“I don’t think I’ll be able to walk tomorrow,” she complains. Emrys joins Theo in the kitchen, starting on another part of the meal.
“You’ll be surprised how quickly Fae bodies heal,” Aerin tells her. With this Reyna perks up, looking at Aerin with interest.
“I’ll heal quickly too?” she asks.
Aerin shrugs, if Reyna can see and hear like Fae, it makes sense she’ll heal like one too.
“I guess we’ll find out,” Aerin replies.
Malice enters the kitchen, also freshly showered and changed. He grabs the spoon from Theo’s hands.
“Out, go shower before your stench ruins breakfast.” Theo glares at the Dragon-Fae momentarily before trying to snatch the spoon back. Malice is too fast, holding it out of his reach. “Go,” he orders in a hushed tone. Theo seems to contemplate the order, before turning to look at Aerin with a shit eating grin on his face.
“Oh no,” Aerin hedges, already holding back a laugh. Theo rounds the counter and approaches her at the table holding out a hand.
“Let’s go, stinky, time to shower.” He grins at her. Aerin rolls her eyes but lets him pull her to her feet.
“Wewilleat without you, so if you want breakfast, your asses better be back at that table in five minutes,” Malice warns as Theo drags Aerin down the hall. Aerin looks back at the Dragon-Fae and shoots him a smile. Malice’s almost happy mood immediately turns sour; he frowns down at the stove as if it’s done something to personally offend him.
Theo tugs Aerin the rest of the way to her room, not bothering to shut any doors, before turning on the shower. He yanks off his shorts and underwear in one swift motion, stepping out of them completely nude to wrap his arms around Aerin, herback to his front. He plants a chaste kiss on her cheek before making eye contact with her in the mirror.
“I like them,” he concludes, a smile on his face.
“Even Malice?” Aerin asks, surprised. She anticipated conflict between Theo and Malice. It seems like Malice has conflict with every one of the males, at least initially. While Emrys has obviously grown on him, Aerin’s still unsure where Malice stands withher,let alone the others.
Theo seems to have had the opposite effect as expected. Instead of strife, he brought balance. His joking nature and ability to let everything roll off his back seems to make Malice loosen up just as much as it annoys him. Malice in this slightly relaxed state, seems to have the same effect on Emrys. Somehow, they are more balanced with Theo here, not less.
“Especially Malice. That asshole is prickly as hell, and I love it. I can’t wait until I know every last one of his buttons.” Theo lets Aerin go with a smile and opens the shower door.
“He seems different with you here, good different,” Aerin comments, letting her thoughts trail off as she strips out of her sweaty gym clothes and joins him. Other than errant touches they shower quickly, getting dressed just as fast.
They make it back to the dining table as Malice, Emrys, and Khortland set the food down. Reyna is still sitting in the same spot. She grimaces at Aerin when they return clean, and as if in apology, she says, “I couldn’t do it, couldn’t get up.”
Half the room chuckles. Aerin pats the Human on the shoulder. “It’s okay, we’ll allow you to smell at breakfast, just this once.”
“Thank you.” Reyna sounds relieved.
Aerin takes her regular seat, to the right of the head of the table where Reyna sits. Theo sits on her other side, Khortland across from her, and Emrys to his left. Malice takes the otherend, ensuring enough room for his wings. Each seat has a cup of coffee, and the food smells amazing.
Aerin doesn’t hesitate to dive into her food.
“Your manners never cease to amaze me, Princess,” Malice comments. Aerin notices the way he serves Emrys before himself.
“You do not want to get between her and a meal,” Khortland jokes, placing food on his and Reyna’s plates.
Aerin’s mouth is already full when she flips them both off, which earns her a boisterous laugh from Theo. Conversation dies until each plate is all but empty.
It's only after stuffing her face Aerin realizes they are all looking to her. Aerin tucks a leg under her butt, straightening her spine, like flipping the switch from cozy roommate to actual leader. The others seem to straighten in response.
“I think we need a debrief. We need to get on the same page and make a game plan of where to go from here,” Aerin announces. She’s met by nods around the table. Theo squeezes her thigh in support before his hand falls away.
“Okay, so here is everything we know,” Aerin starts, she holds up fingers as she begins listing things off.
One: There is a prophecy of a Phoenix breaking The Curse of Altrios. The Witches think Aerin is going to be that Phoenix.
Two: Aerin is not full-blooded Fae. Her father had her with a Wolf held in Vitus’s dungeons. This Wolf was murdered by her father after Aerin’s birth.
Three: The Witches told Aerin she needs five bonded-mates, advising Aerin to be bonded to them as soon as possible, due to some impending threat.
