The others in the room nod, and while Arianna looks less than impressed, she inhales deeply, pulling some of her darkness back. “You’d better be right about this, Vivi, or I will hunt down your soul just to kill you myself.”
I give her my most reassuring smile. “They wouldn’t have made a huge deal about my prophecy if ending my mortal life meant I was dead for good. It’s going to be fine.”
Do I believe a word I just said?
Maybe?
I’m like seventy percent sure I won’t die for good. And right now, those are decent enough odds.
Arianna gives me a tight smile and turns to Rosie. “How can I help?”
But before Rosie can answer, Morgana chimes in, “I’m going to go look for Sin and try to talk him down.”
“Do you think he’ll be okay?” I ask, worried about him.
Morgana purses her lips before answering, “I’m not sure. He’s never –” she pauses as if trying to find a way to explain without revealing more than she should. “He cares for you a great deal. That’s new to him. And I imagine the idea of losing you is very unpleasant.”
I swallow, nodding at her, and Morgana continues out the door.
Magnus clears his throat and claps me on the back. “Well, little enigma, I have no doubt you won’t be leaving us permanently, but I’m always available for a party.”
The four of us chat for another half hour, discussing possible party ideas. It’s nice to take the time to think of something other than my looming death. This feels almost normal. Like pre-supernatural experiences, kind of normal. We bounce around different possibilities, but ultimately, my ideas win out since it’s my death-day party. We settle on a bonfire on the beach, with good music, Mortal Realm snacks, and lots of peach schnapps.
Rosie and Magnus get to work on gathering all the supplies we need, and Arianna keeps me company, hanging out in my room with me after I’ve showered. We have instilled an all-important ‘no talking about my possibly becoming permanently dead rule’ and are instead focused on having a lazy afternoon.
It’s pure bliss – other than the fact that I haven’t seen Sin since he stormed off.
Arianna braids my damp hair so I will have beach waves for the party. We decide to wear matching outfits – courtesy of Arianna robbing my wardrobe blind yet again. It’s too warm for long pants, and for once, I’m not ashamed of my scars. Everyone here has seen them, and no one has made a big deal. So, in the spirit of self-love and body confidence, we take daggers to two pairs of my jeans, making cutoff shorts.
I try to pair mine with a tank top, but Arianna threatens me with shredding all my human-realm clothes if I don’t let her choose our tops. When I point out that she’s already stolen half of my clothes, she raises a brow at me.
“Excuse me? You do realize those are MY fighting leathers over there, right?” she asks, pointing to the chest at the end of my bed. Laughing, she adds, “I don’t mind, Vivi. I’m happy sharing wardrobes.”
A warmth spreads in my heart at her words. She really is like a sister to me. I’ve always wanted a sister. Or at least I did until I realized what a monster my mother was. Then, I was grateful there was no one else for her to traumatize.
Arianna digs through my drawers until she finds two of my lace bralettes. They each have spaghetti straps, a deep plunging V-neck, and they end in a small band right below the chest.
I laugh, sure that she’s messing with me.
“Those are bras, Ari. They don’t leave anything to the imagination. That’s a hard no for me. But you go for it if that’s your jam.”
Arianna smirks. “Your boobs won’t show if you put a bra underneath. Now get dressed and stop complaining.”
I wrinkle my nose but take the bralette from her.
By the time dusk rolls around, Arianna and I look like we’re ready for a beach festival. Our hair is down in matching waves, and we’re both in black bralettes and jean shorts. We’re barefoot, and Arianna painted our cheekbones and shoulders with glow-in-the-dark glitter. Arianna’s glitter is pink, and mine is aquamarine.
It’s a festive look for us.
Linking arms, Arianna apparates us out of my room, and we land on the sandy ground.
Peering around, I realize we’re on the same beach Sin brought me to the other day. I look around the cove but don’t see him.
There’s a huge fire burning in the center of the beach, where Magnus is steadily apparating in more wood. Driftwood logs have been rolled over to create some seating, and Rosie has laid out a small table full of Mortal Realm snacks. There’s music blasting from a small speaker placed in a divot of one of the cliffs, and music echoes off the surrounding walls, creating a pulsing sound in my blood.
I smile and yell at Arianna to be heard over the music, “I didn’t think anyone else knew about this place.”
Arianna grins. “I showed Rosie. I’ve been all over this realm, Vivi. I know all the best hideouts,” she says before taking my hand and pulling me to the party.
