Page 190 of Rose and Shadows
Word had spread about our efforts in the war, so it hadn’t been difficult for Cassius to seal things there.
The door burst open, then Cassius strode in, flicking his hand to lock it with a spark of his magic.
His gaze swept over us and lingered on Velra in her black off-the-shoulder top and her fitted violet jeans. Since the war, she’d moved away from her black leather ready-for-anything battle gear again. Lazriel was even going the jeans route instead of his tactical pants get-up. I was still doing the whole hooded leather jacket thing, but because that was my signature.
“Excellent,” Cassius spoke. “I managed to catch you all before you left for your respective tasks today.”
As Velra met Cassius’ approach, she confirmed to Lazriel over her shoulder, “Yeah, here.”
“Here for what?” Cassius asked.
“Some all-night, hardcore, down and dirty fucking,” Lazriel told him.
Velra stretched onto her tiptoes and kissed Cassius’ check, then he held her hands between them. “Hmm,” he said, eyeing each of us in turn.
“You’re not down for the fucking, Cas?” Lazriel asked, his disbelief clear.
I was right there alongside him with that.
“We have all been emotionally raw since the battle againstPuritasand Morien. The close calls, the intensity of it all… it’s understandable. As is our reaction being to drown ourselves in sex—and a mass amount of it at that. However, I believe now we should begin to ease off a little bit.” He smiled out at us warmly. “I suggest a dinner. All four of us and Ketheron. At the apartment. I will cook.” He winked at me. “With your help, of course, to ensure everything is fully edible.”
I smiled out at him.
Who would have thought with how he’d been when we’d first come together that Cassius would become so emotionally intelligent and so incredibly attuned to us? It was a hell of a thing.
We’d all made great strides, actually. In different ways.
In differentnecessaryways.
For ourselvesandfor each other.
“I like it,” Lazriel said.
“Me too,” Velra chuckled, stroking her hands over his teal tee, beaming up at him proudly.
“I believe it’s perfect timing,” I told him. “In fact, I’ll invite Ketheron when I see him in a few moments.”
“Very good.” He held up a finger. “Oh, you need to be made aware that Ketheron will wish to spend some time analyzing the object Remnant will be bringing along with him.”
“Already factored in.”
He nodded and breathed Velra in for another few moments, before he said, “I wish I could stay longer, but I need to get to Haven Initiative with Ariana.”
“No worries,” Velra told him. “I need to leave too.”
I ruffled Lazriel’s hair as he leapt off the bed and landed firmly on the floor. “You go to your own room and study. I’m leaving now as well.”
“Cross my heart, necromantic heartthrob,” he said, in his sexy, growly voice, as he stepped up to me and grasped my belt.
Mmm…maybe just once more and—no.I needed to focus for what I had to do.
A lot of people were counting on me. And, while I did enjoy that, I also respected it.
I kissed the top of Lazriel’s head, then extricated myself.
“See you tonight,” I told them, sweeping my gaze over each of them in turn, before then teleporting out.
Mystic Heart.
