“Oh, you’re one of those month-long celebrators.” His smile grew with his tease.
“Come here, you turd,” I said. “Give me a hug.”
He did, just as the girls came storming in. It took a little wrangling, but I managed to get the girls settled at the table, where we sangHappy Birthdayto Javier before digging in. I’d never seen him smile so openly in the months I'd known him. Honestly, it was a relief. He was such a kind soul, and after losing both of his parents so suddenly, he’d carried far too much on his young shoulders. But now...there was less grief in his eyes and a little more peace.
By the time I showered and Javier helped me get the girls ready for school, my right leg and ankle hurt in a way that didn’t feel normal. I did my best to hide my limp, but Javier noticed anyway.
“You okay?” he asked when we neared the girls’ school.
“Fine.” I patted the top of Victoria’s head, careful not to disturb the braid Everly had done for her the previous night. The girls wore braids almost every day, usually with flowers twined through if any of the male fae were around. “Everly kicked my butt this morning.”
His brows pinched together in concern.
“I’m fine, Javi,” I said, inwardly cringing at the nickname I’d let slip aloud. I relaxed when he seemed unbothered by it but instead worried about my leg. “I’ll pass by the castle after drop-off to see if the healer cantreat me.”
“I can take the girls,” he said, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “It’s right next to my school.”
“I know,” I said gently. “But I like seeing y’all off. Although I promise I’ll never get closer to your school than I do. I wouldn’t want your friends to think you’re not cool.”
He gave me one of his lopsided smiles. “They’re not like the kids back home. They don’t care about looking cool or any of the stuff we did in our realm. It’s different, but I think I like it better. With them, I don’t have to try so hard to be someone I’m not.”
“Between you and me, I think you’re pretty cool without trying.”
He bowed his head with a chuckle.
When we reached the girls’ school, I watched them disappear into the towering, castle-like building that looked like it’d stepped out of a storybook. The schools had been the only thing in Reignom that Leanora’s magic hadn’t destroyed, which was a good thing because I wasn’t sure the fae would’ve been able to restore it to its grandeur. With high walls and imposing towers built from a fusion of varying stones, it was impossibly beautiful yet threatening, looming over the small city of Reignom, where the actual castle, Elias's mother's residence, also resided. And that was only the school for the younger children. The one Javier went to was even larger, grander, lined with vegetable gardens that the students from both schools tended, and other outdoor courses to hone skills that would benefit the students and the world they lived in.
Although Javier was learning swordplay and archery, which he enjoyed enough that Elias had bought him an archery set for his birthday, I was grateful he didn’t have to join the military training school. While it’d been arequirement over one hundred years ago, Elias had convinced his parents long ago to allow the children to be children, only joining the military school voluntarily.
A pretty female fae I’d seen Javier talking to before called out his name, and his eyes widened at the sound of her voice. As if involuntarily, his feet moved forward before he froze.
“Go, Javier,” I urged, eyebrows raised and a knowing smile. “Your friend’s waiting.”
Red spread over his dark complexion to the tips of his ears. He rubbed the back of his head like he always did when he was nervous.
“You think I can hang out with her...them, my friends after school?” he asked, stumbling over his words. “During our breaks at school, we’ve been building a skateboard. They want me to show them how to use it.”
“Of course. And hey, I was thinking about checking out the new pizza place for dinner.” I wrinkled my nose. “No promises on how good it’ll be. The chef’s not human and didn’t exactly grow up around mozzarella, but I heard they have arcade-style games. You and your friends are more than welcome to join us. I mean, you can sit at your own table so the girls and I don’t cramp your style.”
I cringed again. One day, maybe when I was well over one hundred years old, I’d learn not to ramble.
“Yeah, maybe.” He chewed on his bottom lip. “Do you want me to help you get to the healer?”
A group of fae kids headed our way—two boys and the same girl from earlier.
“Should I leave before they get here?” I asked, glancing back like I might make a run for it.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to meet his friends. I did. I wanted to be a part of his life, both in and out of our home.But being a teenager was hard. Being a teenager in a magical realm? Even harder.
“They’re not like that, Teddy,” he whispered. “Besides, even if we were still in Colina, I wouldn’t be embarrassed for my friends to meet you.” He gave me a tentative smile. “Between you and me, you’re kinda cool too.”
I couldn’t tell you why his words warmed my heart but I wanted to hug him, squeeze the air out of him. But I restrained myself.Barely.
“Hi,” the female said when they reached us. “I’m Delaney.”
“I’m Teddy.” I smiled and tucked my hands in the pockets of my pants.
“Aidas.” One of the boys lifted his hand in a wave. “That’s our friend Kieren.”
