Chapter Three
By the time they arrived at the lake, several groups had already gathered on the spongy gray moss that surrounded the water. The two shades of moss were arranged in a checkerboard pattern, which added to the fantastical feel of the grounds.
Unlike the blue sea, the lake was filled with glowing pink water that had been provided by the powerful warriors who had helped create Wonderland. The Vyper brothers had a unique blend of Dragon Warrior and Ilius magic. They had used their abilities to create the sanctuary from the ground up, including the safeguards and other magical protections that surrounded the area.
The dark area was lit up with dozens of lanterns. Some hung from the high branches of the white trees with lavender blossoms and silver leaves that were scattered around the area, while more floated on the glowing lake’s pink water. More lights glittered overhead like a blanket of stars that seemed low enough they could reach up and touch them.
Charm knew those low-hanging stars were simply an image being displayed on the protective barrier surrounding the entire island, but that didn’t matter. It was almost impossible to tell what was real or imaginary when dealing with a mixture of magic and technology.
She said her goodbyes to Ari and Kelli, leaving them to join their friends. Several more people nodded or waved to Charm as she passed by. Since all of those present were either residents of the sanctuary or staff members, she knew everyone there. Some groups sat on blankets while others reclined on oversized cushions stuffed with foam beads. She returned the greetings sent her way but didn’t stop to speak to anyone.
Scanning the area, Charm easily found her family since they were the largest group present. She loved seeing the people who mattered most to her laughing and enjoying themselves, but she couldn’t help feeling separated from them by more than just mere distance.
They were all blissfully happy and in love…while she wasn’t.
The group was sprawled out close to the water’s edge on soft blankets the color of smoky fog. Juliet was sandwiched between Raek and Fenris’ big bodies on a bright blue cushion. Next to them was Melody, the Tarin who had traveled to Evo with Juliet, and her mate, Conack, an enormous Krytos who worked security. The two of them had instantly fallen in love the moment they had met, and they had been glued to each other’s side ever since.
A few feet away, Ayla D’Nye sat on a swing that was hanging from a thick tree branch. Next to the famous D’Aire singer was the keeper of her heart, Zenix Li, the Head of Security on Evo. Leaning against the trunk of the tree was Lina Z’ar, Ayla’s assistant, who was cuddled up with her own keeper, Travis McClain, an expert hacker and tech specialist.
Magnus, Nicolo, and Razar Artane were sitting by the water’s edge with their mate, Brielle. They all seemed to be writing something on small pieces of paper. Brielle and Razar finished at the same time. They folded the papers a few times before attaching them to clips over the flame in the center of colorful square paper lanterns that were glowing with amber light.
When they placed the lanterns on the surface of the water, the floating plates slowly began to move toward the center of the lake. The flames inside the lanterns burned higher, and the pieces of paper turned into tiny amber sparks that floated up over the water.
Sometimes it felt odd to be the only one out of their group without a companion. Not that she even had time for a relationship. Still, Charm admitted she felt a little envious of their happiness. It would be nice to have a mate. Someone who would be by her side no matter what happened. She’d never been the center of someone’s universe or had someone put her first.
It was a nice concept, but fate didn’t bless everyone with that type of bond.
Raek caught sight of her first. “Hey! You made it…”
Juliet’s smile of greeting instantly faded into an expression of concern. “Why is your arm bandaged?”
“What the hell happened to you?”
Fenris started toward her, but she held up a hand to stop him and took a seat on the edge of the blanket. When Lina pulled a wine bottle out of a cooler and poured her a glass, Charm smiled in thanks before she gulped some down.
The Artanes hurried back over to the blankets, while Zenix stopped the swing from moving with his foot. Since she had everyone’s full attention, Charm quickly filled the group in on what had happened in the casino.
“Wexler Tech,” Razar growled. “Those bastards are always trying to fuck with us.”
“Unsuccessfully,” Nicolo pointed out. “We need to trace everywhere they’ve been since they arrived on Evo. I don’t believe they were just here to steal from the casino. They could have tried to sabotage the game or something else while they were here.”
Brielle huffed in irritation. “Why did you invite the Wexler brat to the beta testing?”
Magnus stroked his hand up and down her back. “We didn’t invite her personally. It was a standard courtesy invitation. We sent one to all the tech companies.”
Cuddling next to her, Brielle gently took Charm’s injured hand in hers. “Why didn’t you let Evo send for us?”
Charm tried to pull her hand away, but Brielle wouldn’t let go. Sighing, she just gave in and let her friend cling to her. “The situation was handled, and I knew I was going to see all of you here. Explaining the situation once is easier than doing it over and over again.”
“Makes sense. Will you allow us to study the device you confiscated?” Magnus asked.
Since she had been expecting that, she smiled. “I told the security team you would be picking it up tomorrow. But Evo already started analyzing it, so you should have the initial report soon.”
“What about the prisoners? You said they refused to answer any questions?” Zenix demanded.
“We’ll see if that changes after the four of them spend some time in our new magical cages,” Charm said, glancing over at Juliet. The last thing she wanted was to remind her sister of when she’d been held captive by a madman.
The delicate blonde scoffed. “Don’t worry. Mentioning the cages isn’t going to make me spiral. In this instance, I don’t mind one bit. It’s bad enough when someone tries to steal from us, but they fucking hurt you. I say lock them the hell up and throw away the keys.”
“You’re so adorable when you’re vicious,” Fenris praised before he kissed her forehead.
Charm fought the urge to roll her eyes. She was used to their public displays of affection, so she barely commented about it anymore, but she loved poking fun at Raek and Fenris since they were so awkward at flirting.
The sound of a loud boom startled her.
From the gasps and shouts that rang out, she wasn’t the only one either. She had to grit her teeth as pain shot up her arm from jerking it in response to the explosion. The fireworks display had begun right on time. That was no surprise since they had been programmed into the system.
Rather than using real pyrotechnics, the fireworks were an illusion displayed on the shield surrounding the entire island. Different types of fireworks filled the sky in an impressive display of color and light. It made her feel a little sentimental since it reminded her of when her older brother used to sneak them out of the group home during celebrations back on Earth.
“You should have contacted us,” Raek growled close to her ear to make sure that she heard him.
Naturally, he wasn’t ready to drop the subject yet. He wanted to lecture her. She knew a big part of that came from worry since her brothers didn’t like seeing her injured. She would normally let him ramble on while she ignored him, but she didn’t have the patience for it tonight.
Regardless of their shared alpha status, it was difficult to overlook years of deferring to her older brother. But she didn’t like anyone questioning her judgement. She tried to calm her anger but couldn’t hold back a snarky response from escaping.
“Why? If you would have done something different, I don’t want to hear it. Feel free to handle it your way the next time you catch a thief in the casino.”
“What’s with the attitude?” Fenris asked, leaning over Juliet to glare at her.
She sighed. “I had a very full day, Fen. Not only was my arm sliced open while catching the thieves, I also conducted four interviews, sat through a mind-numbingly boring discussion about the allocation of funds for all of our different projects, and had a staff meeting with the management team. I’m tired and overworked and don’t feel the need to justify my decisions to you at the moment. Now, can you please shut up and let me enjoy the fireworks?”
For once in his life, Fenris seemed stunned silent.
“I warned you. Stop poking at her,” Juliet scolded.
“If she’s overworked, we just need to hire more staff,” Fenris stated, looking decidedly uncomfortable.
Raek shoved him. “Which is why she has been doing all those interviews. But it’s not just that. She’s been covering for us while we’ve been taking time off. Look at her. She’s not just tired. She’s fucking exhausted. We are supposed to be running this place together. That’s what we agreed to do. We can’t expect Charm to do most of the work.”
She felt her eyes sting as she stared up at the colorful explosions overhead. A boulder-sized weight felt like it had been lifted off her shoulders. She was glad that her brother had finally realized the burden she had been carrying without her having to point it out.
The fact that he acknowledged it finally calmed some of the low-key resentment she had been feeling. She loved her brothers dearly, but sometimes they were oblivious to everything but their mate and their own happiness. While that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, it wasn’t the way to run a business.
She loved her job and enjoyed running the sanctuary with her family. Sure, she was a workaholic, but being taken for granted was never a good feeling. It was nice to know that Raek had finally realized that was what they had been doing.
They fell silent as they watched the rest of the fireworks display. When the show was over, the crowd cheered. Some of the groups started packing up their stuff to leave, while several others walked over to where extra lanterns were available on one of the tables by the water. A line began to form at the drink and food stand that had been set up, and Charm’s stomach rumbled as the scent of something delicious drifted on the breeze.
As Charm finished her drink, she debated going over to the food stand to check out what they were serving. She decided it would be easier to just grab something at home, but her friends weren’t quite done with her yet.
“Come on.”
She grumbled to herself as she was pulled to her feet by Juliet and Brielle and frowned as they dragged her toward the lake. “What’s going on? Are you planning to drown me or something?”
Juliet giggled. “I thought it was best to get you away from your brothers before you strangled them. You haven’t made a wish yet. That’s the whole point of the Festival of Lights.”
“I thought looking at the lights was the point.”
“Naw, that part is just an excuse to come here and drink,” Brielle countered.
That made Charm chuckle. “When have we ever needed an excuse for that?”
Brielle laughed. “You’re right. We don’t.”
When they reached the water’s edge, they pulled her down between them on the spongy moss. Melody and Lina walked over to join them. Charm blinked in surprise when Melody handed her a square lantern.
Lina wiggled a blank piece of paper and a pen at her. “You have to write down a wish and attach it to a clip over the flame. When it burns up and turns into ashes, you have a chance of it coming true.”
Who had come up with that nonsense?
“Does it really work?”
“Well, no. Not really. But it’s part of the festival. There’s no harm in hoping our wishes will come true, right?”
Charm thought it was useless, but she didn’t say that out loud. She didn’t want to ruin her friends’ fun. Despite her disbelief, she took the items from them and set them down on her lap.
“So, what should I wish for?”
“Love? A big pile of credits? Take your pick,” Ayla said as she strolled over carrying a bottle of champagne. She popped the cork on the bottle, then took a seat. She grinned as she offered it to Charm. “Then, we can get drunk.”
Charm took a drink from the bottle before passing it to Juliet. “Can’t. I have too much shit to do tomorrow.”
“Take the day off,” Juliet insisted. “In fact, take the next few days off. You deserve a little downtime.”
“I have interviews and meetings for—”
“We can handle those,” Juliet promised.
Charm started to protest, then realized that was foolish. She desperately needed some time to sleep and relax, and that’s exactly what she was being offered.
“Seriously, Charm. When was the last time you had a day off?”
She didn’t even have to think about that since she hadn’t had a day off since they had opened Wonderland.
“You can ask Evo to send you a copy of my schedule. Gia can handle the interviews tomorrow for management positions since she knows what I’m looking for.”
“Done,” Juliet announced with a wide smile. She sobered again as she reached out and touched Charm’s arm. “I know part of the reason you are overworked is my fault since—”
“No, it’s not your fault. Raek and Fen took some time off, which is fine. But it’s time for them to get back to work.”
Melody took the bottle of champagne and drank deeply before passing it. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. You should stop treating them like partners and just treat them like employees instead.”
“You want her to demote her brothers?” Lina asked, then she smiled sweetly. “I like it. Do that. What?” She blinked innocently when everyone turned to stare at her. “Everyone knows Charm is the big boss here anyway.”
Charm chuckled. “I’m not demoting my brothers.”
“You’ve been very patient with them,” Juliet admitted. “But you should kick their asses when they deserve it. Don’t hold back on my account. And I promise I will make sure they help out more.”
“Fair enough.”
Ayla made a humming noise. “My keeper just told me he is heading back to the security center with Magnus and Travis. I guess Evo found something that could be a potential problem. And Fenris and Razar are going to the casino to pick up the devices you confiscated.”
Charm glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough, only Raek, Conack, and Nicolo remained. They were all scowling as they watched a video projection of what had happened in the casino earlier.
“I should—”
“No. No more work for you,” Ayla commanded, slashing her hand through the air to emphasize her words. “You are officially on the disabled list. The only thing you need to do tonight is enjoy yourself.”
Since the bottle of champagne was shoved into her hand again, Charm took another drink before passing it again. “Well, I guess my wish already came true then.”
“Nope. You have to write down a different wish. Something from the heart,” Juliet insisted.
Charm lifted the blank piece of paper and rested it on her thigh, unsure what to write. As she rested her hand on the paper, she realized her injury had started bleeding again when a streak of blood appeared on the pristine white paper.
“You’re bleeding,” Brielle stated with concern.
“I’m fine,” she insisted.
Melody reached out and tugged on Charm’s good arm. “Come closer to the edge.”
Resisting her efforts, Charm asked, “Why?”
“Because you’re going to have to put the lantern on the water anyway. And the water has cleansing and healing properties, so you should stick your arm in,” Melody explained. “Back when I was rescued from captivity on Tartarus, I used one of the bathing pools the Dragon Warriors created to heal some of my wounds. I was suspicious of them and hadn’t trusted them to use magic to heal me directly. Now, write down your wish, then we can test out healing your arm.”
Charm had completely forgotten the pink water was infused with magic and couldn’t wait to see if it could actually heal her arm. Her friends had said that she should wish for something from the heart. Even if she didn’t believe in the silly ritual, she scribbled down the first thing that popped into her head.
She wished she had a fated mate.
Quickly folding the paper up, she attached it to the lantern, then started to unwrap her arm. She heard the sympathetic sounds coming from the others when they saw the raw, red wound.
Bracing herself, she shoved her arm into the thick, gel-like water. She’d been expecting it to sting or hurt a little.
Instead, it simply felt a little tingly.
Melody placed the lantern on the water for her and gave it a gentle push toward the center of the lake. Charm was about to thank her but was distracted when the paper she’d written her wish on began to burn. Rather than the expected amber sparks she’d seen before, it burst into a brilliant shower of purple light.
“Umm, is it supposed to be doing that?”
“I don’t know,” Melody said, sounding just as confused.
“Mine didn’t do that. Why didn’t mine do that?” Brielle complained.
“Maybe it was the pen you used? Perhaps different ink makes different colored sparks,” Lina surmised.
“That makes sense. If we—Charm!” Ayla gasped. “Look at your arm!”
She had pulled her arm out of the water without realizing it, and now blinked down at it in surprise. The wound wasn’t completely healed, but it looked weeks old instead of mere hours.
Magic truly was a remarkable thing.
“I ordered food for all of us,” Raek called out. “Come eat something if you are going to be downing bottles all night.”
Fuck it, Charm thought.
Giving up on the idea of going home early, she grabbed the champagne bottle again and drank. Since she had the day off tomorrow, she might as well celebrate.