“And . . .” His words were a teasing drawl as he stepped closer to me, caging me in-between his body and the kitchen counter. “I figured you may have been hungry, so I brought back chocolate pastries and iced lattes on my way back from headquarters,” he finished with a glance toward the kitchen table.
My gaze darted across the space, catching sight of the food as I looked up at him, eyes narrowing.
“I hate you,” I replied as I attempted to duck under his arm.
“Love you too,” he answered, pressing a quick kiss to my lips before he backed away. I hurried toward the kitchen table, groaning as I bit into the chocolate-filled buttery pastry he’d brought back.
“Stars-above.” The words were a mumbled statement between bites of pastry as I looked at him. “These are . . . so good?—”
He laughed before glancing down at his phone and typing out a fast response. “Elion is nearly finished making arrangements for your mother and sisters, if you want to go see them.”
I nodded while swallowing the last bite of pastry when anexcitedyipsounded through from the other room, and my eyes darted toward the noise.
Anotheryipsounded, and I turned toward Cal. “Is that . . .”
He was nodding, and I didn’t bother finishing the sentence before I raced into the other room. My eyes scanned the living room, searching for the familiar pattern of stardust-coated paw-prints that usually indicated Loxl’s location. Except, as I scanned the space, I found the room devoid of any signs of life.
My eyes narrowed as I spun in another circle, before I found Loxl’s head peaking out of an onyx combat training bag, his ears perked up.
“You put him in abag?” I cried indignantly as I shot Callum a scolding look before rushing to unzip the rest of the bag, freeing Loxl as he leapt into my arms.
“How else was I to fly from headquarters with the creature?” he asked, leaning against the doorway as Loxl covered me in kisses, his excited little yips filling the room.
“You could haveheldhim,” I replied, which earned me a huff frombothmales.
“Loxland I both agreed that, under the circumstances, I would be doing no such thing, didn’t we, Loxl?”
The stars-damned fox gave ayipin response before he settled against me, purring contentedly as I stroked his fur.
“Thank you,” I replied as I stood, looking toward Callum.
“For what?” he asked, his brow furrowing as he spoke.
“For bringing him back,” I answered. “For saving my family. For choosing me. Just, for . . . everything.”
“Always, starlight.” He grinned at me from across the room. “But from now on . . .Loxlstays somewhere where I’m not forced to fly him around.”
I laughed at his words. “Loxl goes where I go, so I make no promises. Plus, my sisters will want to see him.”
He groaned as he pushed off the wall. “That stars-damned fox will be the death of me. Let’s go see your family.”
We had only just toucheddown in the Aurelian Guild Headquarters, my eyes widening in shock as I stared at the massive structure towering before me. The cobalt walls were well fortified, the entire Guild encased in wards far stronger than any I’d ever felt in Solis as I looked around.
Angels flew back and forth across the courtyard we stood in. To one side, a group of younger angels was running laps as a male flew overhead, shouting demands to increase their pace. Callum stood beside me, his eyes monitoring every movement in the space as we waited for my family to emerge.
The large metal doors eventually slid open, and I spotted a group of angels exiting the headquarters. I recognized each angel walking through the doors—Finn, Sage, and Emberly, all with their families—before my eyes swept past them and landed on my family.
I raced toward my family the moment I spotted them in the courtyard of the Aurelian Guild Headquarters. My sisters were both shrieking with excitement when they spotted me. We ran through the courtyard without a care in Aurelia before we collided in the middle of the paved courtyard in a heap of squeals and sobs as we clung to each other in a big hug.
Both my sisters attacked me in hugs, Loxl jumping into the fray as his excited yips filled the space around us.
“Don’teverdisappear like that again.” Kira’s voice was a light scold as she clung to me.
“I would have never forgiven myself if something happenedto you,” Orela confessed as she hugged me, and I pulled back just slightly.
“It was worth it,” I confessed, staring at her. “I wasn’t going to let him keep you hostage?—”
“It was stupid and reckless,” Kira cut in, her nose scrunching as she stared at me.
