Lochan rolls his eyes. "You'll look fine in anything."
"He's right," Callen adds. "Though personally, I think you look best in nothing at all."
Heat rushes to my cheeks. "Callen!"
He laughs, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Just stating facts. Lochan and I need to get ready. We'll go back to our suite and see you back here in ten."
“Uh, make it twenty?” I don’t spend a lot of time getting ready, but it will take me at least that to have a quick shower and swipe on some lip gloss.
As they turn to leave, Lochan pauses. "You know, it'd be a lot easier if you just moved in with us."
The idea sends a thrill through me, but I push it aside. "One step at a time, big guy." Still, I’m not averse to it. Waking up next to the four of them every morning would be amazing. But then, there’s Marius to think about. How would he feel about that?
They disappear through the portal, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I step into the bathroom, the cool tile biting at my bare feet. The mirror fogs up almost as soon as I turn the hot water on, and I can already feel the moisture clinging to my skin.
The shower is running hot, water cascading in a steady stream of heavy pressure. I step in, and the heat envelops me instantly, seeping into my muscles and loosening the knots of tension I didn’t even realize were there. The water slides down my shoulders, tracing the curve of my spine. I tilt my head back, letting it soak through my hair, which clings to my neck and shoulders in damp tendrils.
I reach for the bottle of body wash on the ledge, squeezing a dollop into my palm. The scent is faintly floral, lavender and carnations, and it lathers easily as I work it over my skin. My hands glide over my arms, my stomach, my legs, the water rinsing away the suds and leaving me feeling clean and refreshed, like I haven’t just participated in the sex olympics with two fitter than hell fae men. For a moment, I let myself just breathe, the steam rising around me.
I turn off the water and step out of the shower, wrapping myself in a towel. The mirror is still fogged over, and I swipe at it with my hand, revealing my reflection. My eyes stare back at me. I lean closer, searching for any sign of the Morrigan’s influence, but all I see is me. Just me.
I dry off quickly and slip into a simple dress—something practical, but pretty enough for a visit to the fae kingdom. I don’t bother with makeup beyond the lip gloss; if Callen and Lochan are fine with me as I am, then that’s good enough for the rest of the fae. I head back to the room, where they’re already waiting.
Callen’s looking every bit like the prince he is. "Ready?"
"As I’ll ever be," I say, trying to sound more confident than I feel.
Lochan steps forward, his hazel eyes scanning me like he’s checking for any sign of hesitation.
Callen takes my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine, and I feel a surge of warmth at the contact. Lochan moves to my other side, his presence solid. Together, they lead me to the portal that will take us to the fae kingdom.
The air around it shimmers faintly, a faint hum vibrating in my chest as we step through. The sensation is disorienting but brief, and then we’re standing in a completely different world.
My breath catches in my throat. The fae kingdom unfolds before me like nothing I've ever seen. Colors I don't even have names for dance across a sky that seems both close enough to touch and infinitely vast. The light here is different—softer yet more vivid, casting everything in a glow that makes each detail stand out in sharp relief.
"Wow," I whisper, unable to hold back my wonder.
Trees spiral upward, their trunks twisted in impossible patterns, branches laden with blossoms that slowly shift hues as I watch. The ground beneath my feet feels alive somehow, responsive to each step I take.
Callen watches my reaction, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Welcome to Eltherion."
I turn in a slow circle, taking it all in. A group of small, winged creatures dart overhead, trailing light behind them. Music drifts through the air—not from any instrument I can identify, but from the very environment itself, as if the kingdom is humming its own melody.
"I feel like I don't belong here," I admit, "but I also never want to leave."
Lochan's large hand grips my waist. "You belong wherever we are, Brigid."
The path we're on winds through a meadow where flowers open and close as we pass, following our movement like curious spectators. I reach out to touch one, and it sways toward my fingertips.
"Remember when we were kids," Lochan says suddenly, his voice softer than usual, "and you convinced me those flowers could tell fortunes?"
Callen barks out a laugh. "Gods, you believed me for years."
"I was seven," Lochan grumbles.
I look between them, charmed by this glimpse into their past. "What happened?"
