“None of us are, apparently,” quips the Mer. His long hair is wet, dripping onto his bare torso as he pulls it back into a bun. “We haven’t properly met, I’m Theoden Marrow, but you can callme Theo. You must be the Human,” Theoden says, looking down at her.
Reyna frowns. Something in her eyes is calculated as she rubs the locket between her fingers. Before their eyes, she changes. She’s still short for a Fae, but certainly less miniature than before.
“I’m Reyna Locke,” she says, holding out a hand for Theo to take.
The Mer simply smiles at her.
“No need for formalities, Pipsqueak; we live together after all.” He winks at her. Reyna scoffs, pulling her hand away.
“Don’t call me that,” she says, folding her arms over her chest.
Theoden’s smile grows larger. “You’re right, it’s too long. Pip will do.”
Reyna looks to Malice. “Is he always this annoying?” Malice looks at Aerin for an answer, but she only laughs.
“You’re going to have to lighten up a bit, Reyna,” Aerin says with a smile. The Mer grins, taking it as a win. As Theo begins warming up his muscles, Reyna copies him, though she pretends she isn’t.
Emrys joins them next, giving Malice a knowing smile as he tugs on a shirt and moves across the space to greet Aerin. He kisses her cheek. “How did you sleep?” he murmurs into her ear. Aerin lets her hand rest on his forearm; Malice watches their easy intimacy closely.
“Well. Thank you.” Aerin looks up at him with a twinkle in her eye.
Malice looks away, jealousy bubbling. He isn’t jealous of Emrys per se, but his words ring in Malice’s head. He’s jealous of how both Emrys and Theoden seem to have this easy intimacy with Aerin. They seem to know where they stand with her and are okay in their place.
Nothing between Malice and Aerin Tolvare has ever been easy.
Khortland finally joins them.
“You missed warmups,” Malice snaps, needing somewhere for his anger to go.
The ice-Fae shoots him a glare. “I think I’ll survive.” His attitude doesn’t land with as much venom as he intends when a yawn eclipses the end of his sentence.
Leaving together, they take the elevator down three at a time. It’s dark when they reach the street, empty enough they can spread out and jog in the thoroughfare. The run to the gym takes slightly longer than normal. Theoden and Khortland easily keep up, but Reyna struggles. When they finally arrive, she braces with her hands on her knees as Aerin inputs the passcode that allows them inside.
“That was the worst twenty minutes of my life,” she says dramatically.
Khortland pats her back, “You did great, Rey,” he tells her in a low voice.
“Just wait until we jog back,” Aerin tosses over her shoulder, pushing inside. Reyna groans, shooting Khortland a look.
Theoden laughs, grasping the door above where Aerin holds it to keep it open for the rest of them. Malice goes to the nearest whiteboard in the nearly empty gym, writing out a workout. He expects slack, complaints from the peanut gallery of males staring at him, but the only complaints come from Reyna.
“I don’t even know what half of that stuff is,” she says, gesturing to the board.
Theo chuckles and she shoots him another scowl. He holds his hands up in surrender.
“I’ll show you,” Khortland reassures her.
“No,” Malice says, “Reyna will be with me. You focus on your own workout.”
Khortland opens his mouth to protest, but Aerin shoots him a warning look and he snaps it shut again.
“Aerin and Emrys, you two start here.” Malice gestures to the top of the circuit. “Theoden and Khortland, here.” He gestures to the middle of the circuit. “Reyna and I will start here.” He points to the end. “After, we spar, so no fucking around.”
Theoden salutes him. “Sir, yes sir!”
Aerin laughs while shaking her head at his antics. “Don’t mock him or he’ll kick your ass on the mats.”
Malice does,in fact, kick the Mer’s ass on the mats. He maybe goes a bit too hard on him, but Malice’s pent-up energy needs somewhere to go, and their circuit had only done so much.
