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Chapter 18
Harmonia
The house is empty except for me and the music playing from the television as I make myself at home in the kitchen. But for the first time since I got here it doesn’t leave me feeling awkward, lonely, or out of place. I just feel like I’m in my space, living my best life as the smell of cookies starts to fill the air.
A smile plays on my lips as I wipe my hands on the pale blue apron I found in one of the drawers. My gaze latches on to the stunning scenery that plays as the perfect backdrop just before the timer alerts me to the oven. I must have gotten a little distracted in the new book Talon gave me, but I can’t help it when the view is so pretty.
It’s time.
Feeling almost giddy to the core, I shut the timer off before cutting the distance to the oven. A hint of awe shimmers through me when I open the door and it tucks away underneath the unit. Magic might be the spectacle that shines around me and my life, but simple shit like this gives me joy.
I grab the hot tray, lined perfectly with chocolate chip cookies, and I can’t help but grin, pleased with myself before I’ve even had a taste of the goodies I’ve created. Placing the cookie sheet on the counter, I carefully transfer the cookies to the cooling rack.
One thing I like about my magic revolving around heat and fire is the fact that I’m completely unaffected by it in any capacity. No more searching for a hot pad or oven mitt for me.
Making sure to turn the oven off, I wave my hands frantically above the cookies, hoping to cool them down faster. Pleased with how they look, my gaze drifts back to the book on the countertop. The Origins of Supernaturals.
After Talon gave it to me the other day, I’ve decided to delve into it, hoping to better understand this crazy life that seems to enjoy turning my world upside down. I make sure my fingers are dry as I continue reading the page I’m on. I think the current chapter is the entire reason Talon gave me the book to begin with; The Origins of Furies.
All I’ve learned so far is exactly what they told me about themselves and how they came to be… well… them. But just before the timer sounded for the cookies I was reading about where it all began. My eyes instantly find exactly where I left off, and I take a seat on the bar stool once more.
As the number of Gods and Goddesses continued to grow, so did the chaos and disaster among them. Wars were wagered, feuds were heightened, and power continued to hang in the balance, everyone battling to harness it all.
Throughout the battles and continuous upset, Nyx and Erebus birthed a child like no other. It was destined that consequences for their actions were coming, and they came in the form of a soul-eating supernatural.
Only the souls of those tainted with evil and no hope could be feasted upon, but Keres wasn’t safe to venture out into the world to take what was marked as hers. Soldiers were required, supernaturals with the strength and abilities to bring those unworthy to their knees, but also with the limitation to their power to only slaughter those who are marked.
It was with great thought that Keres, with the help of Hades, created her soldiers in the form of three women. Three women who understood the rules, mastered their arts, and fought with all of their strength. Until one day they didn’t.
Maybe it was their exhaustion with their roles, the tiredness that came with the knowledge that for every one supernatural they brought to their end, three more would be marked. Despite the reasons, Keres was done, hoping to create a new era of soldiers to bring order to the world.
Three men with the brute of a warrior, the discipline of a mentor, and the rarity of love's deepest quest. Sealed souls.
Wow. Just… wow.
Before I can even consider processing the words before me, a noise from somewhere in the house perks my ears up.
They’re home.
I have no idea where they’ve been, but they’re definitely making it known that they’re back. Pressing my lips together, I try to hold back the smile that threatens to take over my face at their arrival, busying myself with gathering all of the used bowls and utensils together.
Whatever conversation they’re in the middle of halts when they near and I groan internally over the fact that my magical abilities don’t stretch to hearing things from a distance. Dammit.
“What are you doing?” Talon’s voice cuts through the air, drawing my gaze their way, and the smile that spreads across my face runs from ear to ear.
The three of them are filling the doorway, each covered in sweat with their hair swept back off their faces. Alexi hovers at the back, brown eyes raking over the scene before him as his brows pinch together in confusion. It doesn’t take a genius to guess that his jaw is locked with tension, the cords in his neck tight as he keeps his mouth slammed shut.
Malik’s gray tee is dotted with sweat, making me desperate to move to him and peel it from his skin. His body looks like he’s had a good workout, from his calves to his biceps. Hot. As. Fuck.
Finally giving Talon my full attention, I notice the way his shorts hang low on his hips, making my mouth dry as I watch his abs contract under my gaze. Talon without a t-shirt on is definitely a sight worth handing your soul over to see.
Clearing my throat, I finally find my tongue as I point to the baked goodies cooling on the countertop. “What does it look like I’m doing?”
Any attempt at playing coy is destroyed as I watch Talon’s eyes widen in delight. Watching him cut the distance between us in record time makes it all worthwhile though. He’s pressed against my side, arm wrapped around my shoulder as he squeezes me tight. He opens his mouth to speak, but Alexi beats him to it.
“We have magic… so why would you do this?” He waves his hand in my direction as his feet remain firmly in place at the door. I open and close my mouth a few times, struggling to explain as Malik rolls his eyes at his friend, moving toward me without a backward glance.
As he rounds the island to come to my other side, I shake my head, rolling my shoulders back and meeting Alexi’s gaze head on. “It’s therapeutic for me. Using magic to make my favorite treats would spoil the process, and sometimes that’s my favorite part.”
