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I carried her over to Nikkos and Draevyn. “Could you dry her stockings?” I asked them. Growing up with a fire mage father, he’d dried our clothes and hair more times than I could count.
“Of course,” Nikkos said as he took her from me.
I heaved a frustrated breath. “Thank you.” Just as I turned toward Aurora, I caught Draevyn’s scowl out of the corner of my eye. I fully faced him, surprised to see his nose was swollen and bruised. Had one of his brothers done that? “I could do without the judgmental looks from you,” I spat.
He looked me over as he leaned against a tree, picking food from his teeth. “They’re wild, and you don’t know how to discipline them.”
“Drae,” Blaze growled behind me. “Enough.”
Rage flooded my veins, and I wanted to smack that smug expression from his face. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”
“Their behavior affects all of us.” Snickering, he shook his head. “Now we’re losing valuable flying time while we wait for their stockings to dry.”
Blaze surged ahead of me, raising his fists. “Do I need to break it again?” he asked through clenched teeth.
I didn’t flinch when Draevyn flashed his fangs. I couldn’t stop thinking about Blaze. Just when I didn’t think I could like him more. Had he punched his brother on my behalf?
“It’s fine,” I said to Blaze, smiling up at him as I grasped his thick, solid arm. “Will you carry Aurora for me?”
My knees went weak when he looked down at me with that feral gleam in his eyes. “Of course.”
I tossed Draevyn one last scowl before turning my back on him and walking with Blaze toward Aurora. I still gripped his muscular arm, his body heat radiating around me like he was my own personal sun. “Thank you,” I whispered.
His wing draped over my shoulder, his feathers tickling my skin. “Anything to make you smile.”
I’d laughed at suitors who’d used the same silly phrase, and yet when Blaze said it, my spine turned to liquid, and I just wanted him to fly me far away and kiss me senseless.
Aurora had a contrite expression on her little face, her bottom lip hanging low, and her eyes watery. “I’m sorry, Auntie,” she said with a sniffle.
I cupped her face and wiped a tear from her eye. “I know, sweetheart.”
“Auntie,” Aurora said in a hushed whisper. “I don’t like him.” Aurora’s gaze darted to something behind me, and I got the feeling she was looking at Draevyn.
“It’s okay,” I said to her. “I don’t, either.”
Blaze cleared his throat. “Come on, sprite.” When he held his arms out to her, she jumped toward him with a squeal. My heart felt like it had swelled to thrice the size as I followed him back while he carried her pressed against his chest.
Nikkos sat with Ember on his lap, his hand softly glowing as he held it over her legs. I sat on a log across from my mates, watching while they patiently dried my nieces’ stockings. Nikkos gave Ember a black feather, and she twirled it between her fingers. Not to be outdone, Aurora loudly whispered how much she’d like her own feather, so Blaze plucked one from his wings, handing it to her. Both girls played with their feathers, making them flutter like they were little Ravini soldiers.
Ember tugged on Nikkos’s arm. “Bethamy wants a feather, too.”
Nikkos hitched his brows. “Who?”
She held up her straw doll. I grimaced when I noticed one leg looked like it was about to fall off. I had no stitching skills, either. Maybe she’d finally let me give the tattered doll a proper burial.
Nikkos looked over at Aurora, who watched the exchange with a frown, and I knew my mates would be constantly plucking feathers in order to appease the girls.
“No more feathers,” I cut in. “You will have to share with Bethamy.”
“But, Auntie—” Ember whined.
“You heard me. One feather is all you get.” I held up a finger, very aware that Draevyn was probably glaring holes through the back of my head while judging my disciplinary skills.
“I’ve got an idea,” Nikkos said with a wink while running a glowing hand over Ember’s legs. “Maybe we can get to know each other while we wait for their stockings to dry.”
“What do you want to know?” I asked, feeling suddenly self-conscious as both of the kind brothers stared at me, their eyes sharpened with intensity.
“Everything,” Nikkos said, his eyes lighting with eagerness.
