Chapter Twelve
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XANTHIA WAS SPYING on Manhattan through security cameras when Tolas approached her. Everyone was taking their lunch breaks. She was sitting at her desk in the great room to eat as usual. The others were in the dining room.
“May I speak to you for a moment, Xan?” Tolas asked.
“Sure,” the computer genius said in surprise. “What’s up?”
The knight glanced at the doorway closest to the dining room, then gestured for her to follow him. Curious, Xanthia took her mug of coffee with her, but left her plate behind. Tol led her to the bedroom he and his mate had chosen in the north wing.
“I would like this to be a surprise,” Tol whispered so his voice didn’t carry.
“What do you need?” the cambion asked, then took a sip of coffee.
“Wynter doesn’t like being in the dark,” he said. “I promised her I’d always make sure she has light whenever she needs it. The fireplace sheds enough light for now, but spring is coming. Even if we manage to put windows in, I fear our bedroom will be too dark at night.”
A lump formed in Xan’s throat and it had nothing to do with the pork chop she’d eaten. “You want me to string some fairy lights up in here?” she figured, blinking away the tears that were trying to form.
“If it won’t be too much trouble,” he said earnestly.
“I’ll do anything for my family,” Xanthia said huskily. Semiaza went on the alert when he sensed her emotions stirring. I’m fine, she said to him telepathically before he could come running. I’ll fill you in later, she added.
“Thank you, little sister,” Tolas said, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder gently. He returned to the dining room to finish his meal and Xan headed back to her desk.
“Xan!” Vic called out when it was time to resume training. “Get your butt in here!”
“I need Grace to help me with something!” Xanthia called back even though the training room was just down the hallway.
The teen was standing next to her desk a moment later. “Is this about Tol’s secret?” she whispered, glancing furtively towards the doorway that led to the training room. She’d noticed the knight sneaking into the great room to speak to her.
“Yeah,” Xan whispered back. “I’ll just wash my dishes, then we’ve got some work to do.”
Grace quietly clapped her hands in excitement. Her tri-colored hair had faded almost back to her natural blonde by now. The dye had never lasted long and she’d given up on coloring it now. It was longer than she was used to, but she’d decided to grow it out just for a change.
The pair chatted in the kitchen while Xanthia quickly washed her dishes. Zoe always made sure they had water stored in the pantry. The lake water was clean, fresh and abundant, so they weren’t in danger of running out.
“Okay, follow me,” the electronics wizard ordered when she was done. They made their way to the north wing where the storage rooms were located.
“What’s our mission, boss?” Grace murmured.
“Tol wants me to string some fairy lights up in his bedroom,” she replied.
“Because Wyn is scared of the dark?” the teen asked, then put her hand over her heart. “That’s so sweet!”
“I know,” Xan agreed, tearing up again. “The knights are all so ridiculously romantic at times.”
“Just like the alien warriors in my favorite book series,” Grace said.
They sorted through the lights they’d stolen from a hardware store until they found what they wanted.
Grabbing some tools and other items, they entered the bedroom at the back of the base.
It had two windows, since it was the corner bedroom.
Like all of the other bedrooms, wooden boards covered the openings.
“Where should we put them?” Xan asked, gazing around.
“Wyn sleeps on this side of the bed,” Grace said, gesturing at the side that was closest to the fireplace. “We should string the lights up just above the mantlepiece. They’re adjustable bulbs, so you should be able to set them to glow softly.”
“Great idea,” Xanthia said with a grin. “Tolas might not be able to sleep if the lights were blazing all night long.”
The cambions went to work and fixed the fairy lights into place. They stepped back to examine their work when they were done. “That looks about right,” Grace decided. “Light ‘em up,” she added.
Xan sent her magic into the bulbs and they lit up the left side of the room. “That’s too bright,” she said, then dimmed the bulbs until they glowed softly. “Wyn will have to decide how bright she wants them to be,” she said.
“This is so exciting!” Grace said, pleased to be a part of the secret task. “You stay here and I’ll get Tol and Wyn.”
Xanthia didn’t even get a chance to reply. Her tiny friend was already gone before she could open her mouth. “Okay,” she said to the now empty room, then snickered nervously. She hoped the newest arrivals to their family would like the addition she and Grace had just added.
Grace popped into the men’s training room first and gestured to Tolas. He immediately sidestepped the punch Jac had aimed at his face and left the boxing ring. “I’ll be back in a minute,” the warrior said, already grinning in anticipation.
“What the fudge is going on?” Victoria demanded when Grace appeared in the training room. The kid was practically dancing from foot to foot in excitement.
“Come with me, Wynter McBaird,” Grace ordered mischievously. “Your mate has a surprise for you.”
Face flaming as bright as her red hair, Wyn lowered her arm. She’d been about to toss a huge snowflake at a target like a throwing star. She put the bottle of water she was using to create her projectiles with down and followed Grace into the hallway. “What did you do?” she asked Tolas.
“You’ll see soon, beloved,” her knight replied, putting his arm around her.
The females exchanged looks, then rushed after the trio. Their mates followed in their wake as the entire group headed to the north wing.
Wynter came to a dead stop when she saw light emanating from their usually dark bedroom. “You remembered your promise,” she said, tears brimming in her eyes.
“You’ll always have light when you need it now,” Tolas said, holding her tightly.
They stepped into their bedroom. Xanthia was relieved when she saw Wyn was already entranced. “I can make the fairy lights brighter if you want,” she offered.
“They’re perfect exactly as they are,” Wynter said, wiping her tears on her sleeve. “Won’t it drain your magic, though?”
“Nah,” Xan said, waving away her concern. “It only takes a tiny bit of magic to keep the lights going. I’ll set them to turn on whenever someone’s in here, the same as the ones in the great room if you want.”
“Thank you, Wynter,” Tolas said with quiet dignity. “I owe you for this.”
“You owe me nothing, big brother,” she replied. “But I’ll take a hug from both of you.”
Semi grinned at his mate, proud of her special talents as the newly mated knight and cambion embraced her. She wouldn’t need to expend her energy like this once they managed to get the solar panels installed. For now, her magic was proving to be a boon.
“It must be the baby that’s making me so emotional,” Wynter said in embarrassment when she released Xanthia. “I don’t usually cry all the time.”
“Both you and your baby are perfectly healthy,” Qiana said.
“But I’m not surprised if your hormones are out of whack after the ordeals you went through.
” The trauma surgeon had scanned Wyn to determine that she was definitely pregnant.
She hadn’t found any problems with the cambion’s health or magic.
At long last, Wynter was completely whole.
“Thanks for your help setting up the lights, kiddo,” Xan said to Grace as they headed back to the training rooms.
“It was fun,” the teen said, pausing to put the tools back in the storage room where they’d found them. “I’m awesome at keeping secrets, so if anyone else has any surprises they want to set up, I’m your girl.”
“Nice way to try to get out of training, short stuff,” Vic said with an eyeroll. “We need to keep working on building up your muscle mass. You’re still as feeble as a ninety-year-old hag.”
“Holy shiz,” Jac said in amazement. “You didn’t even fake swear once that time.”
Victoria struggled not to call him a cork sucker like she usually did when she retaliated. “I’m maturing,” she said as Cam snickered at her.
“Soon, you’ll be as prim and proper as a ninety-year-old hag,” Grace said sarcastically, smarting at the jibe about her small stature.
Realizing she’d hurt the kid’s feelings, Vic mentally kicked herself. “Sorry,” she said, feeling terrible. “I don’t think before I speak sometimes.”
“Sometimes?” Grace said skeptically. “Just admit it, Victory,” she said, using her former stage name. “You think I’m too small and pathetic to become a fighter. I should just give up now and let you oldies fight all of our battles.”
Vic’s guilt turned to suspicion. “Damn it!” she exclaimed. “You got me again, you annoying little shiz!”
Grace burst into snickers that she’d fooled the fighter. “I knew I was pushing it when I called you all oldies,” she said.
Letting out a roar of fake anger, Vic lunged for the teen. Grace squealed with part glee and part worry, then took off running.
“Is that normal for them?” Wynter asked in amazement when the pair darted from hallway to hallway in a game of cat and mouse.
“You’ll get used to them,” Zoe said with a fond smile at their antics. “Vic will catch Grace in the end and toss her out into the snow.”
Right on cue, Victoria shouted in triumph. She streaked past them with Grace lifted high over her head.
“Save me, Cam!” Grace wailed.
Torn between his mate and his little sister, Camriel anxiously followed in their wake. He watched the love of his life throw the kid as far as she could, then he waded out into the deep snowdrift to rescue her.
“I deserved that,” Grace admitted when the huge blond warrior loomed above her.
“You know better than to goad my mate,” Cam chided her as he lifted her out of the snowdrift and into his arms.
“Yeah, but it’s so much fun,” she said with a pout. Vic was snickering at her from the safety of the doorway, as dry as a bone.
Grace would be sad when winter was over. There wouldn’t be any more snow to be tossed into. “There’s always the lake,” she mused.
Cam rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what she was talking about. “Cambions,” he muttered beneath his breath. Each one was a handful, but the knights loved them to pieces anyway.