Chapter 62 Jasmine #2
I pass stairs descending to a lower level that I look down upon. It’s tiled and in the centre, there’s a vast iron-cast fire pit. Curved around it, deep-set stone benches, shaped to cradle bodies in heat and shadow. It could seat a dozen or more with ease.
I step further onto the decking, closer to the glass railing, and the tips of trees come into view.
So does a lake.
I knew we were surrounded by forest. Ezekial showed me once on the map, I’ve seen the trees, but not like this.
And I never saw a lake.
A quiet, personal stretch of wilderness wraps around us. Deep, rich, untamed yet it curves perfectly around the still lake, bathed in the slow unfurling of dawn.
It seems like an illusion. A dream. But it feels too real to be imagined.
Large hands slip around my waist, hot skin radiating warmth into my spine.
“The lake was Kane’s idea,” Julien murmurs. “The earth elementals created a new stream from the main body. Now it feeds into a hot spring, like an onsen—”
My gaze catches it. A stone pool nestled beside the thin trail of river, steam rising gently beneath a curved arch of stone.
They’d made me a lake.
An onsen.
Julien stays in the silence with me, and when another breeze catches my hair, his heat holds steady. Always.
He draws me from my awestruck state with a gentle touch, the back of his fingers trailing down the side of my neck, over my shoulder—as he slowly steps away. Wordlessly inviting me to follow.
As we head back inside, just when I thought I’d seen everything, movement catches my eye. Sai, lounging in the shadows like he’s been there the whole time, smirking.
He steps out into a soft shaft of light that bathes him from above.
I frown, then glance up.
A wide skylight stretches over the bed, a circular window mirroring the size of the fur rug. Soft twilight seeps through, deep blue bleeding to grey at the edges, and the last pinpricks of starlight still flicker, caught in the pre-dawn haze.
The air hums, then Sai’s arms reach around my waist, chin nestling into the crook of my neck.
“What you looking at, Red?” he asks, quiet, but with that twinge of mischief he always carries.
“Was this you?” I whisper.
His lips brush my cheek. “You said you liked stars.”
That stops me.
Because I did say that—once. Casually. A throwaway comment about the reason behind my name.
And he remembered.
I lean back into his hold, and crackles of violet spark in the air.
He lifts a hand beside my face, pointing towards a specific patch of sky.
“And that one,” he murmurs, voice warm beside my ear. “That’s all yours, Red.”
What? I turn in his hold, just enough to catch his gaze.
“You bought me a star?” I breathe.
“No, baby.” He smirks. “A constellation.”
A constellation.
Not just one star—many. Something mapped into the sky. Something… eternal.
Heat presses behind my eyes, but I force it down as I stare at him. At this ridiculous, infuriating, beautiful fae who taunts and teases—
And gifts me galaxies.
I kiss him. Just a chaste touch to the edge of his mouth. His fingers twitch at the abruptness, but then tighten—arms circling around my entire waist as he leans in to take my mouth fully.
“Is it a kiss per star?” he murmurs when we part. “Because there’s five in yours.”
I laugh, breathless, happy and… something else.
Ezekial steps from the shadows next, tablet in hand like he’s been waiting for his cue. He walks to us, then holds it out for me.
On the screen, there’s a sky speckled with stars. With a tap, a thin line appears, threading through five of the brightest points, shaping them—creating the constellation.
“This is yours too,” Ezekial says softly, not taking the tablet back.
I run my fingers over the sleek screen. It’s smaller and lighter than his usual one, but when I turn it over, my breath catches.
Two letters are slightly raised in the centre, etched with a slight gloss.
JN.
My initials.
I’ve never had initials. Never had something marked as mine. And now it’s engraved—in glass, in stars.
Even the sky knows who I am.
“It’s not quite a constellation, though, is it mate?” Sai mutters with a teasing twist.
“Do you even know how to spell constellation?” Zeek shoots back.
The corner of my mouth lifts, but I don’t laugh. Because I’m too full. Too stunned.
I turn in place, taking it all in again. The warmth, the light, the dark corners. Even the space outside.
You couldn’t call it a room. More like an entire floor.
The bedroom. The bathroom. The wardrobe. The outside.
Then all the smaller elements. The flickering candles, the books, the plants, the painting.
Even the fabrics, down to every hue, every texture, every thread.… every corner speaks.
Julien’s elegance. Kane’s quiet strength. Zeek’s precision. Sai’s soul.
I feel them in all of it. Every choice. Every breath of this room says the same thing. It’s crystal clear.
They see me.
They hear me.
And then I see it. A soft curl of shadow near the far wall, and beside that—Kane.
Hands in his pockets, eyes dark, expression unreadable.
“You’ve seen him before,” he says eventually, glancing at the sliver by his feet. “Just in pieces.” The shadow slides a little closer. “He stayed near you, when I couldn’t.”
It keeps moving, until it stops beside me, curling into a loose coil.
“The first time I made one like this...” Kane steps closer, his voice lower. “Was for Ezekial when I couldn’t protect him… I gave him something that could.”
My gaze snaps to Ezekial, but he’s already looking away, letting the moment belong to Kane.
“Only the deepest emotions can be made into living shadow,” Julien offers gently, now standing by my side, translating what Kane can’t.
“You made this?” I whisper, staring down at the small, black sliver. Remembering the tiny pieces curled around my ankle. My hand. “For me?”
Kane looks at me. Something’s warring in his expression, until he drops his gaze. He exhales, long and slow, like something inside him is finally giving in.
“I think it started the first time you touched me,” he murmurs, closing the final bit of distance, eyes locked on mine. “And it never stopped.”
I look down at the shadow, its shape and details clearer now. Similar to Ezekial’s, but different in the smallest ways. Its eyes, though hollow, seem softer. The shimmer across its dark scales catches the light more. Its head tilts, like it’s listening.
“And what’s he made of?” I ask.
Kane doesn’t answer, but he doesn’t have to. The creature brushes against my ankle, light as smoke, and I feel it.
Grief, raw and pulsing.
Shame, twisted with want.
Protection, drenched in longing.
And—
Love.
Kane doesn’t look away as it hits me.
This small, serpentine shadow isn’t just a gift. It’s a confession.
All of this is.
I reach for Kane first. He isn’t expecting it as I grab the collar of his shirt and haul him down, slamming his mouth to mine.
Sai’s hold on my waist tightens, but he doesn’t let go. Not even when I break from Kane, turn, and clutch Julien by the arm. I drag him down with my shadows, forcing him to one knee, and kiss him.
When I turn again, Ezekial is already there. I wind my arms around his neck, pulling him down for his kiss.
The moment our lips part, I feel Sai’s fingers twitch against my side.
I twist slowly, trailing my palms up his chest. “Pretty sure you already got a kiss,” I say.
He frowns, opening his mouth to argue—I grip his leather collar and pull him to me, his protest dies in a growl on my lips.
“Is the room to your taste?” Julien asks, when Sai finally lets me pull away, just a little.
I glance at him, eyes wide in disbelief that he’s even asking such a question.
“Whatever it is, Red, we can change it,” Sai murmurs, eyes still on my mouth.
“You made me a room.” My voice cracks on the word, because it isn’t just a room. “You made all of this… for me.”
I step back, out of Sai’s hold, taking it all in again. Noticing new things every time.
I could look forever.
“It’s yours.” Ezekial’s voice is quiet, but so clear. “Everything. Always.”
Because it’s not just a room.
It’s a manifestation of how they listen, how they see me. Even the parts I never say out loud. Even the parts I hadn’t seen in myself.
“I love it,” I say.
All their bodies relax like I’ve said so much more, and maybe I have.
Smiling, I stroll over to my bed, fingers skimming the dark, fluffy throw. “It’s just… the bed—”
Three men snap their glares towards it.
“It’s the cushions, isn’t it?” Sai’s eyes narrow on them. “I told you that was too many, mate.”
I bite my lip, fighting a laugh that becomes almost impossible when Julien starts explaining a 2-2-1 rule for cushion arrangement.
“No,” I drawl, cutting through their voices as I meet their eyes. “It’s not that.”
I pause, tilting my head like I’m weighing something important.
“It’s just…” I let the silence stretch, almost cruel. “Small.”
Sai’s smirk slides into a feral smile, catching on before any of the others.
“It won’t fit everyone,” I clarify sweetly, perching on the edge, smoothing my palm over it as I look at my men.
They’re quiet. Too quiet. But their eyes are darting between each other, speaking a thousand words without saying one.
“We can make it fit,” Sai says smoothly, voice low and absolutely filthy.
Julien turns without a word to Ezekial. “Bring the earth elemental back. Now.”
Ezekial pulls out his phone. “I’ve already wiped his memory. We might need to wait—”
“No.” Kane’s voice stills everyone.
Ezekial frowns, silver gaze narrowing on his brother. “Why not?”
Kane doesn’t answer. He just steps closer until he’s standing over me with those stormy eyes.
“This is your room.” His deep voice sends a pleasant chill along my spine. “Not ours. Yours.”
Like this space isn’t already filled with them. Like I don’t love every piece of it. Like I don’t want more.
I slowly stand, keeping our eyes locked as I close the distance.
“Okay,” I murmur, conspiratorial, fingers pressing to his sternum.
His cat-like eyes flick down, watching my fingers step up his chest that only stop when I reach the notch of his throat.
“This is my room,” I echo softly, then lower my voice. “And I want a bigger bed.”
I glance down. “Maybe one that’s built into the floor? A little lower, but a lot bigger. Like… the size of this rug? So we have room for… sleeping.”
The room is the quietest it’s ever been. Only the distant chirp of birds interrupts.
“We could dismantle it ourselves,” Julien suggests while inspecting the bed.
“Let’s burn it.”
Ezekial scoffs, phone forgotten. “We’re not fucking burning it, Sai.”
Julien tilts his head. “It might be quicker.”
Sai grins as crackles curl between his fingers.
“Stop encouraging him.” Ezekial pinches the bridge of his nose.
Kane’s fingers brush my cheek, pulling me back to him. “We can have another room created.” His shadows trail over my skin. “This is your room. Your space. You don’t need to share—”
“I want to share,” I say it like it’s obvious, because it is. Because for the first time, it feels right.
This isn’t borrowed or temporary. And I want to share it with them.
Kane holds my face in both hands as he digests those words, and then—so soft I almost miss it—the small shadow slithers up my calf.
It feels like Kane. Possessive, protective, yet impossibly gentle. It coils around my waist just as Kane leans in and kisses me.
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to Kane simply taking what he wants from me. I sink into him, let him lead, let him know I’ll never pull away—not anymore.
My fingers skim his chest as we kiss, frowning when I realise—“You put a shirt on. Why?”
A corner of his mouth lifts, as he presses one last, soft kiss to my lips… then steps back.
Behind him, Ezekial lowers his phone. “I’ve asked the elemental to return… after,” he says, voice casual but careful.
After.
That’s when it hits me. He got dressed because we can’t stay here. Not in this room, or wrapped in this moment. Not today. The barrier removal.
The warmth inside me dims, like twilight bleeding into morning.
“How long do we have?” I murmur.
“A few more hours,” Julien answers.
I nod, trying to ignore the dread beginning to curl inside me.
I’ve spent the last few days pretending it wasn’t coming. Maybe that was selfish and na?ve. But I can’t avoid it any longer.
Soon, the barrier will fall. The district will reopen.
And with it thousands of beings will re-enter the place they haven’t stepped foot in for months. And somewhere among them… might be the people I once called family.
The ones who found me outside that very barrier
“What’s the protocol?” I ask, needing the distraction.
Ezekial is beside me, brushing the back of his hand down my arm. “The mayor of the Entertainment District will arrive with Delphine. The air elements are set to drop the lockdown barrier at 8:00 a.m. Then the Lead Commanders and their units will meet her as she steps through first.”
I frown. “But what about you?”
“Delphine has always been the public face of the Council. That was our agreement. We’ll be in my office, watching the proceedings and awaiting her.”
“But what if something goes wrong—”
“Then I will be with you.” He tilts my chin up with his fingers, hovering his mouth over mine. “Exactly where I belong.”
He brushes his lips with mine several times. Light, breath-stealing touches, then pulls away with a smile.
“Okay,” I whisper.
He nods, satisfied with my small, breathless answer, then glances back at his phone. “We need to head in. Finalise everything.”
His words bring silence, everyone becoming lost in their own thoughts.
I might be about to see the only family I’ve ever known, and no matter what I’ve promised my bonds… I still feel their doubt. Not because they don’t trust me, but because they care too much not to be afraid.
I take in the room again, at everything they’ve built. Every quiet choice, and every loud one.
Then down at my fingers, brushing the small shadow now curled at my side. It flickers, but stays.
And so will I.