“I know,” Kade said. “I understand that. But I guess I just...” Color seemed to rise in his face as he hesitated. “If I can’t protect you, what am I even good for?”
Florian gaped at him for a moment before shaking his head quickly. “Youdoprotect me. All the time! And even if you didn’t, that isn’t what makes you good or useful or—or whatever. I like being around you, Kade. I couldn’t do this without you, but I likeyou, too. Even if we weren’t on this whole saving-the-world thing, I would still want you around. Do you really think I only want you here as a bodyguard?”
Kade was silent for a long moment until finally he met Florian’s eyes with a tiny smile.
“No. You’re right,” he said softly. “It sounds silly now that I’ve said it out loud.”
“It’s not silly,” Florian said, leaning over to kiss him. “I don’t want you to think it’s silly to talk to me about how you feel.”
“I know.”
“We’ll protect each other, okay?” Florian said. Kade’s smile widened just a bit.
“We will,” he agreed.
Kade didn’t bring it up again, but Florian kept thinking about it for the rest of the day, until he was lying in bed with Kade asleep next to him. They would protect each other. Theyhadto.
The next day, their things were packed, and Tatiana saw them off at the cliff in the late morning.
“Stay safe,” she told them, before hugging Florian fiercely. “Keep me updated when you can. It makes me worried not hearing from you for a long time.”
“I’ll try,” Florian promised. She released him, smiling at him in the nervous, but encouraging way he was now all too familiar with.
“Keep him safe, Kade,” she said to the wolf shifter, making Florian’s insides churn with something that felt like guilt, remembering their conversation just the day before. “And you stay safe, too.”
“I will,” Kade replied solemnly.
“And it was so wonderful to have you here, Prince Koji,” Tatiana continued, her tone more formal and polite as she addressed Koji. “You’re welcome here any time. Thank you so much for helping Florian and Kade.”
Koji smiled back at her warmly, giving a slight bow of his head. “I appreciate your hospitality. And it’s been my pleasure to tag along with them. I’ll keep them safe, too.”
Tatiana chuckled. “I would appreciate that.”
With that, they headed through the gate, down the narrow switchbacks to the dark beach, then out across the ocean where the stone rose up to meet their steps—making Koji exclaim with surprise and delight as he took an uncertain step into the calm waters.
The curtain was easy to find, and the hike down from the sunny slope on Catalina Island was a peaceful walk. After taking the ferry back to the mainland, the three of them got a ride to Coral Shores.
By the time they were unloading their things from the car in front of August’s beachfront shop, it was well into the afternoon and the beach was crowded, though the heat of the summer was finally waning.
“Florian!” August called, poking his head out of the shop with a wide grin. “I wasn’t expecting you!”
“Hey, Uncle August,” Florian replied, grinning over at him. “We’re going to crash here for a few days, if that’s alright with you.”
“If that’s alright with me!” August laughed, as one hand fished around in the pocket of his cargo shorts. He pulled out the key to the apartment and Florian grabbed it, before wrapping his arms around his uncle in a tight hug. “You don’t have to ask, kiddo. Your room’s always gonna be there for you.”
“Thanks,” Florian murmured against his shoulder, fighting against the swell of emotion prickling at his eyes. The Winter Court was starting to feel like home, but being here—in Coral Shores in front of the shop—that would always feel a hundred times more like home to him. “Although we brought someone else along too, so he’ll probably need to crash on the couch.”
August laughed and patted Florian’s back, before pulling away and looking up first to Kade, who gave him a quick wave, then to Koji. The dragon shifter was looking in the opposite direction, though, transfixed with the ocean across the road. “Why don’t you all get settled? I’ll close up the shop early, and you can introduce us properly.”
“Sounds good,” Florian replied with a grin, and August stepped back into the shop. There were just a few customers inside—what looked like a group of tourists peering curiously at the scene outside—so Florian was sure August would be able to close up shop without too much trouble.
Turning back to the car, Koji seemed fascinated with the beach, and rather hesitant about the sheer number of people around.
“It’s way busier earlier in the summer,” Florian chuckled, which only made Koji look more apprehensive. “C’mon. Let’s get everything taken upstairs, then we can check out the beach, if you want.”
“Sure,” Koji replied, still sounding uncertain, but he followed Florian up the narrow stairs and into the apartment above the shop.
The apartment was going to be a tight squeeze with all of them staying there, Florian quickly realized as they started unpacking, but hopefully it wouldn’t be more than a few days. He helped set up the living room for Koji, first clearing off the coffee table, then setting out clean pillows and blankets on the couch to make it as comfortable as possible. It was surely a far cry from the palace of the dragon kingdom, or even the guest room in the Winter Court, but Koji only smiled and thanked him for his help.
