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“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe it. I can’t,” Marieta bawls, launching herself at Brax, who returns his mother’s embrace just as tightly.
“We did it?” My voice trembles, stunned with disbelief as Peta lowers me to the floor.
“You fucking did it,” Zane corrects, scooping me up in his arms, forcing me to the tips of my toes as he crushes his mouth to mine in a blistering kiss.
The ruby is still in my right palm, but I tug at his hair with my other hand, basking in his delight as my own bursts inside of me.
Marieta isn’t the only one who can’t believe it. I’m still unsure if this is really happening too.
Zane releases me, my lips swollen from his touch. I stumble as I try to look around, but he catches my waist, stopping me from falling. A moment later, Eldon appears in front of me and I nervously hold out the ruby to him. Initially, he starts to shake his head, but he must see the certainty or panic in my eyes because he relents, taking the magical item from my hand.
“Where are we?” I rasp as Brax appears at my side.
If I looked deep enough, I’m certain I would find unshed tears in his eyes, but he quickly blinks it all away as he settles his gaze on me.
“We’re home.”
Turning, I see the same home I’ve visited a few times now, only this time, it’s in full color. Soft yellow covers most surfaces, with white trim around the windows and doors. The wraparound porch sits proudly in a bed of soft oak.
“It’s real? It happened?” I reiterate, locked in a somewhat trance.
“Yeah.”
Excitement buzzes inside me as I take a deep breath, exhaling long and hard as one of the heavy weights on my shoulders melts away.
“What now?” I ask, glancing at Creed, who stares at the house with the same wonder as I do.
He steps closer, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as he leads me toward the house, which Marieta and Peta are already nearing.
“Now we rest before the world demands your brilliance once more.”
Damp hair clings to my neck and back and I don’t bother to use my magic to dry it. It somehow makes me feel grounded and present, and I like it. Stepping out of the bathroom in an oversized t-shirt one of the guys offered me, I find myself in a new version of Brax’s bedroom.
When I stepped into the bathroom to take a shower, there was a single bed and childish trinkets everywhere, untouched and still holding memories from when he was younger. Now, a large bed, just like the one back at the academy, sits in the center of the room. Natural light filters in through the window, growing darker with every moment as dusk creeps upon us.
When the sun rises again, we’ll be back on target, refocused, and drenched in the mess that still requires our attention. For now, tonight is ours.
Eldon lounges on the bed with his back against the headboard, crooking his finger for me to come closer as Zane presses a kiss against my temple before slipping into the bathroom. I follow Eldon’s sultry order, sauntering over to him as Creed sits in a navy-blue chair that is now located in the corner by the window. His eyes are closed, but I know he’s not asleep. Not yet at least.
As I crawl up the bed, Eldon parts his legs to accommodate me and I lean back against his chest, basking in the warmth emitting from him as he bands his arms around my body.
“You smell like Heaven,” he murmurs against my ear, making me shiver, and Creed grunts, not bothering to open his eyes.
“She smells like home,” he corrects, and I feel Eldon’s lips curl against my skin as he peppers kisses along my neck.
“That too.”
I feel delirious, finally being in his arms for real. This is no dream, no alternate realm. We’re all here in the flesh. We can’t be separated like that ever again.
Zane steps out of the bathroom with a flourish, steam billowing around him as Creed stands from the chair and wordlessly trades places with him.
“You don’t know how good that feels,” he states, running a towel over his hair as another clings to his hips, offering a spectacular view of his magical V leading down to his even more spectacular length.
It feels euphoric, that’s the best explanation I have, to be here with them in such a mundane scenario. I love it. I love them.
As if sensing my joy, my brain taints the happy moment and my gaze drops to my hands.
“We’re going to have to head back eventually,” I murmur, letting my magic ripple from my fingertips as I run them through my hair, drying the ends.
