Page 195 of Rose and Shadows
But nobody had bothered us, just letting us be.
It was really sweet.
Lazriel had been shooting high into the sky on the steam arcs produced from the draconic energy in the darkened volcanic sand to the east of the beach, interacting with four dragons who were enjoying some leisure time. Ice dragons of House Vortimer who’d come to this plane for the day from the Draconic Realm.
Cassius had seen him getting a bit rambunctious, so he’d guided him over to the tidepools dotting the shoreline in the middle, right in front of where I sat on the golden sand.
Over by Tenebra Cove, vampires were filling the crescent-shaped beach alcove in the sun-safe zone, drinking, partying, swimming, and some even lounging and just chilling.
I watched Cassius dunk Lazriel under the water, just as Ketheron blasted from beneath and sent him flying where he landed with a giant splash that had Lazriel laughing as he resurfaced, shaking his hair out like a dog.
He’d stripped down to a zebra-print thong of all things.
Cassius was shirtless and in a pair of boardshorts that were intentionally Lazriel’s favorite forest-green to get a rise out of him.
And Ketheron was in a tank and shorts, but it was a big deal for him, because he rarely ever even let down his hood in public, let alone took his hoodie off. He’d been self-conscious about the golden fissures that formed jagged patterns across every inch of his skin. I knew how that felt. I’d been that way with my Wraith-marked skin, the black smoky marks encircling my arms. Now, though, it was a point of pride for me, of being different, of being able to do amazing things. Just like it seemed to be becoming for Ketheron too.
“Love the drawbridge,” Sylas said, and I smiled out at him beside me, in his tight swim red swim shorts on his hands and knees as he dug out the moat for the castle we were making. Yeah, I’d developed a thing for castles.
I had been playing magical volleyball with him and the boys in the water, but I’d grown really tired and I’d had to sit down. So here we were making sand sculptures. There was one we’d first made together a few minutes ago of a giant teddy bear that looked exactly like Ketheron’s, something he’d gotten a kick out of—and something that had helped him relax into being around people for one of the first times ever that didn’t involve a battle setting.
I jolted as another cramp assaulted me.
“Velra?” Sylas asked, looking between me and my belly, which was only partially hidden by my flowy purple tank not quite brushing my black swim shorts.
I winced, when another cramp occurred.
But then it faded in the next moment.
I waited… nothing else came.
“It’s all good. Just a disturbance, baby getting impatient, I guess.”
I saw him frown, about to ask more, but then indigo magic erupted beside me, and then I was gasping in pleasant surprise as Kelsana teleported in.
“Hey, Vel,” she greeted me, something she’d taken to calling me.
“Kel,” I responded with a grin… yeah, it went well together.
“Sylas,” she greeted politely, as she sank down onto the sand, her green sarong sweeping across it. It matched her wavy hair that was brushing her shoulders and her golden string bikini top.
“How’ve you been?” he asked. “I’ve heard some things concerning your induction into the Coven Unity Division. You’re making one hell of an impression.”
“Yeah,” she said, her eyes glinting. “It’s going really well. And I also just got back from Maven Academy after making peace with my old friends. I guess me working withThrynehelped demonstrate that I’m not that same nasty person anymore.”
“It’s not just that,” I told her. “It’syou.You did the work.”
Emotion welled in her eyes, but she blinked it away, then her magic sparked and a white paper bag materialized—with theVantiqelogo on it.
“You didn’t?” I moved closer. “Hell, yes!”
She laughed and levitated the food from the bag, and Sylas had me beaming out at him as he conjured two plates for us.
I watched as she placed a Cinnamon Cloud Muffin on each plate and then something else I’d been craving—a Frosted Moon Petal Cake that was a lemon cake with hibiscus frosting. It looked so perfect sitting next to the soft muffin topped with glazed sugar and the misting charm spelled onto it, and the lovely aroma of cinnamon and lemon fusing together.
I could barely wait a second after thanking her for being so thoughtful before I was picking up the cake and taking a huge bite out of it.
“Amazing,” I uttered through my mouthful.
