“Wait.” Gabe steps closer to Xolotl. “You looked surprised when she said that.” Gabe snatches my bag from me, and his mouth drops open. “This thing weighs a hundred pounds. You’re lying.”
I smile, then. “I was lying, but I’m not lying about this.” I hold out my hand, palm up, displaying my new diamond. “This one’s for me—we’re engaged.”
“And I’m the first to know!” Gabe struts around the room, doing the strangest dance and cheer. “Another villain turned hero in the family.”
“There’s hope for you yet,” I say. “Gabriel Brooks.”
Even Xolotl laughs at that.
23
Whitney
I’ve always hated flying.
The lines, the people, the noise. The hurry up and wait. It’s all the misery of a horse show without any of the fun parts. Plus, my ears never pop. Every single flight, I’m that idiot who’s yawning and pulling on my ear while chewing a full pack of gum.
And I still get a headache and can’t hear.
It usually pops an hour—or four—after I deplane.
I might have started dating Xolotl for his portalling ability alone. The fact that he’s also the hottest, the baddest, and the strongest man I’ve ever met is just gravy. Now he’s also rich, and gainfully employed with something I can brag about to my friends. It’s not like I can tell them that he illegally harvests diamonds from random government-owned mines around the world.
But it has given me a job.
Turns out, with a little studying, I do a decent job selling his stones at diamond markets overseas, which he takes me to without any need to fill out customs forms or declare taxes. Getting out of paying taxes might make me the happiest of all. Is that bad? Well, I hear I’m half light and half dark, so I suppose that’s to be expected.
“Izzy’s going to love this present.” I’m carrying the box, because it’s not very heavy. “It’s so neat that we managed to have it made so fast.”
“It was your idea,” he says.
“But I found the girl who makes them.” Gabe trots along behind us, acting like the shadow I never wanted.
“I’m not adding your name to the gift,” I say again.
“Xolotl already did.” Gabe sounds so smug, I think about punching him.
“He did find the woman,” Xolotl says.
“She did such a good job. I wish it wasn’t in a box, and then I could look at it again.”
Gabe whips out his phone and flashes it in my face. “How well do I know you?” He takes the box. “Look at it as much as you want, and swipe left for more photos. I’ll go put it on the table.”
I sigh as he takes it, but I let him. And then I zoom in, admiring the rubies, the sapphires, and the sparkling diamonds we had set in a custom-made bridle, just for Izzy to put on Leonid when he shifts into his horse form.
It’s a stunning gift.
And it’s funny.
How often do you have a couple where one person literally bridles the other person and orders them around? And could there be a less-manly bridle than one studded with a bunch of sparkly gemstones? I feel like it’s a subtle reminder to Leonid that he may be running Russia, but my sister’s really the one running him.
The second we walk into the palace, Izzy hops up. “You made it!”
I jog toward her, and she starts running too. I haven’t seen her in almost a month now, and it sucks. I could portal over any time, but she’s always busy.
When she releases me, she scowls. “I’m mad, though.”
“Wait, about what?”
