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"I'm glad to see you're okay, little one," he said, relieved. Somehow, he seemed more fragile between these magical creatures than before—and older. Had I never noticed that?
"Everything is fine. Nothing has happened to anyone."
On the opposite side of the table, there were still two empty seats next to each other. It was clear for whom they had been reserved. Quite unsettled, I sat down next to Tanael. With so many people at the table, we had to move closer together than usual. Our legs were touching.
"I'm sorry," Tanael's voice whispered through my head. "I promised to keep my distance."
Was he serious? Could he finally decide what he wanted—distance or ... or me? What an absurd thought!
Nevertheless, I got really hot.
Stephan distracted me from the person sitting next to me by placing a massive platter of Italian antipasti in the middle of the table. The food was accompanied by bread and a tomato and mozzarella salad. Our bees' nest quickly became quiet. Everyone enjoyed the excellent food and the wine that Sam had poured.
"Maybe we should give everyone a break tonight," Tanael suggested, and I could only agree with him. The day had been exhausting enough. We could still get the troop together tomorrow morning and discuss everything that had happened.
"Good idea," I sent back mentally.
"Guess what Aza has brought back from the human world!" Sam suddenly shouted exuberantly, and Aza's cheeks turned red. She wasn't used to so much attention.
"Please say it's video games!" begged Rick with a skillful puppy dog look he had used successfully as a young boy.
"No. Much better!" Sam hopped excitedly up and down in his seat like a child at Christmas. "Marshmallows!"
"What?" Rick's disappointment was reflected on his face.
"Yes, come on! Let's roast them over a fire like humans do!" Sam held two packs of these white sweets in the air. There seemed to be no stopping him, and I wondered how many bottles of wine he'd fetched from the cellar he'd drunk on his own.
"Good idea, Sam," said Tanael, standing up. "We have a small fire pit in the garden. Take your wine glasses with you. Stephan, could you please get some more wine from the cellar?"
"Of course, Dumah," he replied with a grin. "May it also be the good one?"
The God of the First Light nodded to him and opened the patio door that led directly into the garden. It had become dark outside. Curious, I stepped outside. Above us hovered small lights that almost looked like stars, if there had been any here.
"Fireflies," explained Tanael, standing beside me and following my gaze.
"Beautiful."
He led us along a narrow path into the heart of his Mediterranean park. Torches were everywhere, just like in the Hamptons. Eventually, we reached a small plateau, a clearing. A campfire lit up this part of the garden. Comfortable armchairs, cushions, and benches were set up around the camp. Sitting down, enjoying wine, and watching the fireflies was an invitation.
"I've already collected a few sticks," Sam proudly announced, passing them around before giving everyone a marshmallow to go with them.
All the supernatural beings looked at the two utensils in confusion. Rick laughed, and Chris couldn't help but grin at Hecate's confused face. Only Maggy and Lariel seemed familiar with this human custom. They dropped into a beanbag together and, as a matter of course, put their marshmallows on the stick and held the end of it into the fire.
I quickly sat in one of the cozy armchairs and did the same. Not long after, everyone toasted their white sugar pieces in the flames and waited for their first bite.
Even Jordy seemed a little more relaxed tonight. Occasionally, a smile crept into his otherwise far too serious face. Hopefully, as soon as we found Anne, he would return to his old self.
"You're worried about your brother?" Tanael sat down in the armchair next to mine.
"Yes. Since Anne was kidnapped, he's no longer the person I once knew."
"What was he like before?"
"Jordy?" I laughed as countless images of my brother flashed through my mind. "He was always up for a prank. You could see it in his eyes when he was up to something again. They had that special sparkle in them."
"Have you spent much time together?" Tanael took his marshmallow out of the flames and scrutinized it.
"It's not ready yet." I pointed to his stick with my chin. "It won't be perfect until the outside is golden."
