Which was how a trio of dhampir brothers found themselves sprawled out around their beloved on the gentle slope above the apple orchard at midnight, watching her literally try to commune with the moon like some kind of ethereal goddess.
“I’m pretty sure this is something straight out of a fantasy romance novel,” I drawled, trying to mask how much the sight of Seri laying there in nothing but her underwear was torturing me. “Next thing you know, we’ll be dancing naked around a bonfire or sacrificing small woodland creatures.”
None of us, not even Seri, believed her magical reservoir would just suddenly fill up from this little experiment, but after everything Arabesque had done to her, we were willing to try anything that might help her recover faster.
“Shut up, fireweed,” Ko muttered from where he was lying on his stomach, chin propped on his hands as he gazed at Seri with unconcealed admiration.
“Just saying if Kaori suggests blood rituals next, maybe we get a second opinion.”
“You know the queen wouldn’t suggest anything harmful to our girl.” Cas, sitting cross-legged on Seri’s other side, shot me a look that managed to be both amused and exasperated.
“Queen,” I snorted. “Still can’t believe Dad actually found a second beloved. Anephilim, no less.”
“This will work,” Seri murmured without opening her eyes.
She was laid out on her back, arms slightly extended from her sides, palms up like she was waiting for the moon to drop presents into them, if only the cloud cover would dissipate.
“I’m cold,” she complained after a few minutes, but made no move to sit up or cover herself.
“Told you this was a bad idea,” Cas said.
“No, you didn’t,” Ko countered. “You said the idea has merit.”
“Same thing.”
I rolled my eyes at them both.
“For the record, I’m fully in support of Seri wearing as little as possible, regardless of the magical benefits.”
That earned me a blind swat in my general direction, which I easily dodged. She’d insisted on stripping down to her bra and pantiesto “absorb as much moonlight as possible,” supposedly. The way she shivered, however, made it clear that the April night was colder than her enthusiasm had accounted for.
“You know,” I said conversationally, “if body heat helps, I could—”
“No, thanks, Zoodle.”
Cruor, she was beautiful lying there, nearly everything on display as flecks of starlight danced across her milky skin.
Then, it happened. The moon finally came out of the clouds and washed her in silver, turning her skin to luminous pearl. The light seemed to caress her in a way that felt almost intimate, like it recognized her as its own. I couldn’t blame it. Whowouldn’twant to touch every inch of her? I’d never been the poetic type, but the words bubbled up in my throat, unbidden and honest.
“You look like you belong to the night,” I breathed. “Like the moon made you just for itself.”
Her eyes zipped open, surprise in her face. She wasn’t used to hearing that sort of thing from me. Hell,Iwasn’t used to hearing that sort of thing from me, but I was trying. For her.
“Thank you, Zoodle,” she whispered, our eyes locking.
Thenmorehappened. At first, I thought it was a trick of the light or my own lovesick imagination, but then Koa sat up sharply, eyes widening, and Cas went utterly still.
Nothing prepares you for seeing your wife go full glowstick. And I’m not talking tipsy-at-a-rave neon. Seri lit up like someone had bottled moonlight and shotgunned it through her pores. Koa choked on the grass stalk he’d been chewing. Cas’ hands turned his stainless steel water bottle into a modern art sculpture. Andme? I forgot how to breathe.
The moon had nothing on her. She was the whole damn solar system right there in plain cotton undies. She wasliterally, actuallyemitting light, soft and silvery, from beneath her skin. It wasn’t bright enough to illuminate the hillside or anything, but it was unmistakable, like moonlight had somehow gotten trapped inside her and was now shining outward. My eyes stung with tears to look at her.
“Stop staring,” she mumbled, cheeks blazing pink.
“Can’t. Our moonbeam’s a moonbeam.” The words escaped me before I could catch them. “Never seen magic like you, baby.”
Koa shot me a smirk, but his eyes were soft with wonder as he reached forward. Delicately, almost reverently, he ran a blade of grass from her collar bones to her navel. The light seemed to ripple in the wake of his touch, like he’d disturbed the surface of a luminous pool.
Seri squirmed, fussing, “I have enough goosebumps as it is!”
