Page 107 of Raven's Dawn

“Rainbow.” He laughed, and I punched him again. “Rainbow!”

Holding my open fist up at my side, I said, “Say it again. I dare you.”

“Rainbow.” To magnify the sound, he held his hands beside his lips. “Rainbow! Rainbow, Rainbow, Rainbow!”

I punched him again, and he took off running. Each opportunity I got, I punched him again, and he laughed, said it again, and I punched him, and he laughed, and the cycle repeated until he got behind Graham. Using him as a human shield, he said it again.

“Beat him up,” I said to Graham. “Soulmate ranks higher than best friend. He’s insulting my honor. Beat him up.”

Laughing, Graham shook his head. “Don’t put me in the middle of this.”

“He put you in the middle of this.” I craned onto my tiptoes to see Jake better, struggling to land a good punch around Graham’s shoulder.

“Ouch,” Ezra said, rubbing his arm. “You got us all with that one.”

“Well, Graham should be rushing to my rescue,” I said.

Graham stepped sideways, holding his arms out in opposite directions. “You stop calling her Rainbow, and you stop hitting.” He arched a brow at me. “Better?”

I crossed my arms against my chest. “It’ll do.”

“Now that that’s settled,” Warren said, “we were just talking about going back to the cabin. It’s getting late.” Judging by the look in his eye, I knew what he meant by that. Still, though, he asked, “Would you like to join us, Jake?”

“I think I’m gonna a stay a while.” Jake looked around, shrugging. “This place is fun. But I was hoping we could hang out later, Graham? Unless you’re going to be in bed.”

“No, that’s all right,” Graham said. “I’ll keep an ear out for you.”

Rather than returning to the cabin, Graham dragged us all to the forest that framed Iliantha’s castle. Laughing along the way, tripping over my gown, I let him lead. Warren and Ezra didn’t mind either, chasing after us the whole time.

The last week gradually floated from my mind as we made it into the woods. One minute, Graham was holding my hand, and the next, Warren was, or Ezra was, and I was in a world all my own. My mind wasn’t here. Not on this realm full of so much suffering and pain.

I was with them, and only them. Ezra, Warren, and Graham.

Like it had been a month or so ago when we completed the bond, it was only us and the stars. If I listened hard enough, I could still hear the festival in the distance, but that didn’t feel as real as the Earth beneath my feet, the wind in my hair, and the pulse of their souls.

We must have been trekking through the woods for fifteen minutes before I said, “Where are we going?”

“Yeah,” Ezra said, catching up and placing a hand on my back. “Where are we going, Graham?”

To our left, there were trees, and to our right, there were more. Trees, and bushes, and pine needles at our feet. Graham looked around, noting our surroundings as well, then stepped in and took my face in his hands. He came in, kissing me long and hard.

Ezra still stood behind me, and I heard Warren make a noise in his throat, telling me that he was close as well.

As Graham’s kiss deepened, Ezra’s body replaced his hand. That extra leverage gave Graham more room, more power, to kiss me harder, stronger. Squeezed between them, already winded from the run here, it was hard to find my breath.

“Want to try something new?” Graham whispered against my lips.

“You finally gonna let me fuck your ass?” Warren asked.

Laughing, I turned to look at him over my shoulder. He was just behind Ezra, watching the three of us with a smirk.

“Keep dreaming, mate,” Graham said.

“What do you mean by new?” Ezra asked, sliding his hand down the curve of my waist.

Smiling, Graham stepped away and waved toward himself in a ‘come here’ motion. Ezra and Warren followed. Quietly, too quiet for me to hear, they talked amongst themselves for a moment.

My shoulders slumped. “Shouldn’t I be included in the decision-making here?”

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