“I know so.” I yanked on a piece of her hair lightly before teasing, “After all, you’re my mate, my equal. It only makes sense when I’m such a natural, right?”
She giggled lightly, lifting my own spirits at the sight. I loved nothing more than seeing that little wrinkle appear on her nose when she laughed. It, more than anything else, showed her joy was true and real, after a life with so little to be joyous about.
“Now, as much as I wish I could just keep you naked in bed all day, I have a feeling those bastards downstairs won’t leave us alone until we make an appearance.” I rolled my eyes, making her snicker.
It was enough of a push to get us up and dressed. Once I’d gotten my leather pants on, I put on a black button-up, leaving the top buttons undone, and threw my jacket over it. Asteria had donned a gorgeous crystal-encrusted dress that showcased her breasts and shoulders marvelously where it sat off her shoulders. The purple crystals around them faded into a sky-blue and then into silver on the corset, before the purple crystals picked back up at the top of her skirt, fading back into blue and then silver.
The sleeves were transparent and billowed out a bit before gathering at her wrist. The top of each sleeve looked almost fused to her skin with the purple crystals over the transparent fabric. She looked like the queen I knew she was. Donning not only her purple and silver, but the blue of the daytime sky.
She sat down at the vanity, and I grabbed the hairbrush from Asteria’s hand before she could run it through her hair. She looked up at the mirror in surprise, watching my reflection as I began to carefully work the brush through her hair.
I hadn’t done anything like this in years. None of my past lovers had inspired this kind of intimacy, but I had two young girls to raise after my parents’ deaths. And both frequently needed help with their hair.
“What?” I asked, lightly. “It pleases me to be able to do things like this for you. I know you usually have Delia and Priscilla, but when I was little, I remember my father doing this for my mother most nights before they went to bed.”
I felt a pulse of something soft through the bond, and I could tell Asteria knew that despite trying to brush it off, being able to do simple things of this nature for my mate meant more to me than I could admit verbally.
Seeing my parents again brought back so many memories. I’d nearly forgotten what they’d once been like together after so many years. I was only in my one hundred and twenties when they died, and three hundred years later, things had faded a bit. Especially with the time between my mother and father’s deaths being so fraught.
But now, all those years we spent in happier times seemed much brighter in my memory. I wanted more than anything for my life with Asteria to be just as blissful, and to stretch on into eternity.
She could clearly tell where my thoughts had gone, her hand finding mine and squeezing tightly. That mysterious and wonderful bond between us now provided a link so tight that we could follow the tenor of one another’s thoughts and be there for the other when needed in a way I could never have imagined before.
With such a bond fueling us, I had no doubt that should we get through this war, Asteria and I would build a life even grander than I could dream.
* * *
We walkedinto the war room to find the expectant gazes of the rag-tag family I’d built over the centuries, compounded by a bunch of interlopers. I was somewhat surprised that my friends hadn’t tried to get us alone first to question us, but I was pleased nonetheless. I knew Asteria wanted to get on with planning as quickly as possible.
Thankfully, Titan was already to the left of my usual spot, and Asteria would naturally stand to my right. Ndrita was next to Titan, while Liviana was across from her, standing next to Asteria’s spot.
Callisto, who’d arrived back from the border, was standing next to Priscilla, who was only the first of many surprises around the table. I had to wonder if she only showed up for an update from Asteria. Especially as Delia and Ilta had apparently joined as well, and they never involved themselves in such meetings unless absolutely necessary.
Interspersed around the table were Eryx, Baach, Harpina, and Lilith, who always had a fifty-fifty shot of being present. They were joined by Lord’s Ciaran, Kyler, Polaris, Rhidian, and Sterling, along with Lady’s Aisling, Alora, Jasira, and Zillah. Not to mention my cousin Siria and her husband, Aibek.
Mixed in with all of the usual suspects were Prince’s Arien, Altan, and Zakat, along with a few of their more highly ranked people who’d joined them, including Lord’s Beltane, Ergun, and Dritan, the former of which must have arrived in our absence.
But what actually stopped both Asteria and I dead in our tracks was the redheaded man standing stiff and nervous to the side of Eryx, a dark-haired human woman hanging on his arm with a strange mixture of fear and relief in her eyes.
“Vikal? Carrina?” Asteria asked, sounding bewildered. Her eyes creased, her suspicion and concern rushing through me in turns.
“Asteria.” The woman, Carrina, sighed with relief. It was easy to see how nervous she was, eyes skittering around the unfamiliar Fae surrounding her and hanging onto the familiar form of Vikal with a white-knuckled grip. Seeing another familiar face clearly helped, as her fingers loosened some on Vikal’s arm.
I couldn’t blame her. Nox only knew what she’d been through in Dusk. The daily fear of being taken away by Cyrus to be drained of blood would be enough to drive most to desperation.
“I assume Nithe brought you here?” I asked, meeting the bright blue eyes of Cyrus’s brother. The two couldn’t possibly look more different. The boyish features of the redhead alone were a contrast to his elder brother’s sharp ones.
“You assume correctly.” I turned my head as Nithe breezed into the room. “Sorry I’m late. I can’t stay long. I need to get back to Dusk, things are finally starting to move in the direction we hoped.”
I nodded, taking in the information with satisfaction. I turned to Eryx, nodding at Vikal with a raised brow, “You’ve already approved them?”
“I did.” Eryx nodded sharply. “Their story checks out.”
“What, did you think I was fleeing from my home to spy on you for Cyrus or something?” Vikal demanded, shoulders tight and back, his face incredulous.
“The thought did cross my mind.” I shrugged, forcibly casual, as I took my place at the head of the table. Vikal bristled a bit, and his anger at the idea helped to soothe any lingering ideas of sabotage that may have lingered.
Asteria’s amusement at my poking for a reaction echoed through me, though she did lay a brief hand on Carrina’s shoulder as she passed, giving her a quick smile as she did.
