Chapter 20
Reaching the inn,Nathan had barely shifted into park when the back door of the inn burst open with a bang.
Becca flew out like a whirlwind, her dark hair streaming behind her as she raced down the walk. She made a beeline for Remi, who had just gotten out of the car.
"Remi! Oh my goodness, look at you!" Becca launched herself at him, wrapping him in a fierce hug. "You're all grown up now!"
Left in her wake, Jake leaned against the doorway, arms crossed and a broad grin spreading across his face as he watched his fiancée's enthusiastic greeting.
A flush crept up Remi's neck as he returned Becca's hug. "Well, it has been a few hundred years for me since Salem."
"I can't believe you're the same gangly teenager who helped me escape." Becca pulled back, studying his face. "Though you still have that same mischievous spark in your eyes."
Remi ducked his head, running a hand through his spiky black hair. "Some things never change, I suppose." Despite his embarrassment, pleasure radiated from his smile.
"You saved my life back then." Becca squeezed his hands. "I never properly thanked you for that."
Harper watched as Becca grabbed Remi's wrist and tugged him toward the inn's entrance. "Come on, you have to tell me everything. Nathan, Harper, you'll want to hear this too."
Curious about the history between them, Harper followed, exchanging glances with Nathan. Smiling, he reached for her hand, and together they followed the trio into the inn.
As they emerged into the lobby, Angus looked up from behind the front desk, his dark eyes twinkling. "Well, if it isn't young Remi. Though I suppose you're not so young anymore." He smiled, showing those gleaming white teeth. "Had a feeling we hadn't seen the last of you."
Remi's grin spread across his face, transforming his features into that of the mischievous teenager Harper had heard about. "Actually, I was hoping you might have a room available?"
Becca bounced on her toes beside him, practically vibrating with contained energy. Her fingers drummed on the counter as Angus pulled up the reservation system on his computer.
The rhythmic tapping of keys filled the lobby, then the hum of the printer as Angus printed out the form for Remi to sign. Harper leaned against the wooden banister of the main staircase, curious to see how events would unfold.
"Planning to pop in and out at will, I assume?" Angus raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes twinkling with amusement.
Remi's cheeks flushed pink as he scuffed his shoe against the floor. "Yeah, if that's okay?" He glanced up through his spiky black bangs. "Old habits and all that."
"Wouldn't expect anything less from a Djinn." Angus's brows lifted. "Though I trust you'll respect the usual wards?"
"Of course!" Remi straightened, looking almost offended at the suggestion he might not.
Becca had graduated from bouncing to small hops. "Are you almost done with the paperwork? I have so many questions!"
"Geez, give me a minute!" Remi huffed at Becca's enthusiasm, though his eyes sparkled with amusement. He bent over the front desk, scrawling his signature across the forms Angus had presented.
Harper watched as he pulled out his wallet and extracted a sleek black American Express card. Her jaw dropped - those were invitation-only. Even in her years as a financial advisor, she'd only seen one of them. "How did you manage to get one of those?"
A smirk tugged at Remi's lips as he handed the card to Angus. "It's all Talya's fault, actually. Every time I visited Jacinth, she wouldn't leave me alone until I learned about computers and social media." He rolled his eyes, but his fond expression betrayed his true feelings. "She even insisted I get this cell phone."
He pulled an iPhone from his pocket, holding it up like a trophy. The latest model, Harper noted, complete with a sparkly purple case that had to be Talya's influence.
"She said I couldn't keep living in the sixteenth century forever," Remi continued, pocketing the phone. "Though I think she just wanted someone to watch TikTok videos with."
Angus processed the payment, his usual stoic expression cracking slightly with amusement at Remi's transformation from Renaissance era Djinn to modern tech user.
"But what's that got to do with having a black American Express card?" Becca's impatience bubbled over.
Remi assumed a lofty expression, drawing himself up to his full height. "It's called the Centurion Card, actually." His dark eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
Angus cleared his throat, extending a brass key toward Remi. "You're in room 214, second floor." He gestured toward the staircase. "Perhaps you'd all be more comfortable continuingthis discussion in the lounge? I've got some paperwork that needs attention."
Becca snatched the key from Angus's hand before Remi could reach for it. "Perfect! Come on, you can tell us everything." She grabbed Remi's wrist again, practically dragging him toward the lounge.
