Page 37 of Mantle

I chuckled and we walked side-by-side back into the house.

8

~Ariana~

I looked over at Nyx as we held hands on our way through the corridors of my family home, making our way to the Dining Room.

He had a dazed, faraway look in his eyes, appearing intensely introspective.

“All right, cutie pie?” I asked, giving his hand a slight squeeze.

He blinked and eyed me. “Yeah, I… I’m just thinking about earlier. About Kai.”

“What about him?”

“I mean, I always accepted him as he was. Of course I did. And he did the same for me. But it did bother me that he cut himself off so much. Even quite a bit from me. It bothered me forhim,because I knew he had so much to give. So much love and care, so much life, strength, and hope. And last night… it really came into full view… he’s become that person. He’s open. He chose us over his obsessive pursuit of knowledge.” His smile widened. “I just can’t believe it’s happened, that he’s become this… this full version of himself, the potential that I saw in him actually being met.”

“I know,” I said. “He’s been amazing, courageous. Not just for us, but realizing it was a way to unburden himself, too.”

“Yeah, doing it just for us, it wouldn’t have lasted, and it would have remained as just a strain on him. But this is much more than that.”

“If it hadn’t been for me, it wouldn’t have been such a struggle for him, he wouldn’t have shut down and—”

“No.” He brushed his fingers over my knuckles. “It wasn’t you.” We came to a stop and he admitted, “At first, I did think that as well. But seeing the two of you together, then getting to knowyou, it quickly became apparent that I was wrong. Kai went that way after his parents freaked him out with that story about Draco. It shattered not just his worldview, but his sense of ever being safe. It brought hopelessness and perceived weakness along with it. It sparked his obsession. When you walked away and kept away for a long time, it was honestly for the best, while he was like that. And neither of you were ready for each other, or to be anything more. If you’d stayed close to him, given how you both were at the time, I really believe it would have become extremely and dangerously toxic between you. It could have actually ruined any chance of us all coming together, of the four of us having what we do now.”

“Wow, that’s… I didn’t think of it like that.”

“Well, I’ve got you, Halo.” He wrapped his arm around me. “Now, let’s get breakfast. I can’t wait to sit down with your family, the four of us with them, without it being a high-stakes sort of situation.”

I chuckled at that, in spite of everything. “Yeah, it’s close to becoming an actual pattern with that.”

“We break it today. This morning. Just relaxing, taking a beat, and enjoying the company—and the food.”

“Sounds perfect.”

We turned off the corridor and entered the Dining Room, a wave of familiarity and warmth rolling over me, just like being back here as a whole had been doing.

Although it still held a strong warmth and familiarity, returning here after everything that had happened made it feel like another life altogether—like a world away from the one my men and I lived now.

I took in the space, high-ceilinged and elegant. The walls were a matte sage and accented with warm brass sconces shaped like curling vines. Enchanted oil paintings lined the walls—landscapes from other realms, all shifting gently.

The long dining table was made of honey-stained oak and flanked by high-backed chairs upholstered in forest green and embroidered with gold threading. There was a floating ring of golden lights hovering above the table, casting a soothing amber glow. The table itself was set with stoneware dishes rather than porcelain, dark slate napkins folded with clean corners, and pitchers of fruit-infused water nestled among the platters of food.

“Whoa,” Nyx uttered, taking in the food, the crafted spread a true feast with a whole lot of thought put into it by Mom and Papa.

I smiled as I first saw the massive tray of waffles in the center. They were crisped at the edges and pillowy in the center, drizzled with maple syrup and topped with candied bacon.

A carved wooden bowl held scrambled eggs with black truffle and green onions. It was beside charred tomatoes and extravagant cheese with a chili glaze.

Across from it, I saw Lucian’s artistic and sophisticated touch with the soufflé bites, hand-rolled croissants and crystal flutes of pomegranate juice rimmed with sugar.

Nyx gestured at the notable head of the table, the chair slightly larger. “Who sits there?”

“My mom.” I smiled. “Always her.”

“I love it. As it should be. When we move in together after the Academy, we’re gonna do the same for you.”

“I’d rather there was no head of the table at all. We’re all even.”

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