“Nothing bad. I was just thinking about how these are the kind of people who don't have to line up for anything. They probably had employees purchase their tickets. And now, you're making them line up anyway.”
Azrael chuckled. “I believe it was all done online. They were invited to attend.”
“Oh. That's how you kept the politicians away.”
“Exactly. We only sent invitations to people who could afford the tickets and who we knew were staunch supporters of the Fey.”
“Smart,” Odin said. “Should we take Lesya and Vero over to play with the other children?”
Azrael frowned. “This event is focused on them. They will be in the room with us. And all of you are my family. People want to meet you, not just the twins.”
Kirill cleared his throat and picked up our daughter. At seven-years-old, Lesya was more the size of a nine-year-old thanks to her shapeshifter blood. So, she was a little big to be held in someone's arms. But Kirill, with his muscles and broad shoulders, made it look natural. And protective.
“Kirill?” I asked.
“Da, it's fine,” he said. “But I vill hold her.”
“Whatever makes you comfortable,” Azrael said.
“You want to come up too?” Trevor opened his arms to Vero.
Vero was five, but again, due to his shapeshifter blood, he looked a couple of years older. That number increased with the look he gave his father. “I am the God of the Moon and Wolves. I do not need to be held.”
The grown-ups, including me, pressed our lips together to keep from laughing.
Trevor, the good daddy that he was, looked at our son with all the seriousness he needed and said, “You're absolutely right, Vero. It was more for my comfort than yours.”
Vero blinked, and his chin lowered a few notches. “Oh. Well, if you need to hold me to feel better, Dad, that's fine.”
Trevor considered this. “I think I'll be okay.” He held his hand out to Vero. “As long as you hold my hand.”
“Okay, Dad.” Vero took Trevor's hand. “We'll do this together.”
Azrael cleared his throat. “All right then. Shall we get yousettled in the room?”
“Yes. I think we should do that soon. People are looking as if they're going to come over,” I said.
The Faerie God spread his glittering wings, creating a barrier between us and the rest of the room, then waved us toward the door he'd indicated earlier. I took the lead, and he brought up the rear.
I smiled as I walked through the doorway. The room had been made to look as magical as possible. At least Az was giving these people a show for their money. Grass covered the floor, vines grew over the walls, and fruit trees formed columns to either side of a short dais on the far left. A path of sparkling stones led from the doorway on the right to that dais, winding through the room so that the guests would have things to inspect as they waited. The first thing to draw my eye was a wishing fountain with silver bowls full of coins on its rim. Nope, the guests didn't even need to bring their own coins to wish with. Probably because these people didn't carry cash, much less coins—that would be too much of a strain on their birkins.
In addition to the wishing well, there were fruit trees to sample from, and they didn't bear your average apples and pears. Their bounty sparkled with sugar, and the strawberries growing along the path were dipped in chocolate. No, they didn't grow that way. Az must have had the staff prepare them. A beverage station of sorts stood just a couple of feet down the path. An attendant waited beside the golden table that bore crystal bowls full of sparkling liquid and crystal glasses lined up on the shelves beneath.
“Would anyone care for some fresh apple juice?” the attendant asked.
“Me!” Lesya said.
“Do you have a child-friendly glass?” I asked in a whisper.Lesya was at the age when calling her a child was offensive.
“Of course, miss.” He bent around the back of the table and retrieved a highball glass. After filling it with juice, he handed it to Lesya.
“Thank you,” Lesya said. She took a sip, then declared, “It tastes like sunshine!”
“Could I please have a glass?” Vero asked.
“Of course, sir,” the attendant said, making me grin.
As he handed out glasses of juice, I went further down the path. Things glittered among the plants. I bent to inspect the glimmer. It was a little crystal. I smiled and straightened. So much to captivate the senses. Azrael had thought of everything.
