Chapter 43 Craving and Control
CRAVING AND CONTROL
Lunch is filled with the guys taking turns sharing some of their most ridiculous stories from training, Thornhurst, and their adventures together. Even Lochlan joins in, describing how he once got caught cheating on an exam when accidentally linking minds with a professor.
My cheeks ache from the residual smile I’ve worn most of the morning as I slip into the house, my footsteps light as I jog upstairs.
I sift through the tangle of bathing suits Gwen packed, tossing aside the thongs before settling on a bright red bikini.
I pull on the white sundress and head back outside.
The sun has lowered in the sky, casting the world in a golden hue that’s stunning against the teal backdrop.
“This way, Spitfire,” Daire says, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. It feels entirely too easy to walk this close to him. Pleasant. Right.
He leads us down a stone pathway that winds through flowering shrubs, their sweet scent intoxicating and familiar. There are days the springs at Mysthaven carry this aroma.
“What are these?” I ask, not daring to trail my fingers along them in case I’m wrong.
Daire plucks a large pink bloom. “A variety of dreamblossoms,” he says, tucking it behind my ear. “They’re for relaxation.”
If Scarlet were here, she’d be singing bond behavior in my ear.
The path curves around a large boulder before opening to more untamed wilderness that somehow blends into the manicured lawn. My heart stutters as I eye the cave entrance we’re approaching, realizing it’s our destination.
“It’s not what you think,” Griffin assures me from a pace behind. “It’s a grotto, and the tub’s tiled, fed by a natural spring.” His hand wraps around mine as we reach the mouth of the entrance.
Daire waves a hand, and fire suddenly blazes from a dozen lanterns secured to the walls, flooding the space with faint light, making the uneven stone walls slightly more inviting.
Above is a large hole, providing a natural skylight that I take in slowly before lowering my gaze to the expansive tub.
Stalagmites protrude every few feet, visible in the crystalline water.
“The heartstone minerals keep the water clear,” Holden explains. “It’s unique to this region, known for its natural healing properties.”
“It’s known to stabilize cindrels,” Kai shares, meeting my gaze as he kicks off his shoes. He drops his shirt beside them and steps into the nearest pool. The water emits a pink shimmer around him. “That’s the heartstone,” he assures me.
Holden follows him in, creating a second trail of pink.
I slowly slide off my shoes and dress. Daire heats the air around me instantly.
I don’t think I’ll ever tire of magic. Ever lose fascination or amazement.
I step into the water, warm and inviting as it tints pink around my legs.
Every step is easier as my muscles relax, until it reaches my waist. Then Griffin’s hand sweeps across my back, gently directing me to one of the benches protruding from the side. Seated, I lean back, the stone wall cool against my skin, a welcoming contrast to the water.
“Early impression of Portelina?” Daire asks, sitting beside me, one large hand spanning across my thigh.
“I don’t know how you guys leave,” I admit, slowly rotating my head to look at him.
His amber eyes seem to drink me in.
Unhurried.
My heart reacts, turning sticky, as though sensing his attraction—one I question too much. One that he’s never stated or acted upon.
“Wait until you see Hyland,” Griffin says. “That place gets harder to leave every damn time.”
“Can you transport here?” I ask Daire.
“There are ancient wards here that I can get by, but it uses a lot more of my power. It would take me a couple of days to recharge. The glider also gives us visibility. Few know I’m a wayfinder.
” He spreads his arms along the back ledge.
“We believe it’s from the Titan side of our ancestry, but there are few records of it. ”
“Can you all transport?”
A teasing grin pulls at Daire’s features. “They wish they could.”
A silent laugh has my shoulders leaning back further against the hard but smooth walls.
I’m tempted to ask if they all have additional strengths and what they are, but I don’t want to ruin this moment.
Instead, I close my eyes and try to follow the mental prompts Lochlan drills into my brain most mornings, finding some semblance of meditation among the comforting silence of the birds outside and the warmth of the water.
Twilight is settling when I open my eyes.
Disappointment pangs in my chest from losing hours.
“You needed the rest,” Griffin says, linking our fingers. “Besides, we have all weekend.”
His assurance does little to ease my regret.
Sensing that, he brushes his lips against my knuckles. “Eventually, time will change meaning.” He stands. “Let’s head back to the house and get some dinner.”
The moment I’m at the edge, my suit is dry, leaving a faint trace of Griffin’s power against my skin.
I slip on my dress and shoes and follow Kai out of the grotto.
The sky has transformed as the afternoon gives way to night—a rich aquamarine hue, streaked with gold near the horizon. It’s breathtaking.
The walk back to the house is quiet until we reach the dreamblossoms, where small insects flit through the air, glowing a myriad of colors and all playing a tune.
I chase them with my eyes. “What are they?” I fight the temptation to catch one for closer examination.
“Lings,” Kai says. “It’s mating season for them. They turn colors when attracted to another ling.”
I watch them for a few more seconds before Kai continues.
When we reach the house, a fire is already dancing on the back patio, welcoming us. Dinner is a relaxed affair, as we gather on the patio, plates of grilled food in hand.
“What’s the biggest difference between here and Earth?” Kai surprises me with the question, another change to our game that we never have an audience for.
A dozen answers rush forward, tangling together in my thoughts. “Everything’s different,” I admit. “Healing. Plants. Shifting. Magic. Food… prophecies. Vestras.” I hesitate before adding, “Bonds.”
“I thought humans had soul mates,” Kai asks.
My thoughts go to my own parents whose relationship was loveless and obligatory, void of passion or even affection, before considering how many unhealthy, toxic, and abusive relationships I witnessed first-hand even from my small vantage point of the world.
“Some seem happy. Most are optimism followed by disappointment,” I reply softly. “And it’s just one person—not a group.”
Daire leans forward, interest lighting his amber eyes. Lochlan’s drink stills halfway to his mouth.
“Humans are monogamous?” Griffin asks.
My heart rattles. “Usually. Having multiple romantic partners is often seen as scandalous.”
Griffin glances between Daire and Holden. “No shit?”
Holden nods once and takes a slow drink.
“That explains a lot about your initial confusion at the medical center,” Griffin says gently. “How do you feel about it now?”
“I’m still processing,” I admit.
The fire pops, sending a curl of smoke toward the stars. No one speaks, and something in the quiet tightens—I still barely know where I stand with any of them. So I shift the conversation, hoping to shift the mood as well. “As a Vestra… have you guys always dated the same woman?”
“Just you, Spitfire,” Daire says, draining his glass.
Heat rises up my neck. “I didn’t mean—”
“Before you?” Griffin asks. My gaze catches on his. He shakes his head. “That’s bond behavior.”
A hundred questions gather at the back of my throat.
“Ask your questions, Miss Breslin,” Holden says.
I have thousands dozens.
“It’s just… difficult to fully wrap my mind around.”
“Why is that?” Daire asks, resting his glass on his knee.
My face burns under the weight of their attention. “I don’t know, it just seems like relationships with a single person are difficult much less multiple individuals. How do you balance emotional connection? Time?”
“You’re thinking about it like a ledger,” Holden says, his dark eyes steady on mine. “But it isn’t about turns or hours. It’s a pulse. What the Keystone needs. What each member of the Vestra needs.”
Griffin nods. “Sometimes all of us together. Sometimes two. Sometimes one-on-one. It’s instinct.”
“Intention,” Kai adds. “My parents had a rhythm. Individual time, group nights, quiet meals. It wasn’t about balance—it was about connection.”
I try to absorb it. “What about sleeping arrangements?”
“It varies,” Kai says. “Some all sleep together. Some rotate. My parents split nights—my mom stayed with my dad on Tuesdays and Saturdays.”
My chest aches for him, for the memory tucked inside his voice.
“It depends entirely on the Keystone,” Daire answers, his voice lowering. “Their comfort. Their desire. That guides everything.”
“Always,” Griffin says. “They choose who, when, and how. The bond never overrides choice.”
“But what about jealousy?” I ask.
“It doesn’t exist in a Vestra,” Daire says simply. “What benefits one strengthens everyone.”
I struggle to reconcile that certainty with everything I know about human relationships.
He meets my gaze, warm and steady. “When a Keystone is with one of their bonds, the others feel it. Not specifics. But the emotion—the pleasure—the connection. The bond shares it.”
“It’s still multiple relationships though,” I point out.
The guys seem to all look at Daire and Kai.
“Their parents were the only ones in Vestras,” Griffin explains, hearing my unspoken question and sparking dozens more.
“A Keystone and their bonds are separate relationships,” Kai says with a nod. “Each one has different dynamics. Its own place. But one bond doesn’t diminish another—they co-exist, strengthening each other.”
Daire nods. “Parallels. They aren’t ranked.”
“What if there’s a disagreement?”
“I imagine it’s similar to what happens if there’s a disagreement within an unbonded Vestra,” Holden says with a shrug. “They handle it.”