Aurelia’s eyes fill with tears as she beams at him.
Xander looks to his regina and something private passes between them, tiny multicoloured lights flashing in his eyes like opals. And then everyone is going back to what they were doing and I watch them with a strange sense in my chest. Just for a tiny, infinitesimal moment in time, I allow that secret part of me, hidden in his cave, to believe that we’re not entirely alone anymore.
Aurelia
Three months later
“Idon’t know if your ensuite is big enough,” Minnie says.
Lyle, Ash, and I are in our suite dining room, showing Minnie the plans for the new house we’re going to build on a property behind the academy. It was the only solution we could find that would suit all of us. I’m still guardian of the property, and Lyle is still headmaster. Scythe and Xander are off having meetings with the human politicians, negotiating to re-build a council via a democratic election. In the meantime, we’d promised the worried humans that Savage and I would finish our educations and therapy at the school. Apparently, Savage and I are theworstcriminals of our pack! Some nerve those people have.
The cameras around the school managed to show the chaos of the fight, and Marduk helped spin a story the humans could swallow. Ash offered his basilisk services, and we all decided we’d only use the venom if it got really hairy. But so far, so good.
Henry and Gertie walk all over the sheets before us, staring at the dark blue and black lines. “Everyone gets their ownbathroom, see?” I point to the adjoining rooms. My mates all get a private bathroom and bedroom each, and they’re all set in a circle around a room, allowing for adjoining doors into the large pack bed, where I’ll sleep.
“Okay, and what about Ash’s suite? Does it have extra reinforcement?”
“Covered,” Ash drawls from his spot next to me, one hand on my thigh and the other pointing to his allocated room facing south so he’ll get the least sun. “Steel and stone to this wing.”
“Plus my own shields,” I say, putting my hand over his.
“You’ve thought of everything!” Minnie says excitedly. “I love it. Marduk is renovating our house in the city, so when I finish at the academy at the end of this year, we’ll be able to move straight in. It has a lift in case Yeti needs it. But I think we should do Christmas here.”
I chew on my lip. I’d spent Christmas last year as a captive at Xander’s house, and since his family was old-fashioned and didn’t celebrate human holidays, I’d totally missed thatandmy birthday. My mates are determined to make up for it this year.
A hint on the wind, a gentle caress down my spine, and I’m leaping to my feet. “They’re back!” I cry. Everyone hurries after me as I rush up the stone steps to the roof of the animus dorm. Sure enough, we see Xander and Scythe flying into the academy. They’d been gone for a few days, first with official business and then out to sea for a swim.
Savage gives a whoop from the grounds below, where he, Eugene, and Stacey are wheeling around Eugene’s lyrebird mate, who is undergoing the best treatment at a city hospital alongside my own healing. They have gathered here for the memorial tonight.
“What’s that in his claw?” Minnie asks.
“Is it a human?” Ash drawls.
“Is it a beast?” Lyle says darkly.
“No,” I say, “it’s a…hunk of crystal.”
Xander does his best not to hammer us with his wing beats, but he’s able to set himself down on the roof easily enough, despite the massive thing in his claw. Scythe climbs off his back and comes to me with a smile.
Scythe’s hugs feel like heaven these days, and I inhale the salt on his skin with relish. Xander shifts and puts on the pants Scythe tosses him before resting his arm on a giant sculpted and polished piece that glistens blue with gold specks in the sun. A sapphire glints at the top of it like a crown, bracketed by golden wings.
“What in the Wild Mother, Xander?” I exclaim. “You brought us a throne?”
“I broughtyoua throne. It’s made of lapis lazuli,” Xander pants. “I had it made back when…”
“You planned to sacrifice yourself to save me?” Ghoul drawls. “I never thanked you for that, by the way. Oh, wait—” Ash taps his finger. “I don’t have to because you never followed through.”
Xander considers Ash through lowered eyes. “Always a nasty fucker, I see.”
“No one can take that away from me.”
“Anyway,”I say pointedly. “What is it for, Xander?”
“For the family photo,” Xander says in astonishment. “We’ll have to do it in the cavern under the academy, so that way we can all be in our beast forms at the same time with Scythe in the water. Except you, of course.” He pats the throne. “This is where you’ll sit. I took it seriously when King Ashzale said to make you a queen.”
“How lovely,” Ash says. We all turn to look at him in gaping surprise. He just shrugs those broad shoulders. “I’m practising saying nice things. Savage is teaching me.”
The wolf in question comes panting onto the roof, beaming at us and brandishing a notebook from his pocket. “We’ve got a list, and Ash teaches me new words.”
