At first, I meant to live here alone. But then I met Draven, who was also looking for a safe haven, and he made me realize I could use my magic for good.
I hadn't found a place like this when I really needed it, but I could make one for others like me. "
I'd always wondered if Draven was the first resident, since he seemed to have a hand in everything and knew everything about this place.
I imagined a young Zephyr, fresh from the loss of his familiar and his arm, working hard to make a safe place for others even though no one had offered him one when he needed it. How had he continued to be so good?
Unable to find words to express how much I admired him, I walked around the desk once more and leaned down, for once glad of my short stature. I wrapped my arms around him from the side, and hugged him tight as I kissed the side of his head.
"You are amazing, Zephyr."
Zephyr
Portal was the first spell I perfected after losing my arm because I never, ever wanted to be without a means of escape again.
Now, I could make them with barely a thought, which was what I'd done now so Khush and Dustin could return, while my mind stayed firmly on the hug Keoni had given me a few hours ago.
He'd called me amazing, and kissed my head.
Then he'd gone back to his spot and stood there, reading.
He'd seemed content to keep me company as I worked, asking questions every once in a while.
He used to do that before, when he first came to the Sanctuary, and I'd entertained him because I'd thought he was a kid.
Now that I knew better, I wondered why he'd done that.
Silas came through the door first with four bulging duffel bags in his arms. I'd made the portal from Khush's bedroom to the one they were staying in so Dustin wouldn't have to walk much, and Silas set to unpacking everything as Khush walked through with Dustin cradled in his arms.
"I can walk, dammit!" Dustin growled as he smacked Khush's chest with his small fist, and I bit back a smile. Khush carried his mate to the bed as Haruto came through with the wheelchair Khush had been using. Nodding at me, he headed down the stairs, probably to deposit the wheelchair.
"Is that everyone?" I asked, and Khush glanced back, a smile on his face.
"Yeah. Liam's watching the shop, so he'll come home in the evening. Haruto will probably head back there with some lunch later."
Nodding, I closed the portal, then walked over to the bed, meeting Dustin's gaze.
"I'm sorry it took me so long to fix everything," I murmured, and Dustin waved me off.
"It's all good. We're here now, aren't we? This little snakelet's gonna be born here, and that's all I care about," he said as he patted his belly, and I smiled.
"Let me know if there's anything either of you need, okay?
And talk to Draven. He has some experience assisting with births, so he can answer any questions you have.
" While I didn't think Draven had ever assisted a human, or helped with a half-naga kid, I was sure he'd be able to help them in some way, though grudgingly, like he did most things.
Khush shot me a surprised look, but nodded. Dustin narrowed his eyes at me, his lips pursed. "You should take care of yourself too. You look like hell."
I blinked, then chuckled. Very few people in this place spoke to me like that, like I was their equal. There was Draven, Keoni, Nolan, and apparently, Dustin.
"Right!?" I startled at the shouted word, then realized Keoni had jumped into the conversation from where he stood outside. Damn it, I should've thought of that.
With a snap of my finger, I made a portal from here to Keoni on the ground below. He couldn't climb the stairs, but Khush was his best friend and he obviously wanted to see him.
"Thanks!" Keoni said with a grin as he came through, then hightailed it for Khush, giving him a tight hug before leaning over the bed and hugging Dustin a lot more gently.
"I've been trying to get him to take a break without success.
Maybe you can help me convince him," he mumbled to the human, though it was loud enough for me to hear.
I rolled my eyes, but I had a feeling I wouldn't get my way for much longer.
Keoni had told me he was going to wait until the Sanctuary was fixed before focusing on our bond, and now that it was.
.. well, I'd been a little surprised Keoni hadn't asked me out the day the Sanctuary was fixed. Or the one after that. Or today.
Maybe he wanted me to rest first? It wasn't like I had no work now. Even before the issues started cropping up, I'd always been busy. With so many people living in one place, there was always something to do, something to fix, something to mediate.
"We'll figure something out," Dustin assured him, then covered his mouth as he yawned.
"Time for a nap!" Khush declared, and Dustin groaned.
"No! We just got back," he whined, but Khush would hear none of it as he started shooing us away.
"If you two would like to have dinner with everyone, just call me and I'll set up a portal for Dustin," I said, then followed Keoni through the portal before closing it.
"I'm so glad they're back!" Keoni exclaimed, and I smiled.
"So am I."
I covered my mouth with a fist as a yawn escaped my lips, then shook my head. Keoni gave me a long look, then nodded to himself before placing a palm on my lower back. His touch was firm and warm, and I found myself sinking into it before I noticed what I was doing.
"You need a nap as well," Keoni decided, and I frowned.
"No, I don't. I'm fine."
Keoni ignored me as he started herding me toward the exit, and I let him, but only because I'd planned to go back to my office anyway.
But when we reached it, Keoni didn't stop. Instead, he slid his arm around my waist as if he knew I'd try to stop him, and kept walking toward the door to my private area, my bedroom.
He pushed it open before pulling me in, and I realized for the first time that centaurs were strong, no matter how lithe and tiny they looked.
Keoni's cart could barely squeeze through the door, and I was glad the room was at least big enough he'd be able to turn around easily without knocking into things.
He only stopped once we stood in front of my bed, then gestured toward it.
"I don't need a nap, Keoni. I'm not a kid. Or carrying one," I amended, and Keoni snorted. His gaze dropped to my stomach, and I had the strange feeling he was imagining me pregnant. "Keoni."
He jerked his gaze away as his cheeks flushed pink, and I sighed.
"You know that's physically impossible, right?"
"I know," he grumbled, then waved at the bed. "Lie down for me. If you don't fall asleep in ten minutes, you can go back to work and I won't say a thing."
I opened my mouth to protest, then realized it would be much easier—and probably faster—to go along with him.
I climbed into bed with a sigh, and Keoni beamed at me.
He took a step back, glancing toward the door, and I knew he'd leave like he had the other day.
That was good. Once he left, I could take my arm off.
Even if I didn't sleep, the break would probably be good for my arm.
I never took it off during the day, no matter how many times Draven scolded me for it. I couldn't bring myself to.
"Wait," I said, and blinked as I realized I'd reached out and grabbed his arm. When had I done that? "Are you leaving?"
Keoni gazed at me for a long moment, then shook his head. "Nah, I'll stay for a while. I've got my book," he said, patting his pocket where his phone was.
I nodded, then dropped my hand. My eyes felt heavy, and I had a feeling I was going to fall asleep. Damn it, I'd been so sure I wouldn't.
"Zephyr, I know you don't like taking your arm off in front of people, but you can do it under the covers. It'll be uncomfortable to sleep with it on," Keoni said, voice soft, and I knew he was right. I'd done that a few times, and regretted it immensely.
With a sigh, I slid the covers higher, then removed the metal forearm with a click. I didn't pull it out from under the sheets, just left it hidden underneath.
"Good job," Keoni murmured, and the words sent warmth floating through me as I let my eyes flutter shut.
Just before I fell asleep, something warm and soft pressed against my forehead, and my lips curved in a smile as I floated away.