Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
When Elijah said he was going to speak with his brother, Alistair had been hopeful that there would be at least one person at Spellbound outside of Alistair and Isaac that Elijah would be close to.
One more person who might help get other people to see Elijah for who he really was.
But when Elijah came back from meeting his brother with a rain cloud of sadness over his head, Alistair couldn’t help but growl.
He’d hoped with the way Elijah spoke about his brother that the man would think along similar lines as he did and would be happy to speak with him again.
Who could turn someone as sweet as Elijah away?
For the rest of the morning, Elijah’s mood was dark and unhappy.
He barely mustered a smile when people came to ask for his help.
And absolutely no one noticed Elijah’s mood change.
The fake smile made as much of an impression on them as his real one.
And that pissed Alistair off. So much so that he adamantly refused to let Elijah participate in loyalty interviews until his mood was improved.
Since Alistair didn’t know the area well, he asked Isaac for his help. Isaac, in turn, asked someone named Taron. He showed up with Isaac and Maverick, a bright smile on his face.
“Well if it isn’t my favorite telepath! How are you, Elijah?” He didn’t wait for a response, turning instead to Maverick and telling him, “Did you know he and Hugo are related? Twins of two different species, if you can believe it. It blew my mind when I found out!”
The mention of his brother only caused Elijah to sink in on himself a little more. While Alistair couldn’t blame the man for the misstep, it didn’t make him any less willing to punch something.
Isaac sidled closer to him, bumping his elbow and muttering, “Take a deep breath. You look ready to murder someone.”
“I am. And he’s only a few floors below us,” Alistair griped back.
Isaac squeezed his shoulder with an understanding smile but refused to let Alistair go on a murder spree. Little brothers were the worst sometimes. Instead, he drew the attention away from siblings and back onto their plans.
“Taron, didn’t you say we had reservations somewhere?”
Taron spun around, beaming at him. “I did!” He twirled again to face Elijah, moving almost constantly as he spoke with enthusiasm. “A little birdy told me you were having a rough morning, so I called in a favor! We should leave now so we won’t be late.”
“This better not take all afternoon,” Maverick growled at him. “I’ve got a meeting at two.”
Taron waved him away. “It’s just lunch. I promise, you’ll be back in time for your meeting. Now let’s go, people!”
Elijah looked confused as Alistair ushered him toward the elevator, following the group of three waiting for them.
He kept shooting Alistair questioning glances, but Alistair only smiled reassuringly at him.
He didn’t actually know what the plan was, neither Isaac nor Taron had cleared it with him, but he trusted his brother.
At least until Isaac asked Taron after their car pulled away from the curb, “So where are we going?”
“You don’t know?” Alistair demanded.
Isaac, who sat in the back seat next to Elijah, shrugged. “Taron said he had it handled. I think Ozen and Avery are meeting us there, so it can’t be that bad.”
“It’s a secret,” Taron beamed from the driver’s seat. “And yes, my brother from another mother and his lovely mate will be joining us. Avery had a meeting with his editor, so they’re meeting us there.”
“What’s this all about?” Elijah asked quietly enough that only Alistair and Isaac could hear him.
Isaac pointed at Alistair, who rolled his eyes at his brother’s refusal to explain.
Taking Elijah’s hands in his, he said, “You’ve been sad all morning.
I wanted to do something to make it better, but I don’t know the area well so I asked Isaac for help.
He recruited Taron. If this turns out to be awful, put the blame on him. ”
Isaac’s offended gasp wasn’t enough to drown out the snicker that escaped Elijah. The cloud of unhappiness finally parted, and his eyes danced as he bit back a chuckle.
“Why would you blame me? Blame Taron!” Isaac demanded.
“No, no,” Taron shook a finger while looking at them through the rearview mirror. “No blaming Taron. He went out of his way to help his friends. He deserves praise and cuddles, not blame. Blame Maverick.”
The dragon in the front seat frowned at his companion. “Why me?”
Taron shrugged. “Because you’re so adorable and cuddly, and your mate– Eep! Don’t distract the driver!”
Maverick had grabbed for Taron’s neck, maybe to strangle the man, but with the way Taron squirmed, grabbed a fistful of his jacket instead. And Alistair thought he had a quick temper. Maverick was even worse. It was a good thing they were stopped at a red light.
“How about we don’t blame anyone until we see where we’re going?” Isaac suggested.
“That! Do that!” Taron exclaimed, still flinching away from Maverick. “And look! We’ve arrived!”
He pulled them into a mostly empty parking lot except for tables on platforms attached to–
“Are those cranes?”
Isaac leaned forward between the seats, eyes wide and incredulous. “Why are the tables connected to the cranes?”
“Welcome to Sky Dining!”
Elijah looked up at the cranes dubiously as they all slid out of the car. He knew Taron was known to cause mayhem wherever he went, but he never expected something like this. It was a good thing he wasn’t afraid of heights.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to do it,” Alistair said as he stood beside him.
He had a similar expression to Elijah’s, studying the cranes for any hint of unsteadiness.
But it was a clear day with very little wind, and the cranes were bolted to the ground.
It seemed as stable as something like this would get.
Avery looked a little green where he stood with Ozen, talking to the host of the event. Elijah didn't even have to read him to feel the apprehension coming off of him. Meanwhile, Maverick looked downright angry.
“How is this what you chose?”
Taron looked up at him innocently. “What? You aren’t afraid of heights, are you? I didn’t think dragons could be afraid of heights.” He ducked behind Ozen when Maverick reached for him again, cackling like a loon.
Isaac just shook his head, arms crossed over his chest as he studied their supposed lunch set up. “I guess we really should have asked more questions when neither Tony nor Zephyr showed up when he did. Where are they, by the way?”
Taron’s smile turned rueful when he said, “Apparently there’s a difference between flying with your mate and letting a crane lift you into the air. Tony wasn’t comfortable with the idea. Zeph took him to lunch at our favorite sushi place instead.”
Maverick looked ready to strangle him again, but before he had the chance, the host clapped his hands, beaming at them all.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen, and welcome to Sky Dining! You’ll be provided with a three course meal, and of course, the view is free!
I have some forms for you all to fill out before we strap in, so if you’ll form a line. ”
Leaning a little closer, Elijah asked Alistair, “Do you think he’s aware of me? I’d hate to make him uncomfortable–”
Alistair shot him a look, his expression hard. “He’ll deal with it. If you don’t want to do this because you’re uncomfortable, I’ll allow that. But if you’re only saying no to make other people happy, then we’re getting on the damn ride. You deserve to enjoy yourself, too.”
It was harsh and a little rough, but the emotions coming off of Alistair made Elijah’s head spin.
Determination wrapped in affection and protectiveness.
Alistair went to the trouble to set this up for him just to make him feel better.
He didn't want to turn his nose up at that. Besides, it looked fun.
“Okay, let’s do it,” he nodded, taking Alistair’s hand and squeezing gently.
A proud smile flashed across Alistair’s face, making Elijah’s heart go pitter patter. It had barely been a few days together, and Elijah was already falling hard for the man. He’d need to mind his expressions so he wouldn’t send Alistair screaming for the hills.
They signed the paperwork and were strapped into the seats attached to the table.
The platform wouldn’t be lifted like he expected, only the table and chairs, leaving their legs dangling in the air.
Excitement buzzed under his skin, and he held his breath when the host checked his straps were secure, not wanting the man to figure out what he was and cancel the whole thing before it even started.
Elijah had never done anything like this before. He wanted to experience it.
Isaac looked just as excited, a grin on his face as he poked at his surly mate and teased him for his discomforted expression.
Taron was just as overjoyed, sitting across from Elijah next to Avery and Ozen on the opposite side of the table.
Ozen was focused on his mate, who looked terrified, and clung to Ozen’s hand like a vice while Ozen soothed and murmured reassurances to him as the host moved to the spot in the center where he would hand out meals and drinks while talking about the surrounding area and what they were seeing.
The host hit a button and the table began to ascend, making Elijah grip the straps on his chest a little more tightly as he felt his feet leave the ground.
They stopped over one hundred and fifty feet in the air, and the host beamed at them as he introduced himself. “Hello all! I’m Michael. I’ll be your chef today. Now, has anyone ever experienced Sky Dining before?”
Everyone shook their heads, and Elijah felt a little overjoyed to be experiencing something new with his peers. This was the first time he wasn’t left out of a big experience.
As the host went on to explain the meal and what to expect, Elijah turned to Alistair, wishing he could lean over and kiss the man in thanks for setting something like this up.
He was surprised when he saw the white knuckled grip Alistair had on his straps and how wide the mage’s eyes were. He looked just as freaked out as Avery.
“Alistair? Are you alright?”
Alistair’s smile was strained as he nodded, his eyes locked on the horizon like he was afraid to look down.
If Elijah didn’t feel so bad for him, he’d find the whole thing rather endearing.
Instead of mentioning that he was uncomfortable with heights, Alistair chose to face that fear to stay beside him. It was beyond sweet.
“Do you… I can ease the anxiety a little if you want?” Elijah offered. He didn’t normally offer to use his magic on others, especially on someone who had a difficult experience with another telepath, but he felt bad for the man.
Clearing his throat, Alistair shook his head. “You can’t. Magic blockers work both ways.”
Isaac leaned forward to look past Elijah at his brother. “Are you sure they work on mind magic? That’s hard to block.”
“I never asked,” Alistair gritted out. “Sit back.”
Isaac snickered, leaning a little farther forward, testing the straps across his chest. “Why? It’s perfectly safe.”
“Isaac,” Alistair growled, finally dragging his gaze away from the horizon to glare at his little brother.
Thankfully, Maverick was on the same page about Isaac’s safety and put a hand on his mate’s chest, pushing him gently until his back was against the seat again. “I think one time of you falling from a great height is enough for me, my heart. I don’t wish to repeat the experience.”
Isaac wrinkled his nose. “Yeah, okay. That sucked.”
“Wait. What is he talking about?” Alistair demanded.