Kayden scoffs behind me. "Honestly, what ancient gods or half-baked demons gave you two eternal life? The entire town is throwing a party, and you're both sulking like funeral guests."
Before I can roll my eyes, he grabs me by the waist and spins me toward him in one smooth, unexpected motion.
"Come on, sunshine," he says, his voice low, playful. "Loosen up. Unless you really want your whole life to be nothing but kidnapping vampires and running from scary satyrs."
His body moves in sync with the distant music, guiding mine to follow without effort. It's ridiculous. It's impulsive. And it works.
I huff. Then laugh.
"I thought you hated all this hippie-dippy stuff," I tease as we sway, the rhythm of drums and flutes echoing down the alleyways.
He pulls me closer, mouth brushing the shell of my ear. "If it means watching you finally relax and smile, I'll suffer through the incense and flower crowns."
The words land deeper than I want them to.
I swallow the warmth they bring and reply with dry deflection. "Well, since you're sacrificing so much, I guess I can't say no. Asher?"
He gives a soft, rare smile. His eyes haven't left us. "Since we're here anyway…"
"Oh, calm down, brother," Kayden calls over with a grin. "Didn't expect you to get this enthusiastic. Keep it in your pants."
He twirls me with a dramatic flourish straight into Asher's waiting arms.
Asher catches me with ease, hands firm at my waist. I meet his gaze, breath caught somewhere between surprise and something more.
"Let's show our girl how to have a good time," Kayden says from behind.
And for a while, they do.
We lose ourselves in the color and noise of Harbor's Edge. We taste spiced street food and roasted chestnuts, watch fire dancers twist flame into the sky, wander past painted stalls filled with beads and feathers and colorful crystals.
I laugh. More than once.
We dance because the moment pulls us into it. Kayden spins and dips me like we're in some chaotic dream. Asher moves more subtly, more grounded, but when he leads, it's with an authority that makes my stomach flutter.
It's just for tonight, I tell myself.
Just tonight.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Sage
After soaking in the chaos of the festival until late, reality sets in: we still need a place to sleep. And it's a mess.
Turns out, trying to find a hotel after midnight during a town-wide fringe fest is not a winning strategy.
Consequences of irresponsible actions, I suppose. If we'd started looking earlier, maybe we would've snagged something simple. But Kayden's vortex of chaos is hard to resist. Addictive, even.
We're at the fifth hotel—me cranky, Asher quiet, Kayden humming some jazz tune like he's on a date night—and it looks like another dead end.
Until the receptionist blinks at her screen and says, "Oh… we just had a cancellation. It's our luxury suite, but…" Her eyes flick to the three of us. "It has only one bed."
Before I can even process that, Kayden cuts in, "We'll take it."
The receptionist raises a brow. "Well, uh… an extra guest means an extra charge."
"Not a problem," Asher says, already pulling out a card like it's nothing.
