A deep voice boomed from within, “If you drank the tonic, come on in!”
I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t nervous to meet all of Zurie’s mates. They were literal archangels, and despite having drank the tonic, I was a little hesitant of this burning light situation of theirs still.
Upon entering their home, I realized that the energy filling it now made it feel vastly different from the last time we were here. The space really felt like a home now, with laughter and conversation flowing freely. From what I could see, five men were scattered between the kitchen and the living room, either cooking or playing with a young girl. Zurie was nowhere to be seen, but I was sure she’d show up soon.
The man nearest us sat down his spatula and wiped his hands on a towel hanging from his apron before spinning around to face us. A huge smile lit up his ethereal face, and I found myself feeling a bit gobsmacked at the sight of him. Not because I was attracted to him but because I’d never met someone with his features before. It was almost as if he was refracting the light in the kitchen, his icy skin and pale hair making him look like some sort of diamond as random light patterns shimmered across his form. He was clothed completely in white beneath his soft blue apron. His eyes were dazzling, filled with a changing spectrum of colors. He reminded me of the clouds wafting around the guest house.
“I’m so thrilled to meet you all! You can call me Remi,” he gushed, crossing over to shake each of our hands. He beamed with authenticity, and I instantly warmed to him.
“We’re so thankful for your family’s kindness and generosity for hosting us and helping us with the problem we’re facing,” I responded, giving him a small nod of gratitude as I smiled back at him.
He was the exact type of mate I could picture for Zurie, matching her graceful energy and kind demeanor perfectly.
Before he could respond to me, another voice cut in, seemingly coming from the man washing dishes with his back to us. “Ah, so you’re the troublemakers Ama brought to us.”
I gulped, unsure of how to respond. There was a stark difference in their tones. His words alone weren’t off-putting. That same sentence could have come across as a joke if it had come from Remi, but this man definitely made the words sound like an insult.
“Oh, lighten up, Zer,” Remi groaned before holding his hand up on the side of his mouth and whisper-yelling to us, “He’s kind of a dick to everyone besides Zurie and Ris. Just ignore him.”
A deep growl came from Zer, and the sound made me chuckle.
The sentiment from Remi did leave me wondering if Ris was their daughter. That would absolutely fit the whole dark and broody, but soft for his mate and daughter, vibe Zer gave. Something about the man left me feeling uncomfortable. Wispy shadows seemed to surround him as he stood in the kitchen wearing dark clothes, with colorful tattoos covering every visible inch of his shoulders and arms, all the way up the back of his neck. His red hair was pulled back from his face into a short ponytail, and as he cocked his head over his shoulder to take us in, I fought to resist the urge to hide from his pure black eyes.
I could easily tell this guy was powerful, and I didn’t want to get on his bad side. Were we sure he belonged in Divinus? He was giving some pretty strong Hell vibes.
My eyes fell to the man who was setting the dining room table when we came in. He wore his white hair that was streaked with a faint, almost blue shade, in a braid. The same faint blue color could be found in his cloudy eyes, and I couldn’t help but wonder whether he could see. There was no iris at all, yet when he looked directly at us, I had the feeling he could see us. White smoke surrounded him, lending the space around him a dream-like quality.
The stark difference between Zurie’s mates so far was very interesting. Their differences made me really curious about the other two in the living room.
The new man gave us a small bow from his waist. “Welcome to our home. I hope you feel comfortable here. You may call me Jeremiel or Jer.”
He continued toward their cabinets and pulled out glasses as we parroted back hellos and our names.
He seemed polite and reserved, similar to Elwin in a way. Perhaps he was more of an observer in their group.
Remi shouted, “Ris, go tell mommy that breakfast is about to be served! Raph and Rag, come meet our guests!”
A high-pitched squeal came from a small girl as she jumped up from the floor, white and black, pin-straight hair bouncing as she bounced in place. “Ok, Daddy!”
Her little feet pounded against the floor as she ran down a hall the opposite way from us.
A smile pulled at my lips. So Riswastheir daughter.
Grumbles came from the two large men lumbering to their feet in the living room, and I prepared myself for potentially uncomfortable greetings, just in case they were more like Zer than Remi and Jer. Instinctively, I took a step back and felt Kylo’s energy wrapping around me as he rubbed my arms and rested his cheek on top of my head.
The knot of anxiety twisting in my chest instantly loosened, and I took a deep breath. They were just people at the end of the day. Souls within a shell of a body like the rest of us…right?
Remi held his hand out as the first of the two men stepped through the archway between the living room and kitchen. “This is Raph.”
He was dressed in a simple linen shirt and pants, his golden skin and black hair seeming to radiate warmth and light. His appearance only emphasized the stark parallels between Zurie’s mates as the second man came to lean in the doorway.
“And this is Rag.”
This man was dressed similarly to Zer, with all black clothes that matched Rag's dark, jaw-length hair. While he didn’t outwardly snarl at us or anything, choosing to give us a polite nod of his head in greeting instead, everything about the power around him radiated violence. I could practically sense the bloodlust under his skin, which made pressing against Kylo more.
Raph stepped forward, extending his hand in offering to me, which I hesitantly took even though Zer was glaring at Raph’s back for his polite greeting to me. As I placed my hand in his, he brought his other up to cover my own on both sides, his golden eyes sparking with what appeared to be compassion. Or maybe pity–I wasn’t sure yet.
“Zurie told us of all that you’re facing, and what you’ve overcome so far,” he began, swinging his gaze up to meet the eyes of my mates around me before settling back on me. “If there is anything we can do to assist you, we will, despite what the two grumps behind me may look like. We all agreed to it last night.”
