Chapter 34
Thirty-Four
Nikodemus
“Is all this truly necessary?” I disliked gatherings. My son knew this and yet he’d still organized this…party.
“It’s very necessary,” Erasmus claimed. Hands fisted on his hips, Erasmus tapped a flip-flop covered foot against the rocky cliff edge.
I didn’t like him this close to the precipice.
It was my own fault. I’d come to the ocean to find peace.
Erasmus had come looking for me. It was simple cause and effect.
“It’s not every day a warlock finds and bonds their one and only.
I can’t believe you didn’t tell me Hikaru was yours.
” Erasmus stomped his foot, slipping slightly on a rock.
He recovered quickly but my heart still thudded a little too quickly for comfort.
“Let’s take this conversation away from the edge.”
“I’m not a child any longer, Pops.” Erasmus rolled his emerald green eyes at me but still moved further into the yard, a safer distance away from the plunging rocks below.
“Adults have accidents as well and besides, given the number of times I’ve visited you in the hospital, you have no room to argue.
” Truly, my son wasn’t simply accident prone, he managed to draw the attention and ire of powerful individuals who meant him harm.
The number of times those individuals succeeded in harming my son was alarming.
Erasmus dug his foot into the soil. “I suppose you might have a point. If only a small one.” He held up his thumb and index finger, the distance between them minuscule.
“He’s got more than a small one,” Franklin said as he joined us, one arm snaking around my son’s shoulders and pulling him close, kissing Erasmus’s temple. “You getting into trouble out here?”
“Of course not,” Erasmus answered as I said, “always.”
Franklin’s eyes widened as he glanced between his husband and me. “Can’t leave the two of you alone for an instance.”
Erasmus lovingly smacked Franklin’s chest. “We’re not that bad.”
“No, you’re not.” Franklin’s grin was smitten.
“The guests are starting to arrive. Since there’s no official ceremony, we’ve kept it casual.
Well-wishers are welcome to come and go as they please.
We tried to keep it low-key.” Franklin’s gaze traveled the decorated yard, an explosion of flowers, plants, arbors, tables, chairs, food, and drink filling the area.
“Hikaru had other ideas.” At least Franklin sounded apologetic.
Touching a nearby flower petal, Franklin amended, “And Inari.”
Indeed, Inari was responsible for the abundant flora covering my backyard.
I was quite certain many of the plants were not native to California.
I was still becoming accustomed to Inari’s comings and goings.
It seemed Inari wished to make up for as much lost time as possible.
And just like Hikaru, they had the habit of popping in and out without invitation or notice.
Not that Inari didn’t have an open invitation to our home.
The joy lighting Hikaru’s face when Inari appeared made that perfectly clear.
“Cilla arrived a few minutes ago,” Erasmus said.
“I think she’s in talking with Momma.” Erasmus craned his neck, staring back at the house.
“She’ll probably be out in a minute, although I’m not sure.
Cilla kind of squealed when she saw Momma and the two of them were hugging it out when I came to find you. ”
I wasn’t surprised Lydia Boone had come. I doubt I could have kept her away if I’d tried. She and Hikaru were thick as thieves when planning the party.
“What is this called?”
I jerked, easily recognizing that voice. Aurelia stood in the near distance, Fuzzy Britches perched atop her head while three smaller scuttlebutts clung to her shoulder and forearm. I sucked in a harsh breath, my eyes immediately seeking out my son.
At my questioning gaze, Erasmus merely shrugged. “Come on, Pops. You didn’t really think Aurelia would miss out on this. Momma even made certain there’s plenty of cherry Jell-O.”
“I have never seen this type of bloom,” Aurelia leaned forward, sniffing the flower.
“It has little scent. How disappointing.” Straightening, Aurelia’s Caribbean-blue gaze traveled the yard before settling on me.
“Warlock Holland, I find it interesting that you have chosen to bond with another. Your mating habits during Erasmus’s wedding did not appear promising. ”
My mouth slipped open, words lost until my brain caught up with Aurelia’s implications. “Are you accusing me of having poor mating skills?” I had no idea why I was arguing such a ridiculous point.
“There is no accusation. There is only fact.”
“Aurelia is correct.” Helios appeared beside Aurelia.
Was any party truly complete without two djinn?
Gaia, I was bound to have a heavy case of heartburn by the time this was over.
“What is that?” Helios asked as he joined Aurelia around the flower they found so fascinating.
One of the baby scuttlebutts scurried onto Helios’s shoulder.
He absently shifted his stance, offering the small scuttlebutt more room.
“Come on, Pops.” Erasmus tugged my arm. “Let’s leave the djinn alone for now.”
“Never a bad choice,” Franklin agreed sagely.
I went willingly. “This day will not be pleasant,” I flatly stated. “I should activate a pain charm now for the headache that will surely follow.”
“Now, now, Pops.” Erasmus patted my forearm as if I were a child. “Hikaru is having a great time. You need to suck it up for him.”
My son was correct. “I can do that. I just need a moment to get my bearing’s and to—”
“Holland!”
I jerked my head, my feet coming to a dead stop. “No. Who the hell invited—”
“Niki, look who came!” Hikaru ran out of the house, tails flying behind him. “Warlock Kines and his one and only, Parsnip.”
“Gaia, kill me now.” Head tilted back, I stared into the nearly cloudless sky, the sun shining bright.
“Don’t be mean,” Hikaru scolded. “They flew all the way across the country so they could be here. I wasn’t sure they could come when I invited them.”
Erasmus had the gall to laugh. I gave him a withering stare that did not intimidate my son in the least. “Go on, Pops. Be a good host and greet your guests.”
“You knew about this,” I accused.
“Yup.” Erasmus rocked on his heels, a mischievous grin crinkling his eyes.
“Traitors, the lot of you.”
“Don’t look at me,” Franklin said, holding up his hands. “By the way, Captain Cicely sends her regards and congrats as well.”
That was very kind of the witch. I’d rather her here than the grinning warlock a few feet away. Doing as Erasmus suggested, I sucked it up and closed the distance, holding out my hand in greeting. “Vander, it is…interesting, seeing you here.”
Head thrown back, Vander Kines laughed like a loon. His pixie flew nearby, smacking Vander on the shoulder. “Be nice, Vander. This is a big day for Nikodemus.”
“Of course.” Vander sobered, his smile turning genuine. “I really am happy for you, and a kitsune no less.” That thought seemed to make Vander exceedingly pleased. “Maybe Hikaru can finally find a way to pull that stick out of your ass.”
I stiffened. “Now listen here, Kines, I—”
“Oh, I definitely reoriented that stick.” Hikaru beamed. “Now Niki uses it to fill my a—”
Erasmus cleared his throat, violently coughing. “Oh, Gaia, I do not need to hear about Pops’s sex life. Franklin, please tell me that’s not what Hikaru was talking about.”
“Sorry, can’t really do that,” Franklin answered, not sounding the least bit sorry.
“Ugh. I’m gonna have nightmares.”
“You are being terribly juvenile and ridiculous right now.” I crossed my arms while staring at my son, doubled over and gagging. Franklin stood behind his husband, rubbing his back.
“It’ll be okay,” Franklin soothed.
“It will never be okay again,” Erasmus argued.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I seriously considered activating that pain charm.
A headache was definitely on the horizon.
Kines didn’t have that problem and was laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world.
Parsnip had joined in, his wings spreading pixie dust all over my yard. Thankfully, Parsnip was downwind.
“Oh, that’s rich.” Vander’s chuckles faded as he wiped the tears from his eyes. “I love seeing you, Holland.”
“If you’re waiting for me to reciprocate that feeling, you should know it is wasted time.”
Vander’s grin softened to something oddly affectionate. “I know you love me, Niki.” Hikaru growled and Vander waved off my kitsune. “Not like that. It’s a familial type of love. Kind of like bickering brothers, or maybe cousins.”
Reluctantly, I found it difficult to disagree.
The smile slipped from Vander’s face as he turned and whispered something in Parsnip’s ear.
The pixie frowned before kissing Vander on the cheek.
“Hikaru, would you mind showing me your home? I’ve always wondered what Nikodemus’s home looks like.
Erasmus, Franklin, maybe you could come along.
Tell me what kind of a father Nikodemus really was when you were growing up. ”
Hikaru bounced off. I could hear him regaling Parsnip with all the ways he’d rearranged (disorganized) my house, turning it into our home. Erasmus was more hesitant. He knew a distraction when he saw one.
“You okay, Pops?”
“I’ll be fine.” I kept my gaze fixed on Vander.
“Okay. Let me know if you need me.” Erasmus squeezed my hand before heading inside, following Parsnip and Hikaru, keeping just enough distance that Parsnip’s pixie dust dissipated before it could cause a sneezing fit.
Once they were out of earshot, I asked, “What’s this about, Kines?”