“Plus, different areas around the world have different elders, and they all interact with each other and help set up matches that way, too," Knox tells me.
I cringe. Well, that sounds like a creepy meat market. It all seems so clinical to me. A bunch of elders gathered together and trading people like baseball cards.
“Does that mean you guys are paired up already?” I blurt, feeling annoyed and a little panicked.
I want to slap my hand against my forehead. I’ve known this group for likea day. Yeah, I want to pounce like a hungry raptor on each and every one of them, but that’s just sexual attraction. I don’t want to get married, or bind, or whatever the fuck it’s called.
I sure as hell am not ready to be having little magic babies. Casters make the females sound like fragile broodmares. Professional baby maker is not exactly what I envision for my future.
“We’ve been pushed in the direction of a couple of females, but they didn’t fit with us the way we wanted. We’ve all decided we’d rather not bind than settle," Bastien answers.
He looks like he wants to say more but doesn’t, and I catch him exchange a look that I can’t interpret with Valen.
Bastien’s revelation sends a shit-ton of relief coursing through me. The onslaught of that specific emotion creates a solid argument that some part of me does want a claim on these guys, and that freaks me out. It’s too soon for me to feel that way.
We seem to click, but I don’t know them well enough to envision anything long term, and I don’t want to mistake sexual attraction with long-term compatibility. When I look up, they’re all caught up in some kind of silent conversation amongst themselves. Sabin seems to get surlier as it progresses and I’m getting more confused.
I’m clearly out of the loop, which seems to be the story of my life these days. I decide this discussion has gotten way too serious, so I stand up--a mischievous grin stretched wide across my face.
“Last one in the water is a slave for the day!” I shout, sprinting towards the water before I even finish the sentence.
I hear a scuffle behind me, and once I’m in the water, I turn around to catch them battling and manhandling each other as they all rush toward the lake. I’m laughing so hard as I watch Bastien pick Knox up and fireman carry him, in a last ditch effort not to be the last one to touch the water. It works, and Bastien gets his feet wet before Knox can escape the hold.
“Noooooo!” Knox screams and shakes his fists at the sky like he’s acting out a dramatic scene from a movie.
Laugh-tears are streaming down my face, and I’m holding onto my side, which now has a stitch in it. Valen scoops me up in his arms and starts carrying me out of the water.
“To the rope swings we go!”
20
I’m riding piggyback on Knox pretending to whip him and urging him to run faster. We run through the garage into the house, and I can feel and hear his laughter as we slide into the kitchen and slam right into Evrin.
“You’re back!” I squeak in surprise.
Knox doesn’t put me down, and Evrin gives me an awkward high five in greeting. I haven’t talked to any of the paladin, other than Aydin since they left and I’m not sure what the dynamic will be like now that they’re back.
“Well you all look as thick as thieves," I hear Aydin bellow as he rounds the corner into the living room. I jump off Knox’s back and start slow motion running towards Aydin.
“What are you doing?” he asks me with a chuckle.
“They always do this in the movies when there’s a reunion. I’m just recreating cinematic gold," I tell him.
Aydin laughs and starts mirroring my ridiculous slow-motion run. We meet in the middle, and he picks me up and twirls me. Rumbling laughter spills over to us from the kitchen at our antics.
I turn to the guys. “Guess you got your slo-mo run after all," I tease and they laugh even harder.
“We could have used some of your skills on this assignment, Little Badass," Aydin tells me as he sets me back down on my feet.
“Feel free to take me next time then," I reply not missing a beat, but shocked that he’d want to include me in what they do.
“Looks like you’ve forgiven the boys for their attack," He observes and shoots an exaggerated glare over my shoulder. I look behind me, and the twins are looking everywhere but at Aydin and fidgeting.
“I still think we should punish them," Silva declares, as he walks over and gives the twins a bear-hug. He hugs the rest of the guys and looks over at me. “What do you think, Vinna?”
I bring the tips of my fingers together adopting a nefarious pose. “Tell me more," I cackle evilly, and Silva laughs.
“You kids go get cleaned up. We’re going to eat in about an hour," Lachlan--the party pooper--swoops in breaking up the fun. He also hugs all of the guys, and it’s painfully awkward when he doesn’t acknowledge me at all. Yep, he’s still anti-me. Good to know.
