Oh, wow. I always forget how rapid-fire and bubbly she is until I'm in the line of fire. Sometimes I cannot figure out how she and Maven became best friends, but it's still the cutest thing ever.
Before I can respond to any of it or show Kenzie my ring, the front door opens and Baelfire flashes a bright smile at everyone, welcoming us all inside.
"Cookies can go in the kitchen with everything else," he adds before looking at me hopefully. "Wait—are those the butterscotch chocolate chip oatmeal ones?"
"Yep."
"Thank gods. I hope one of those plates is just for me, because those cookies kick ass."
"See? Goodest Golden Boy understands me," Jessica sighs to Athanis. "I swear, those cookies will haunt me in the Beyond."
Bael offers to take the plate of cookies I'm carrying, bringing them into the kitchen with Kaenon as they start chatting. The rest of us move into the spacious living room area, where the rest of the Amato quintet is talking with a few other Decimuses who made it for this little celebratory Netherbloom get-together.
I sit on one of the couches just as Maven glances up from where she's sitting near Crypt, breaking into a smile at the sight of the twins being held by the Baird quintet members. I grin at them, too.
"Cutest babiesever," I tell Kenzie as she sits down.
"Aww, thanks. Gods, that pregnancy was rough, and labor was a total bitch because I bled so damn much after delivery, but—" she begins.
She's cut off by Vivienne, one of her quintet members, who sits beside the lioness shifter while gently rocking one of their twins.
"Ah, ah, ah—language, Kenz. Remember? Little ears," the air elemental cautions.
Kenzie apologizes and kisses her air elemental on the cheek before gazing down at their daughter with nothing short of total adoration. I don't have to reach out with my abilities to sense how much love resonates around them.
So precious.
Luka is standing nearby, holding the other twin. When Felix calls out something to him from the kitchen, the vampire leans down to pass the adorable, squishy little Baird to Maven, since she's close to him.
"So damn rolly," Maven grins, smiling openly down at her godson.
"Language," Vivienne reminds her.
"My bad. I meant so fucking rolly."
Vivienne sighs while Crypt starts laughing from where he's sitting on Maven's other side. He leans over and boops the baby's nose with his pinky.
"That's because Caleb and Chloe drink more milk than should be physically possible for any four-month-olds, ever," Kenzie sighs before grinning at me again. "So, how has married life been? I know a bunch of people online got way investedwhen they heard thattheAsher Douglas was getting married to Everett's sister. People were just dying over how cute your wedding pictures were, but I hope people have been leaving you guys alone and—hey, no! Bad monk. For the last time, no weapons around the babies!"
Maven looks up from where she was just offering a sheathed knife to Kenzie's son to play with. "But it's in a sheath."
"It's a fucking knife," Asher reiterates from where he stands behind the couch I'm sitting on, looking at the demigoddess like she's insane.
Vivienne again grumbles about the foul language, covering her daughter's ears.
"Asheathedknife," Maven repeats, clearly still mystified about their concern.
I laugh along with several of the others at the exchange. Kenzie sighs and takes her son from Maven, informing him that his godmother is a sadist and that he's not allowed to play with weapons for a long time.
Everyone in here is relaxed, chatting, and having a good time. I look around, letting the barest amount of my empathy abilities seep out so I can feel all the happy, warm, familiar contentedness here.
Things were rough for a while earlier this year. But, besides getting bound to the best quintet in the history of ever, other things have been going a lot smoother lately.
Noah and some of the other fae who were part of the excavations into the Nether started giving interviews and speaking up online about what really happened. It made headlines until most people stopped believing Marwood. The fae elders launched their own private investigation into him before they declared him corrupt and a poor example of fae valures. He was finally stripped of his title and influence before the fae elders sent me a formal written apology.
People still have plenty of mixed opinions about me, both online and in Koasville. But mostly, interest in my life has calmed down—especially because news of the Garnet Wizard's death shook the entire world and took the spotlight, when Silas and the other acolytes finally decided it was time to make the announcement.
But one of the best things to come out of recent months is Nivarrah's rehabilitation. She's in a charming, private, long-term-care psychiatric facility with some specialists who are doing everything they can for her. I've even gone to visit her a couple of times with Kaenon, hoping he could translate if she decided to talk. She doesn't really speak to anyone, but she liked the cookies I brought her.
