Chapter 11 Zayn #5
Win, for his part, didn’t care at all about being unskilled in this area.
Although, he had been excited about the food, asking me questions, taste testing everything.
He’d even made a note to add a bunch of the things we’d made to his list of go-to meals.
He thought he was a “mood eater” but he was just discerning. All right, particular.
And now, here we were sitting around the ugly beige breakfast nook that didn’t even seem so ugly now with the three of them surrounding it. We were sitting back all satiated after digging into the products of our cooking adventures.
“Thank you, Zayn,” Vax said. “You’ve shown me that food need not be only fuel, but actually something to enjoy and savor.”
“High praise, Your Majesty,” Win jested, using the name that I used to call Vax in the beginning—kinda derogatorily when I’d been a shit.
“Glad it worked out for you,” I told Vax, while ruffling Win’s hair across from me.
Evira draped her arm over my shoulders as she sat beside me to my right and opposite Vax.
“It turned out to be a lot of fun. Not sure how you mustered the patience to get me to cook my way through my frustration and initial ineptitude, but you did amazingly well.” She bounced a little in her excitement, making Vax, Win, and I grin happily at the sight of her getting giddy and being so carefree.
“Now I really have something to add to my quiche repertoire! Something I love.”
I kissed her cheek. “I’m really happy to hear it, icicle.”
A wave of warmth rolled through me as she nuzzled against me.
Win leaned back and rubbed his belly. “It’s the blackcurrant truffles for me. I might even make them a permanent fixture in my life.”
“I’m jealous,” Vax joked.
“Aww,” Win said, running his knuckles over Vax’s jawline. “I love it when your territorial side comes out. All jealous and obsessive.”
“Reminds you of yours, huh?” I teased.
“You want some, Z? Because I can quite easily ramp it up. Just say the word,” he challenged.
I leaned forward across the table and got in his face, loving the feel of his cool breath fanning over my face and neck. “Lay it on me, babe. Obsess all over me.”
Those sexy amethyst eyes of his burned into mine.
The next thing I knew, he was making me yelp as he invoked his shadows and they swirled around me, lifting me off my chair, and carrying me across the table and right onto his lap. Then he was laughing and ruffling my hair, mussing it all up.
“No! Not the hair! Win!” I cried. My magic sparked and I used it to pin his hands to his chest. I leaned in and whispered at his ear, “You shouldn’t have done that. Now you’re in for it.”
He grinned up at me.
And then I was licking his jawline, his cheek, his throat, up to his ear, all fucking over, making him moan for me in between the little chuckles that spilled from him.
Things ramped up a bit too quickly on my end and I started rocking on him.
Grinding hard. Determinedly. Getting all needy and worked up.
A hand landed on my shoulder and I swung my head to see Vax smiling at me. “Shh, just breathe. Later, remember? Back at the dorms. You asked for our lovemaking to take place in my suite because you wanted me to show you how I craft my vibrational sculptures.”
“All the dorms are reinforced, unlike here,” Evira spoke, and I felt her stroking my lower back soothingly. “The four of us with our magic and power combos, especially when they collide, fucking here… it could cause a whole lot of destruction.”
“I mean, we can just fix it with a little magical weaving,” Win panted.
“But Zayn would still have to see his family home in rubble beforehand,” Evira pointed out.
“And unless you wish to hold onto strict control throughout our lovemaking by keeping a formidable necromantic shield steady for the entirety, those connected to this building will be impacted—it’s a rowhouse structure,” Vax said.
“I could do that,” Winter spoke. “For the record. If you three wanted to do it here, I mean.” He eyed me. “If you want to do it here, Z.”
I startled, as did Evira. Although, Vax didn’t look as surprised.
“You could?” I asked. “I thought your Necromancy was—”
“I’ve been practicing. And despite my feeding issues, that’s actually coming along nicely. I’ve also been really good with precision. Even when I’ve stayed away from invoking significant power.”
“Yes, you have,” Vax murmured.
“On Mordrek Mountains that day?” Evira asked.
“Yes. When he was trying to diagnose his glitching, he performed impressively from a precision aspect.” He smiled. “Sylas is going to be in for a surprise.”
Win waved his hand, while stroking my hip with his other.
“Let’s table that. I’ll have enough of it tomorrow and going forward.
Tonight is the last few hours before all of that happens.
” He looked up at me. “Is this one reason you brought us here, Z? The urge to ruin this place… but in something… loving? To overwrite it as your family home and shift what it represents?”
“I brought you guys here because it has a kitchen, which, you know, was integral to the whole cooking theme of tonight.”
I eased off Winter’s lap and walked around the table, feeling their eyes on me. Shutting his observation down wasn’t… I couldn’t do that sort of thing anymore. I really didn’t want to backtrack. Least of all because of my absentee parents.
“I guess… maybe there’s something to what you said, Win.
Yeah. I like the kitchen here. But attached to the rest of the house…
setting up earlier when you guys weren’t here yet…
it’s a relic, a haunting one at that. But it’s also a shame it’s just left here, you know?
But then it being connected to my parents—”
“People who hurt you,” Evira offered. “Who left you behind?”
“Yeah. Is that… did something similar happen to you with your mom?”
She hadn’t said a word about her, and even little was known about the woman at all, not even her name.
“Not in the same way that it did to you. I never knew my mom. I’m better off for it in my case.
” She smiled out at Win. “Not every mom can be like Velra, you know?” He nodded, then Evira told us, “Her name was Prena. She had lofty political ambitions, but her way of going about achieving them wasn’t to work her way up, but to take shortcuts.
She saw an opportunity during the celebration of the overthrow of House Titanus all those years ago.
She basically used illicit and borrowed magic to…
coerce my father into… impregnating her.
Her goal was to use the conception to make a power grab.
My dad refused and with help from my grandmother, the whole thing was rejected.
Prena took off right after I was born, and disappeared into the ozone.
It was just… a failed business transaction to her. ”
My stomach twisted. “That’s brutal. I’m so sorry.”
Winter’s eyes narrowed. “Despicable.”
Vax shook his head in dismay, grimacing.
But Evira didn’t seem much fazed by it. “It doesn’t matter to me.
Honestly. I’ve had a great upbringing with my dad and my grandmother.
And with Torvek being there too. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
” She winked at me. “But, yeah, I do understand the sickly feeling of parents walking away like that. It bothered me when I was younger. Not now, though.”
“That’s just it, Z,” Winter said. “Like Evira is getting at… moving beyond what was done… that damage. What your parents did was wrong, without a fucking doubt, but if you’d gone with them, it would have dragged you into their despair, them giving up, them remaining stagnant. Instead, you went on, flourished.”
“I know. That’s true. But I guess, being at Loxley for three years before you guys started this year…
it kinda felt like stagnating in a way after a while.
And I fell into that with my… emotional baggage and not being able to get past my volatility, and all my shit.
But when the three of you came, it gave me a kick in the ass, I guess.
Or maybe even gave me the push I’d been needing to properly get on this path now, something I’d been just shy of reaching before. ”
“Because you hadn’t had any support before, no one to guide you along,” Evira pointed out.
I smiled and looked at Vax. “And like you told me earlier, people progress differently.” I gestured at the closed door that led into the rest of the house.
“So, I guess, coming back here tonight wasn’t just about the use of the kitchen like I’d been trying to make myself believe.
” I sucked in a breath, pushing past the raw wounds of it willing me to bury it deeper so it didn’t hurt.
But it did hurt, and it kept hurting, rising up every now and then, because I hadn’t dealt with it.
“I’ve dealt with a lot of other issues since you guys came into my life.
Finally, right? And this… coming here tonight, inviting you guys here…
I think… no, I know… it was me needing to say goodbye to this place.
To let it all go now.” I smiled out at them.
“And I guess I needed you guys here with me to do that, and to prove to the little demons in my brain that this house and that life holds no weight, especially in light of having you in my life. You three are my family now.”
I couldn’t stop then, going on further, eyeing Win, “Even the timing is actually perfect, because Sylas contacted me tonight. He’s gonna put me with Charles Petrone and begin my induction to Requital.”
Win’s eyes shone. “That’s incredible.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. I told you before, I want this for you. I’m really happy you’ve found a career path.”
“One you’re clearly so psyched about too,” Evira chuckled.
“It’s the day for forward momentum, it seems,” Vaxan spoke.
I arched an eyebrow. “How’s that? Something else cool happened?”
Vax nodded and lifted his chin at Evira. “Ready?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I was gonna reveal it over dessert, but we all got wrapped up in. And each other.”
“Aww, icicle,” I crooned, stroking the pastel-blue streaks in her hair. I was all worked up in a different way now with getting that off my chest. I started bouncing on the balls of my feet and urging, “So, tell us. What is this news you have?”
“Well, I had the idea shortly after I… abdicated.” She caught Winter’s disgruntled look.
“Stop. Just listen.” At his nod, she went on, “Then in class today with Keuric, the way he tried to reframe everything in a negative and regressive way, it kind of clinched it for me.” She eyed us each in turn, excitement brimming.
“No longer technically being Crown Heir, but still being recognized as dragon princess, puts me in a unique position. I still hold power, but I can act without oversight with that power.”
Win started. “Huh… very interesting… go on.”
She grinned. “See? I told you it’s not a negative thing to me. It’s actually freeing.”
“Especially with this concept you told me about on the way here,” Vax said.
“One you’re gonna be a part of.”
“Yes. One I will most certainly be delighted to become a part of.”
She told us, “I met with Octana today alongside River as well to discuss it and bring them on board. A private accord between future sovereigns—the heirs to kingdoms, covens, political powerhouses, and the like throughout the supernatural world. We share a unique complication—one that my idea can finally turn into opportunity. Our lives are political weapons before we even inherit power. I call the concept Exalt. We’ll mine the opportunities, leverage, and heavy-hitting moves as heirs without actual thrones.
And we’ll affect public opinion when it comes to certain things, especially traditionalist notions that are still entrenched in some places—the Dracoryn Realm and the Light Fae Realm being two obvious examples. ”
“Holy shit,” I exclaimed. “This is an awesome idea! Perfect for you.”
“Inspired,” Vax said.
And Win stared out at her, eyes gleaming. “I see now. I finally see that you stepping down was far from being all bad. Because of who you are as a person. You’re turning it around.” He smiled. “Because you’re you, Evira.”
“Thank you, lovely.” She reached out and stroked his arm. “So you can stop carrying that guilt and blame now, yes?”
“Cross my heart.”
“And what a beautiful heart it is.”
Vax and I started chuckling when a cute little puppy dog expression came over Winter at her words.
He blinked and shook it off. “Get a grip,” he told us.
“Aww, don’t shut it down, I love your little puppy side, Win.”
“As do I,” Vax said. “It’s wonderfully endearing.”
Evira pressed a kiss to his cheek.
Then she turned to me and held out her hand. “Do you feel ready to say goodbye to this place now, or you need more time?”
I looked between them and the door that led into the rest of the house.
Sucking in a breath, I said, “I’m ready. Let’s do this.”
Goodbye to the painful past and on to better things.