Gods, I’m too young to be an aunt.
Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about taking on the role of cool aunt for hundreds of years.
He proceeds to fix her plate, and I cut my gaze toward Kyzen’s small laugh. He just watched that unfold as well, and he shoots me a wink as I bite back a chuckle.
My eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach, but that doesn’t stop me from piling on the roasted vegetables that are glazed in something sweet and sharp. The fragrance alone has my mouth watering. The meat I go for next is so tender it’s falling off my fork before it reaches my plate.
Groans sound throughout the air as we all take our first bite.
Yep, this is the kind of food that makes conversation pause for more than a few moments. If the children weren’t laughing and playing among themselves, the porch would be silent.
Eventually, though, chatter rises across the table.
It’s so strange seeing Ellian out of robes, but as he rolls his sleeves back with a smile that reaches his eyes and endures the playful teasing about his cooking, it’s easy to see him as…just a person.
Not High Chancellor, not a powerful god.
Just Ellian.
Everyone, even Yemi’s Valtrue, participates in the conversations and jokes. Sevryn, surprisingly, tosses a stray piece of bread back at the kids when it accidentally lands in front of him.
A warm but tight squeeze spreads across my chest.
This is really nice.
Four strokes respond to that sensation that I didn’t mean to send, but my men don’t draw attention to it.
Faster than I would’ve liked, my belly stretches to the point it’s about to pop, and I release a deep, satisfied sigh.
“That was absolutely delicious.”
“You didn’t save room for dessert?” Creed asks.
I’m pretty sure he’s talking about the pie he made, but the way he asked that all low has my mind going straight to something else.
He narrows those sexy as sin eyes on me.
“Have I missed all the festivities?”
I hold in my jump and whip around toward Derivius. My eyes widen as I take him in as he pushes off the doorframe and joins us at the table.
“Not at all. There’s still plenty to eat,” Ellian says as he nods at him.
“You look like shit,” I say before I can stop myself.
An echoing of gasps rings out in every direction, and my fingers cover my mouth. Every last child tattles on me to their momma, and she playfully scolds me before rising from the table.
“I’m going to round the kids up and start bedtime,” she says as she leans down and gives Ellian a kiss on his forehead.
“I’ll be in soon to help, love.”
“Nonsense. This is important. I can handle them all tonight.”
The food in my stomach attempts to turn to stone, but I refuse to allow it. I knew this talk was coming. That was the whole point of this dinner.
Annalise tells each of us good night before expertly ushering the kids inside. I give her a small wave as she glances over her shoulder and winks at me.
My attention turns back to Derivius, and he smirks as he shakes his head. “Thank you, little troublling. After millennia of working on this physique and skin care routine, that’s exactly what I want to hear.”
