“Thank you.” She spun side to side and smiled.
I went around to the other children too, but Sally dogged my heels, holding onto the hem of my tunic, and I kept reaching back to stroke her hair. The process took a while, but the whole reason the acrobats were hired was to bring some joy to the children. So, we took our time. Finally, we returned to our seats so the acrobats could perform. Sally followed me to mine, and I plopped her on my lap. She picked at my plate as I leaned against Xae, and he put his arm around us both. For the first time, I felt like more than a team or some strange couple with more than two people. I felt as if we were a family.
Did we need a child to be that? Of course not. I just needed a different perspective and Sally had given me that. Just as with the rock, I had to look for the truth in something in order to own it. Listen to its song. The music that vibrated between my men and me was pure love, and that's what family was. I smiled and tucked my head over Sally's. A family doesn't have to be made of blood relations. A mother and father weren't related, and they were the start of a family. So why couldn't I make a family with the men I loved?
The Allarian Dance Troupe's second performance was even better than their first. Some of the Wraith Lords had missed the first show, off on missions, so it was nice that they got to see this one. And it was fun for me to see their fresh reactions to the amazing tricks they performed. The fox shifter stole the show again.
The acrobats won another standing cheer, the hall vibrating with the thunder of applause and shouting Wraith Lords. As the men and women of the troupe headed for the buffet, several Lords got up to talk with them. The troupe split, acrobats following Wraith Lords to their tables and doubtless to their bedrooms later. Usually, Nex would have been one of those flirting Lords. In fact, the way a few of the acrobats eyed him told me the reason he knew the troupe was because he'd been with a lot of them. But tonight, Nex was focused on Evina.
She was not sitting with him. This meant, he ate absently as he stared across the hall at her while she did her job—getting the children fed, including Sally, who had gone back to her table after the performance. But then Evina looked up and met his stare. Something passed between them. I had a feeling Nex would get what he was after that very night. I prayed that Evina was woman enough to handleallof him. Better her than me.
I noticed that Liael was sitting with Wraith Lord Marcir, a Varraen like him. Marcir was also a bottom. Watching the two of them flirt, I wondered what life would have been like for me without magic. If I had been a normal man, what would I have become? Who would I have been with? My stare caught on Caleb. He looked up as if he could sense me and smiled. I smiled back and nodded, then looked away.
Maybe I would have been happy with Caleb if I'd had the chance to get to know him. He used to run the butcher shop with his parents. He always left me messages wrapped up in my purchase. Never anything intimate. Usually dates and times of when he'd be coming to see me. I frowned, thinking about life with a butcher. Animal carcasses everywhere. Nope, I wouldn't have liked that. Then I looked at my men and knew that any life I might have had without magic would have been drab, boring, and unsatisfying. I would have felt the lack of them in my life, even had we never met. My magic made life harder for me, but it also made life better. In so many ways.
“It's my turn,” Rath whispered in my ear.
After my interlude with Keltyr the other night, he and I returned to the suite and discussed making time for one-on-one sessions with Xae and Rath. Taroc had still been there, but when I brought up my desire for more intimacy with my lovers, he quickly excused himself. I walked him out, and he kissed me goodbye, whispering his approval in my ear. After all, if I chose him, he'd benefit too. He wasn't the only one who approved. All three of my lovers liked the idea of more alone time with me. So, they were taking turns.
“Oh?” I looked at Rath and pretended ignorance. “Your turn for what?”
He grinned and slid his hand over my thigh. “You know what. And I know where. Are you done eating?”
“Sure am.”
“Then say goodnight to Xae and Kel.”
I made my goodnights. Not just to my lovers and Taroc but also to the other Lords dining at our table. Nex gave me a half-hearted wave, still focused on his prey. Then Rath helped me up, and we stepped back, along the wall. He tucked me in against his chest and faded us away from the citadel. The last thing I saw as I faded was Taroc's intense stare.
And then we were somewhere quiet and dark. I blinked as I stepped out of Rath's arms, letting my eyes adjust to the moonlight. We were in a little clearing—a meadow broken by a thin stream. Moonlight gleamed off the water, illuminating the area brighter than I'd first thought. I turned toward Rath, expecting to get right into the sex.
But Rath just took my hand and led me up to the stream. He found a soft patch of grass and sat down beside the water. Then he helped me settle between his legs. Tucking himself around me, he sighed.
The sound of the bubbling stream and Rath's even breathing soothed me, and I leaned back against his chest to sigh as he had. No pressure to perform. No erection poking against my back. Just us. Together. Watching the world. Listening to its heartbeat.
“I've missed you,” Rath whispered as he wove his fingers with mine. “How are you?”
“What an odd question.” I looked over my shoulder at him.
“Is it?” Rath cocked his head to see me better. “We haven't had the time to just check in with each other. I'm not asking how your life is going. I'm asking how you're feeling. Are you all right, Ember?”
My breath caught and tears gathered in my eyes. “Rath,” I whispered. “Great Goddess, I love you.”
Kel had joked about me picking men with lighter demeanors. But being with Rath, hearing him ask about my wellbeing, made me realize that I was with exactly who I needed to be with. Xae brought a wild intensity to our love, Kel made me laugh, but Ratharin . . . Rath was steady. He was romantic and made me swoon. I needed him just as much.
“I love you too, Ember,” Rath said. “More than I think you know. But that didn't answer my question.” He stroked my hair back. “How are you, my love? Is there anything I can do to make things easier on you?”
“No, Rath. Just being you is enough for me.” I turned to angle my face up to his.
He met me halfway, a soft smile shifting his lips over mine. Gently, slowly, we kissed. Love spun through me. Filled my heart and overflowed. My palm found its way into his tunic and pressed against his heart, feeling its steady beat. Then I swept it upward, to weave through his hair. Thank the Goddess he had left it loose today. I eased out of the kiss and shifted my face into those thick locks to breathe deeply, the scent of lavender and mint filled my nose.
“You are more than I deserve,” I whispered and turned fully to face him, wrapping my legs around his waist and laying my head on his shoulder. “Thank you for loving me, Rath.”
Rath made an amused sound that had me looking up at him.
“Are you laughing at me?” I asked.
“No.” He nuzzled my nose with his. “You gave voice to my feelings. My exact feelings.”
