50 AURORA
London declared they ‘did the business’ so that necessitated a proper ‘shindig’.
And in London’s world, a proper shindig appears to be feeding us all massive amounts of mashed potato and sausages—I mean bangers—surrounded by a deep moat of brown gravy.
The slightly charred sausages give me pause. Cosmo and I had disposed of the bodies.
All it had taken was my brother’s dragon-fire, whipped into cremator flames by my wind.
That wasn’t the only thing getting destroyed.
By tomorrow, ‘Candy Kaelen’ will be no more. Cosmo assured me that with their access to the WMO mainframe, and his friend Max's skills, it would be like Candy never existed.
“So,” London says, leaning his elbows on the table, as Sky finishes up the last of her mash. “I had an idea about a new surname for you, Skylight.”
I grin. This should be good.
Sky narrows her eyes at him. “I don’t know if you’d be the first person I’d go to if I wanted name advice,” she teases.
“Hear, hear,” Tally mumbles.
London gives Sky big pleading eyes. “Don’t you want to hear?”
“Fine, spill,” she giggles, the sound making me want to dance.
“Drumroll…” London taps on the table. “I now declare you Sky Fuckwad!” He gestures toward Basil, who is hanging in his hammock above the table, still chewing a sausage. “You two are basically siblings anyway. Double the Wads, double the fun. It’s a very prestigious lineage.”
“Shut up, London,” Basil grumbles, though he doesn’t actually look angry.
And even though Sky’s face is pale with exhaustion, her eyes twinkle. “Very prestigious,” she agrees, “but I had a different thought.” Her face grows more solemn as she turns to Tally. “What was Immy’s last name?”
The table goes still as the poignancy hits us all. Tally’s eyes soften as he looks at the girl. He smoothes a hand over her hair. “Haddad, Imran Haddad.”
Sky nods. “Then maybe my new name could be Sky Haddad.” She pauses, her fingers together. “If that’s not too weird.”
“Not weird at all,” I quickly reassure her. “I think it sounds great.”
“Really?” she beams. “And I was wondering, maybe sometime I could meet his little brother?”
“We can definitely make that happen,” Tally tells her. “And his parents. They’d love to hear how you and Imran became friends.”
“I only met your Immy for a bit, but he was a stalwart soul,” London adds. “And such a lovely little Madge Howlett.”
By the time the last plate is cleared, everyone else squeezed around the tiny table looks content, but I am not happy.
Francois isn’t with us. He drove off into the dark with Cosmo and Ludo a couple of hours ago.
He left us.
Just got in the SUV and headed out to Havengard City, not looking back.
It’s his right, of course, I just wasn’t…expecting it.
Tally and London know I’m hurting, so does Sky, but they’re plowing on trying to act light and normal. If any of us can ever be normal again.
No. I mustn't complain. Francois saved us time and time again. He did more than his part.
But living crammed in a double-wide trailer was never going to be something he could tolerate for long. I’m sure the idea of a ride back to the city, access to his funds, wardrobe and lifestyle, was too big of an urge to fight.
"I think..." Sky says, yawning and shifting in her seat, “that I want to try sleeping on my own tonight, if that’s alright, Rory? All the real nightmares are over, so maybe the ones in my head will be gone as well.”
“Are you sure, sweet girl? There’s no rush, it doesn’t matter if you have to sleep beside me forever.”
Tally mumbles something then hides it behind a cough as he squeezes my leg under the table.
“I know, Rory. And truly, I love you so much, but I need to start being strong, and this seems a safe way to start.”
“I’ll sleep in the adjoining room,” Basil pipes up from above. “We can keep the door open.”
“Oh, thanks, Bas, that would be perfect.”
“Good lad,” London beams, reaching up to ruffle Basil's hair as the kid ducks away, telling him to fuck off.
With the two kids finally tucked away, the tiny bedrooms go quiet. I stand staring at the corridor, biting my lip. Sky wanted this, but she’s been waking up screaming most nights. I’ll just try and sleep with one ear open.
Everything is alright.
If I keep saying that enough, maybe I’ll finally believe it.
Behind me there is a soft thud as Tally pulls out the sofa-bed.
“Righty-ho, time to turn in,” London yawns, flopping down onto the thin mattress. “Coming, Kitten?”
Tally doesn’t give me a choice. He reaches out, his hands catching me around the waist, and lifting me effortlessly. The next second I land next to London with an oof.
The mattress isn’t meant for three adults, but somehow Tally, London and I manage to squeeze on. Tally spoons my back, and I wrap my arms around London.
We’ve a faded quilt as a bedcover, though it’s truly not necessary with the heat these two men give off.
Francois is different. His body doesn’t burn like hot coals. I guess that’s the cold-blooded snake in him.
Cold-blooded.
I thought the last few weeks we’d been warming him, but apparently not enough.
Tally’s fingers stroke through my hair, as London leans in, kissing me gently on the cheek.
An embarrassing tear leaks out of one eye. Shit.
It unleashes a dam. Within seconds, my shoulders are shaking, sobs I’m trying to muffle choke out of my throat.
“Oh, Princess,” Tally murmurs, kissing the back of my hair. “Let it all out. You’re safe now.”
“I’m sorry,” I weep like an idiot. The grief is stupid and crushing. “He just left. Didn't even say goodbye. Hadn’t we earned that? I thought, I thought…”
“That we were family,” London finishes for me. “I know, I’m sad too, Kitten. But Shane is Shane, and we don’t know what shivers possessed him. Sometimes it’s as hard to explain your actions to yourself—as it is to someone else.”
Tally’s arm tightens across my stomach, pulling me against his chest. “But it’s OK to mourn, sweetheart. We get it.”
The more they comfort me, the greater the guilt slams into my chest.
“I’m so horrible. I have no right to be crying, not when I have both of you right here. It’s not fair to you. I’m so sorry.”
“Now, listen up, Kitten,” London murmurs, his voice sweet and tender.
“Don't you dare go down a helter-skelter. Your heart isn’t a pie with only so many slices.
Loving him doesn't mean you love us less. We know what we are to you.” He lifts my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look up through my blurred vision.
“The faun speaks truth, Rory,” Tally says quietly into my ear, his lips brushing the sensitive skin.
“And though I’m fucking pissed he’s made you so sad, I’m not for a moment worried or angry that you are feeling so deep.
What there is between us, all of us, goes beyond usual relationships.
We all know that.” He shifts slightly, then pulls me over to face him.
“De Vaux is an ass for just splitting, but I honestly think he’ll regret it.
Then it will be up to you if you want him back. ”
My bottom lip trembles. Fuck Francois. Fuck him for not giving us a chance. For running at the first opportunity to dive back into his Elite life.
“He could beg on his knees and I’d turn my back,” I declare. “We are a unit, and we don’t ditch each other. He had his chance and it’s gone now.”
Tally’s face moves closer. “Whatever you say, Princess. You’re the boss.” His lips graze mine, and I feel the love flowing like beautiful grounding energy between us. London trails his fingers over my arm, then down across my hip bone.
Surrounded by their fierce, protective love, the pain of Francois’s departure becomes manageable. Slowly, my eyelids grow too heavy to keep open.
Tally’s breathing synchronizes with mine, his fingers loosely tangled in my hand, while London’s heartbeat thuds against my back, steady and strong.
Wrapped tightly in their warmth, the terrifying question mark of the future finally fades into the dark.
What will be, will be.
Now is what counts.
???
It’s been four days since Cosmo, Ludo and Francois left.
We’re running low on supplies again, but Tally doesn’t want to risk reaching out to his parents until the official decree comes through, meaning we are released.
I agree with him, otherwise Opal and Gareth could be on the hook for aiding and abetting.
I’d talked with Theo on the phone and she said another delivery of groceries and necessities would be headed our way today. Hopefully soon!
Through the narrow trailer window, I watch everyone else laughing and running around.
Out in the muddy clearing, London, Tally, Basil, and Sky are having a tournament with makeshift catapults.
They’ve lined up empty cans on a rotting log, and currently, Sky Haddad is completely annihilating the competition.
London lets out a loud cheer. “Good eye, Sky. It’s no lie!”
I want to be out there with them, I should be.
But I have a raging headache, and the fresh wave of my cramping turns my stomach into tight, miserable knots. My Godsdamn period is due any second. So instead of having fun, I’m wrapped in an extra sweater, feeling bloated and sorry for myself.
Fuck.
My.
Life.
The sound of a heavy engine tugs me out of my woes.
Who the fuck is that?
Dragging myself upright again, I see a sleek, dark SUV pull up. London is ushering Basil and Sky into the trees to be on the safe side. Good job, London.
Tally stands in the clearing, looking wary.
The car door opens, and the first thing I see is a pair of polished, expensive leather boots, followed by long legs in tailored pants.
Francois.
My heart stops, then starts again, along with my temper.
He’s dressed in a warm, dark wool overcoat, a cashmere turtleneck and designer black jeans. More runway model than runaway convict, that’s for sure.
“Someone got their groove back,” I mutter grumpily to myself. He nods to Tally then walks to the automatically-opening trunk, reaching in to pick up a large cardboard box.
Is he the one bringing Theo’s supplies? That’s a twist.