He blushed at being called agood little fanboy, then nodded.
“I’ll send someone to get you in an hour,” I promised. “Oh, and keep those blinds closed. No peeking through the window.”
Thystle slowly turned towards the window, like he hadn’t realized that was an option.
I clicked my tongue. “Ah, ah.”
Thystle groaned. “Fine.”
He slumped into bed, pulling Heather along with him. They giggled and started using Thystle’s body as a playground. I laughed at the sight of an oblivious bubbly Heather clambering over Thystle’s pouty face.
“It won’t be long,” I promised. “And you’ll love it. I hope.”
The corner of his mouth pulled into a wry smile. “I will. Don’t worry. Get out of here already, before I get impatient and break the rules.”
I caught up with Gaius on the beach. The sight of the gryphon shifter—and what he’d set up behind him—filled me with instant relief. For all of Gaius’s whimsy and quirky passion for eye-searing shirts, he was solidly reliable.
As I got closer, my jaw dropped. I stumbled to a halt and stared. The stage was twice as extravagant as it was during the Games. There were bigger speakers, a light display, and even a fog machine to create a moody atmosphere. A drum set and an electric guitar stand flanked a single microphone in the center of the stage.
Mymicrophone.
A shudder chilled my spine. This familiar scene brought back so many memories—most of them great, some not so good. But those old tainted memories were changing, too. I’d since made up with Vani and Keaux after a few long talks over the phone. We each apologized for the way we handled the messy misunderstanding, and the fallout that came after it. Now that we were all in our thirties, it was embarrassing to look back on the way we acted a decade ago.
Vani and Keaux took their apology a step further. Our big argument was about me finding a mate and settling down. It turned out that after TalonStorm’s dissolution, Vani and Keaux got together after frustrating years of mutual pining. Who would’ve thought?
A hand landed on my shoulder, pulling me back to the present.
“Looking good so far?” Gaius asked with a grin.
“Everything’s perfect,” I said. “Thanks again for all your help. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”
He winked. “Anything for a feathered friend. Oh, and a dragon, too, I guess.”
“What’s this about dragons?” Jade asked, poking his head into the conversation.
Gaius stood up straighter. “Nothing, dear dragon of mine.”
Jade’s green eyes sparkled with amusement. He was clearly poking fun at the gryphon. He turned to me and asked, “Are you ready, Matteo?”
I blew out a breath. “Getting there.”
Jade nodded in understanding. “Karaoke aside, it’s been a long time since you performed.”
Crimson strolled by, joined by Taylor and Ruby. “Especially with your backup,” he added.
I grinned. “Crimson, they’re not backup, they’re the other two-thirds of the band.”
“Psh,” he said, waving a dismissive hand.
Taylor nudged his mate. “Don’t say that so loud. You’re going to give the humans a bad impression.”
“What do I care about a human’s opinion?” Crimson asked with a haughty sniff.
I smiled. I knew Crimson’s attitude came less from his dislike of humans, and more from his desire to protect me. It didn’t matter to Thystle’s brothers that I only recently joined the family. They all treated me like I’d been part of it forever. It was a warm, welcoming feeling.
“I know they’re humans, but they’re my friends,” I explained.
Jade gave Crimson a pointed look behind his glasses. “Yes, and we made special arrangements to have them here for one night only. I expect you can behave for a few hours, yes?”
