Jayce glances up as Renji grins and Ares scoffs.
Gramps raises an eyebrow. “What am I missing?”
“Nothing,” Jayce intervenes as I smirk.
Carter sits back. “Not much, no. I am curious about something else, though. You and Heaven seem to be quite close now.”
I smirk. “Now don’t be jelly that I have a clever witch as a buddy,” I answer.
Ma laughs. “She is a clever one; I do think she’ll surpass Raihana, too,” she says.
The other adults nod. “She’s only seventeen and is already doing so much,” Grandma adds.
Nice try, wanker,I say to Carter through the mind-link.
He simply gives me a dirty look but doesn’t reply.
I chuckle quietly to myself as I pop an almond into my mouth.
The doorbell rings; ah, here they are.
“It’s open!” Dad calls. The door opens, and a few moments later, Uncle Damon enters the lounge with Aunty Robyn beside him. Artemis and Asher are right behind them.
“Hey!” Artemis says as she drops onto the sofa beside Dad.
“The hair looks great,” Dad compliments her.
“Thanks, Uncle,” she says, turning her head so he can see it properly.
“I haven’t seen you with that thing for a while,” Uncle Damon says with a grin as he gestures towards Jayce’s guitar. “You should play us something.”
“I’ll pass. I’m a tad rusty,” Jayce replies as he strums the guitar.
“Oh, he’s perfectly good with it,” Ma disagrees.
Aunty Robyn pats my knee, and I groan, forced to sit up to make space for her to sit down.
“Don’t be lazy,” she says with a smile, helping herself to some nuts.
“I am allowed to be lazy, I work hard,” I say.
She cocks a brow. “Do you? What have you been up to since you came home?” she asks.
“Now, you’re just calling me out,” I say, tossing anothercashew up into the air.
The sleep potions are all out, and as much as I hate to admit it, I could have done with some more. I have to admit they became addictive; the thought of a good night’s rest is a temptation I couldn’t resist. “I’ve been sleeping. It’s important.”
Although it wasn’t that I tried to go to sleep ASAP, thoughts of Heaven stopped me often enough. I know whenever she’s online because I fucking stalk her. Like a psycho.
“You’re going to lose,” Asher says to Ares as he takes a seat close to them, looking at the board between Renji and Ares.
“And since when have you been good at this game?” Ares asks. “Don’t underestimate me.”
“And don’t overestimate yourself,” Carter adds, looking over his book at Ares.
“Damn, Ares, you’re losing. Wasn’t I right?” Asher taunts as Renji chuckles, making a move.
“Sorry, man,” Renji says apologetically.
