Chapter 30 Rune
rune
. . .
Bloodwyne Estate rose out of the Apex Capital like it always had.
Dark stone crawling with ivy, balconies of wrought iron, and tall windows glowing with warm light against a darkening sky.
It was home, my home. One I hadn’t been able to come back to as much as I’d like since starting at Apex Elite Academy.
My hands tightened in Jesper’s and Drecken’s as we reached the front steps.
All six of my mates pressed in around me as we stopped.
“Remind me,” Slater murmured, leaning in from behind, “on a scale of one to ten, how chaotic do these dinners get?”
“Depends on your definition of chaotic, Havoc baby,” I teased. “It’ll be fine. They like you all.”
“Your Pops threatened me with bodily harm,” Zuko reminded me, his free hand tucked into his pocket. “I like him.”
Jesper huffed a laugh. “That was him being polite, I’m sure.”
Dimitri just squeezed my arm briefly before letting go so I could open the door. “He has good instincts,” he murmured. “I’d threaten Zuko, too.”
I rolled my eyes, but warmth spread through my chest as I let go of my mates and pushed the door open.
The familiar scent of my childhood hit me first. The distinct scent of polished stone, hints of various poison traces in the air, and different seasonings drifting in from the kitchen.
The entire estate had been enchanted to remain clean since my parents were constantly busy but didn’t want any outsiders coming in to clean.
The stone floors shimmered in the entryway, the dark wood banister gleamed, and the photographs of our family hung around the first wall.
A new vase of tulips sat on the hall table, pastel and pretty.
“Rune!” Mom’s voice rang from the double doors to the dining room before she stepped into sight. Her short green hair had grown into a sharp bob that she had pinned away from her dull green eyes, and she wore a simple dark green dress that I’d helped her pick out for casual outings.
Her gaze went straight to me, then over my shoulder to my six mates, and her smile widened further as she noticed Tibby and his mates coming up behind us. “Tobias, too! You’re all here.” She welcomed us all with a bright smile that was unusual for her. “Come on in.”
Dad followed her out, black hair slicked back, gold eyes taking everything in with a calculating stare. He wore a plain black shirt and casual slacks. It was weird seeing him as Dad and not Headmaster Bloodwyne, but this was my preference.
Pops popped his head around Dad’s shoulder, his red hair a mess and his brown eyes already filled with excitement. “You’re here! It’s our first time together as our new, large family.”
“And Mom only had to have two kids,” Dad teased, kissing Mom’s head.
“Now we have eleven!” Pops shouted.
I snorted. “They’re called mates, Pops.”
“Semantics,” he scoffed, but his gaze went soft when it landed on me. “Welcome home, all of you.”
Tibby stepped past me to hug our parents first. His three mates, Sylver, Nym, and Cora, bowed their heads respectfully before Pops pulled them each into a hug.
I hugged my parents swiftly, following Tobias inside. My mates were each hugged by Pops, except for Drecken, who was shooting off aftershocks of magic.
The dining room looked so different.
“They bought a new table.” Tibby gasped.
I frowned. “Our markings.”
“We kept the old one,” Dad assured us as everyone filed in.
Our old, scratched-up, eight-seater had been replaced by a long, dark marble behemoth that ran almost the entire length of the room.
The surface was polished to a deep shine, the gray veins wrapping around it like frozen smoke.
Each leg had been carved with basilisk and phoenix marks, coiled serpents with rising phoenixes and flames.
Sixteen chairs, high-backed and upholstered in dark green, ringed the table. A runner of emerald lace cut down the center, dotted with candles in golden crystal holders that cast light across everything.
“It’s…” I swallowed hard. “Big.”
Mom’s mouth curved in amusement. “We needed something that fit our family,” she said simply. “We’ll outgrow it in ten years, probably.”
Tibby and I gasped.
“Plus,” Pops added, “if you keep collecting mates at this rate, we’ll have to expand into the backyard.”
“Pops,” Tibby and I hissed.
“Not happening,” my mates and Tibby’s mates added.
Dad cleared his throat, but his eyes were amused. “Everyone, relax. We know the matebonds are all complete.”
“Rune, why don’t you show Drecken your collection before we eat?” Mom suggested.
“Collection?” Drecken muttered from behind me, but his magic crackled with barely-suppressed curiosity.
I grabbed his sleeve. “Come on, spell daddy.”
Dad and Pops choked on their breaths, shooting me horrified looks.
Drecken blushed but said nothing as I dragged him into the adjoining kitchen.
The dining room had changed, but the kitchen hadn’t.
It was bright and warm, with the big stone fireplace on one side hosting a rack of slowly smoking salmon over low flames.
The long counter was loaded with dishes waiting to be carried in.
They had roasted vegetables gleaming with oil and herbs, already carved turkey pieces, bowls of buttery mashed potatoes and spiced rice, as well as baskets of bread, sauces, and garnishes sitting out.
In the far corner between the pantry and the back door was a matte-black cabinet with a flat square of quartz crystal set into the center at my chest height.
“My poison cabinet,” I announced, practically preening. “Magical essence locked to me. And Mom, just in case I die dramatically or something.”
“Comforting,” Jesper said dryly from behind us; he’d followed, leaning in the doorway. “You said that like it was a normal thing to say.”
“It is in this house,” Mom called from the dining room. “Agent life is dangerous, Jesper; you know better than anyone.”
“Yes, but I don’t love that sentiment when it’s applied to my mate,” he grumbled.
I pressed my palm to the crystal. It warmed under my skin before it flashed green. The hidden runes along the edge lit one by one, unlocking, and the cabinet doors slid aside soundlessly.
Shelves of glass vials labeled in my printed handwriting sat half-full, organized by color.
I had poisons in every color imaginable, from inky purples to shimmering greens, all the way to clear poisons that looked harmless but absolutely were not.
Dried poisonous herbs that were bundled and tagged, preserved venom sacs, and little bottles of powdered toxins were all organized within.
Drecken let out a soft, reverent noise. “This is…” He stepped closer, fingers hovering over a row of paralysis toxins.
“Terrifying?” Slater suggested, coming in with a low whistle. “I mean, damn, venom baby. You are stocked.”
“Beautiful,” Zuko murmured as he came in.
“That’s what I was leaning toward.” Drecken nodded his head in awe.
“See the bottom shelf,” I said, crouching to pull out a small rack. “These are the only potions I have. They are the ones we developed together.” I set the rack on the counter. “And I saved room for the love potion you perfected.”
“Oh, yes.” He snapped his fingers, and three small vials shimmered into his palm, the glass catching the kitchen light. “I brought you gifts, viperling. One in particular you can share with everyone.”
I took them carefully. The liquids inside each were different colors—a deep rose gold, a bright sea blue, and a rich green.
“The rose gold is the love one,” he said, ears pinking slightly.
“You’re romantic,” I teased, but love flared through our bond.
He looked away with a cough as magic sparked off him. “Blame my parents. They were fond of romance.”
“And the others?” I gestured to the other two potions.
“The blue is a clarity potion. It can help you cut through mild illusions, foggy minds, and even emotional static. The green is a magical power enhancer.”
“These are amazing.” I placed them into three of the five empty slots on the rack and slid it back onto the bottom shelf. “Thank you.”
Drecken smirked, summoning another love potion, uncorking it using telekinesis and dropping the tiniest amount into the decanter of deep red wine sitting on the counter.
It swirled in, shimmered, then dissolved.
“My gift to you and your family,” he said.
“Our family,” I corrected, leaning forward and kissing his nose.
My mates helped Dad and Pops carry all the dishes out as the rest of us converged on the table and took our seats.
Mom took one head of the table; Dad on her left and Pops to her right, already pouring fae wine into glasses.
I ended up at the other head of the table with Dimitri on one side, Zuko on the other. Slater and Koa sat on Zuko’s side, and Drecken and Jesper sat on Dimitri’s side.
Tibby and his mates sat together on one side of the table, Cora and Nym beside him with Sylver next to Nym.
The triplets wore similar ocean-blue dresses that shimmered when they moved.
The only noticeable difference was that Cora’s blonde hair was swept into an elegant twist and Tibby’s mate mark was on her left shoulder.
Nym’s curly hair cascaded over her shoulders, and Tibby’s mate mark was on the center of her chest. Sylver’s blonde bob was sleek and shiny, and Tibby’s mate mark was on her right shoulder.
They smelled like brine, thrumming with siren magic held carefully in check.
I never thought I’d feel safe around sirens, but leave it to Tibby to make that possible.
“Okay,” Pops said. “Make your plates. Before Rune poisons hers beyond recognition.”
“I don’t poison it beyond recognition,” I argued, reaching for the little tray of my personal toxin condiments, labelled liquids and powders, that my parents had set out without being asked.
“Yes, you do,” Tibby muttered, reaching for the turkey.
I huffed. “If you’re boring just say so.”
“Not wanting to die isn’t boring,” Tibby defended himself.