I smile at the smart ass twin and raise my hand like I’m holding a drink. “Here’s to slumming it," I toast and laugh when they all mirror me.
“To slumming it,” choruses around the kitchen.
“Okay, so remind me which one of you is Valen and which is Bastien,” I ask.
“I’m Valen.”
“And I’m Bastien.”
I glance back and forth between the two looking for markers that will help me identify them separately. They are both in t-shirts and sweats, and their hair is pulled back into knots on the back of their heads. The only difference I can physically spot is that Bastien has a touch more green around his pupil than Valen does. I cling to that difference hoping it will help me correctly identify them in the future.
“Sabin is the last member of our boy band. He’s going to try and come by later, but he’s been caught up doing some family stuff," Valen tells me, and I nod. All of their eyes are back on me, and it takes me a minute to realize what they want.
“I’m Vinna,” I tell them, realizing that I never told them my name last night.
They nod at me, and I see Bastien silently mouth my name to get a taste for it.
“So, Vinna, tell us about yourself," Ryker says.
“Yeah, we’re all dying to know,” Knox adds, his thumb rubbing absently on my shoulder.
Ryker swats his arm, but Knox just chuckles and brushes him off.
“It’s kind of a long story,” I say dismissively, slinking out from under Knox’s arm and claiming one of the seats at the island.
“Oh no you don’t, you tried that evasive maneuver last night and then left us hanging. We’ve got time," Bastien calls me out.
I stare at the extra green in his hazel eyes and get lost for a moment.
“I don’t really know where to start,” I admit. I think back for a second and decide to start with the magic. “I’ve had these weird abilities since I was about twelve, but I never knew why. They’d show up off and on, usually when I was in trouble or super emotional, but what would happen was always unpredictable.
“I ran into my first lamia at fourteen, and since then my abilities have become more reliable. At sixteen the runes showed up, and four days ago I learned that all of this means I’m a caster. I have no idea who my parents are, and no idea why I was given to a woman who had no business caring for another living thing. To the paladin’s dismay, I come with more questions than answers, and I guess that about sums me up.”
I shrug.
“Well, now I feel like an even bigger asshole for hurting you," Bastien laments.
“You should," I tease and offer him a warm smile, so he knows I’m not holding a grudge. “You weren’t the first and probably won’t be the last, so no worries," I offer in jest, but it seems to make everyone in the room stiffen instead of lightening the mood like I was aiming for.
Ryker takes the seat next to me and motions to the runes that flow from my shoulder down my arm. “So these…they’re not tattoos?”
“Nope, they were my magic’s sweet sixteen present."
Ryker and Knox both lean in for a closer examination, and my heart speeds up. Knox takes my hand, flipping it over and then brings it closer to his face so he can get a better look at the runes on my fingers.
“Are they just on your arms and torso?” Valen inquires.
“No, they’re all over my body.”
He runs his gaze all over me, and for some reason it makes me shiver. Knox starts tracing the runes on my hand with his finger. His feather-light touch sends a whirling sensation throughout me, and the intensity of it builds with each caress. I focus on the unusual feeling, trying to figure out what’s going on when it dawns on me that it has something to do with my magic.
I scramble away, worried my magic is going to do something spazzy. I try to cover my panicked retreat by making it seem like I was just heading to the fridge to get a drink.
“You guys want anything?” I offer, trying and failing at coming off casual.
I pass around sodas and then resettle myself between Bastien and Valen. They don’t seem to be as touchy as the other two. Knox starts to chuckle, and I look over to him.
“We scare you away?” he teases.
