Page 43 of Dreaming of Darkness

“I can’t wait,” Bailey said, leaning in. After our nap, we’d kissed and cuddled up in my bed until Antheia had shown up, pounding on the door. When we tumbled out shortly after, my siblings had all rolled their eyes good-naturedly.

“Blessings,” a beautiful pale red succubus said, pressing her hand to the back of the infant for a moment before moving to stand in front of Bailey and me. “Traum, you look well.”

My brain stumbled briefly, searching her face for clues before Rifa’s elbow poked me gently in the side. Rifa’s family, she had to be. A cousin maybe. Fuck. “Kae…Kaela, right?” We had met at the joining ceremony, and she had attempted to seduce me all night long. I had only refused her because I didn’t believe that Rifa would take kindly to the fact that I’d been uninterested in a serious relationship of any kind at that time.

The succubus practically purred, stepping closer, deliberately ignoring Bailey. “Yes, I’m so relieved you remembered me. It has been too long.”

I cocked my head sideways, planning on asking her to move down the line, when she spoke again, “I was hoping that you and I could spend some of the evening together.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

Her deep red eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, are you,” she looked at Bailey for a breath then back to me, “committed to this creature?”

Fury warmed my blood. Creature was not a negative word in my world, but the way she spoke it. I loathed the way it fell from her tongue. I wanted to force it back into her mouth, to take herjudgement and disgust and shove it back where it came from. But this was my niece’s naming day. I would not ruin this, no matter how good it might feel. Instead, I raised “This woman is my mate, Bailey.”

Kaela blinked rapidly. “Your mate? You two are bonded?”

“We are courting,” I said easily, brushing her knuckles across my lips before dropping my hand again, “And very content.”

Kaela observed us closely and to my surprise, Bailey only stepped forward a little. “Where I am from, we shake hands when we meet someone new.” She extended a hand to the succubus. “I’m happy to meet you.”

I swallowed my surprise, but my heart squeezed at the gesture. The attempt at friendship. After a moment, Kaela’s slender red hand cut through the air, and landed in Bailey’s. Bailey shook it slowly, a small smile on her lips.

“I am,” Kaela’s words were soft, confusion written across her face, “glad to meet you as well.”

Both females looked at me briefly, then dropped their hands. “Perhaps I will see you later, before our families split after the naming day celebration.” Kaela raised her hands, “for a meal perhaps, nothing else.”

Bailey’s smile grew, “A meal. Great.”

Kaela nodded and moved onwards down the line, throwing a curious glance back at my mate as she did. I leaned down, brushing a kiss across the crown of her head. “You are very kind, little dream.”

Bailey huffed, then leaned back in, “You didn’t sleep with her, did you?”

“Never.”

“Oh good, I’m more than happy to make new friends. But I do not share.”

I growled, my grip tightening on her. “I do not either.”

“Good,” Bailey turned her attention back to the last few thatwere coming through the line to provide blessings for my niece. “Glad we have that settled.”

I laughed softly, my chest light and relaxed through the end of the blessings. Afterwards, we followed my brothers and sister to the head table, directly stationed in front of the bridge to Core for the main meal. Bailey sat at my side, with Rifa and the infant at her elbow. As the rest of the crowd found seating, either at the large tables that had been brought out of everyone’s houses or against the well and stone walled edge of the square. Albtraum stood, clapping his hands together twice until the din of chatter dulled to silence.

“Greetings, friends and family from near and far, we are happy to have you here with us to celebrate my daughter’s naming day. As a people, we have struggled in the past. There have been questions, concerns about bringing new life into the Underworld. But now, the tide is turning. The future is looking brighter than ever.”

Albtraum took a breath, offering a hand to Rifa who stood by his side. “And with that in mind, my mate and I have decided to name my daughter Effyis, which means, in the old tongue, bright.”

He and Rifa both raised their bundled-up daughter between them. “Join us in welcoming her to our family.”

Cheers went up all around us, making my ears ring as I grinned up at my brother. That smug bastard was pleased as punch as he carefully held the tiny bundle up between them. After the cheers didn’t die down on their own, Grandmother rose from her seat at his side.

“Calm down,” she said, her voice echoing around the clearing with practiced ease, “Calm down you lot, you’re making an old woman cranky.”

The noise began to quiet. “And if I’m cranky, I’ll just keep talking and keep you from the real celebration.”

That only made more laughter spring up. But Grandmother was smiling broadly now. Gently, her small hand moved across to lay on her granddaughter’s blankets. “Join me now, to the future,” she raised her other hand high, at her fingertips a swirl of dark magic gathered, flickering like a dark flame.

“To the future,” I echoed with my family. The rest of the crowd began to join in as we raised our fingertips, a small flicker of power gathering there as the darkness of the Underworld sky crawled across the land.

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