Caelira made a dying, wheezing noise from behind him.
Joren pointed wildly between us.
“You two created a NATURAL DISASTER. A SEX-BASED NATURAL DISASTER. And do you know who had to deal with it this morning? DO YOU?”
He jabbed a thumb at his own chest.
“ME. I did. With one boot. And no dignity.”
He spread his arms at the courtyard behind him.
“So next time, NEXT TIME, you decide to unleash a realm-shaking bonding event that causes aquatic life displacement, structural damage, and poultry-related existential crises…”
Caelira blinked. “Poultry?”
He looked haunted.
“That chicken will NEVER be the same.”
Then he jabbed a finger at me again. “WARN ME, send a note, a signal fire. A polite knock on my door that says, ‘HeyJoren, maybe don’t stand outside tonight unless you want to be swept into the astral plane by a magical orgasm hurricane.’”
Caelira dissolved into full-bodied laughter.
Something in my chest cracked open.
Joren groaned into his hands.
“Gods. He’s doing the face again. ATLAS, STOP DOING THE FACE. Last time you looked at her like that, a goat ended up on the roof.”
He spun on his heel.
“I’m leaving. You two are terrifying. Fix your goat problem. I’m done.”
Joren stormed out muttering something about “damp books” and “emotional support goats.
Silence settled.
Caelira was still sitting on the bed, knees drawn slightly inward, her hair a wild, sleep-mussed halo around her face. She pressed both hands over her mouth, shoulders shaking hard with suppressed laughter.
I couldn’t help it, a smile pulled at my lips, slow and helpless.
Gods, she was beautiful like this.
Laughing. Breathless. Glowing.
“You broke a chicken,” she whispered from behind her fingers.
I huffed a laugh, low and warm. “I didn’t break a chicken.”
“You traumatized a chicken,” she corrected, eyes sparkling. “And a goat. And… possibly the sky.”
That earned a real smile, sharp, crooked, impossible to repress.
“You’re enjoying this.”
“A little,” she admitted, voice soft, teasing.
I stepped closer, closing the distance inch by inch. Her gaze caught mine, bright and warm, and something inside me tightened.
