“You’re worried about the fire?” Dylan laughed.
“Shut up.”
“Amaya,” he leaned over and reached for her. “Come to Uncle Dylan,” he waved his fingers as I—reluctantly—let her little denim shoes touch the grass. She was strong, quick and eager to walk. Nearly running to Dylan and Ruby, Amaya began to laugh.
“Have you had any incidents?” Erik broke through the happiness with his serious gaze. I didn’t like thinking about the power Amaya held within her tiny hands, but it was something we all had to be aware of at all times. I shook my head to him, but quickly looked back at my daughter to clear my mind.
“Alright, we have ketchup, mustard, buns, cheese, and chips.” Charlotte tried to balance the items as she hurried to the table. The sky had a gorgeous deep blue and orange tint to it then, with the wind sliding over the grass so lightly it was barely there. “Oh, and the drinks,” she turned to find Caleb coming out of the house, pulling a cooler. “Right on time.”
“Hungry, Mymy,” Elliot asked our girl. With her little hand out to grab a hot dog, she giggled and kicked her feet. Elliot got up to get a plate, and I slid closer to Ruby.
“Can I see it again?” I wiggled in delight.
Ruby, stretching out her hand, let her diamond ring sparkle in the light of the fire. “I still can’t believe it’s mine,” she gleamed.
“Believe it,” my brother fixed his gaze to her. “Forever.”
“I have to thank you for everything you did for him,” I said to her as Dylan took Amaya to meet Elliot at the table. “I know you took care of him in his slumber. I’ve never told you how much it meant.”
“That’s what you do when you’re in love,” she smiled and her eyes, delicate and softly blue, arched into moon-shaped cresents.
“It certainly is.”
“My sister’s here,” Cole, leaning over me from behind, spoke quietly in my ear. “Be nice.”
“I’m always nice,” I breathed out, standing and straightening my sweater. I gave a smile to Elliot, who was waiting to see what I was doing, before passing by the table on my way to the driveway. The tall evergreen bushes on the side of my aunt’s house concealed me for a few seconds, but I stepped out and caught Lydia’s eyes with my own as she shut her door. One long breath, then I spilled. “I know you’re mad at me, and you have every right to be, and I just hope you can forgive the whole mess, and we can be friends again like we used to be.” My eyes were all over the gravel now as I drove my hands deeper into my jean pockets. “I mean, I still go to the coffee shop every Tuesday, but you’re never there, and I keep hoping you’ll walk in and just yell at me and get it over with. What?” Lydia, now standing in my view, peering up to get my attention, was trying to hide the building laughter that was making her whole body tremble. “Why are you laughing at me?”
“I’m not,” she let out the laugh as she pulled me into her arms. After a tight hug, she stepped back with a somewhat serious glare to her eyes. “I’m not mad that you told Lucas to go find himself off in Goulden Pines,” she was sincere. But just remembering my advice to the guy she loved stung me deeply.
“I had no right to tell him to leave.”
“You didn’t tell him he had to, you listened, like friends do. And he had a problem he needed answers for, answers that aren’t here.”
“You’re being too nice right now,” I crossed my arms.
“I’m saying goodbye.”
“What?”
“He’s got a place, out on the ocean. It’s nice, I’ve seen pictures,” she tucked her hair behind her ear as she looked down. “I’m not leaving because of you,” she eyed me firmly. “Well, I guess I am,” she laughed.
I sighed through a smile.
“But it’s good, it’s a good thing.”
“I want you to be happy,” I gave her a hug, almost too tight as she tapped me with a giggle. “Are you?”
Nodding, Lydia gave a slow, growing smile that seemed a bit apprehensive. “I’m happy with him. No matter where we are.”
“Yeah, I know the feeling,” I glanced back quick to see Elliot as he sat back down on the log around the fire. “It can be scary when you go somewhere new, and you do things you’ve never thought you’d do. But when you have someone close, someone who lets you be yourself, then it gets easier.”
“Do I smell chocolate?” she sniffed, changing the subject before things got too emotional.
“Yes,” I took her hand and pulled her along to the backyard. “There’s a ton of food. Although, the dragons might just eat it all up,” I leaned with a cocked brow as I noticed my brother with a hot dog in each hand. “Pace yourself,” I laughed.
“Never!”
“Hey, look what I got in the mail,” Charlotte plopped at my side as she handed me an envelope.
I mumbled through the words until the bold print of, “The Royal Wedding of King Aindréas Lorcanu Somhairle an Haldor, to the lovely Samira Havi Yadir.”
“They’re getting married?” Elliot perked at my side.
“Yes, isn’t it romantic?” Scarlet chimed. “He saved his true love, and now they’ll make little Lorcan’s,” she laughed.
“It’s a bit fast,” Cole added.
“Not when you know it’s right,” I spoke, mostly to myself, but Elliot heard me. With a kiss to my cheek, he whispered, “Not when you’re made for each other.”
“Wait a minute,” I sat tall. “Why didn’t we get an invite?”
“Could be back at home on the counter,” Elliot said. “I don’t usually go through the mail.”
“I know.”
“No, I change diapers, don’t I?” he joked with Amaya as I rolled my eyes.
“I change diapers, too.”
“I wonder if Lorcan will?” Scarlet laughed. “Or Tristan.”
“I don’t think he’ll have kids,” I said without thinking through my words. “I mean,” I stammered as everyone looked at me. It was obvious that I was the only one who knew the truth about Natalya. “I just think he’s happy to be with Iliana.”
“They’re in Iceland,” Charlotte made a face.
“You know it’s not actually covered in ice,” I made clear.
“I know,” she shrugged. “But still.”
“They’re traveling to the most remote places so they can be themselves,” Caleb told. “Places where they can use their elements and be free with their energies.”
“Where they can feed freely?” I wondered.
“That too,” he agreed.
Amaya made some cute noises and we all turned our attention to her. Giggling and bouncing around, my daughter’s bright blue eyes were captivating and always seemed to hold my attention.
“She’s so lively, so happy,” Ruby said.
I nodded along.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her cry,” Lydia joined us with a s’more in hand. “Does she?”
Does she? That was a loaded question. One that only Elliot, Charlotte, and I knew the answer to. I gave Lydia a smile and a shake of my head, but I couldn’t truly answer her. Amaya had cried, once or twice. Each time things got weird. The last time I saw her drop a tear, our apartment filled with the deadly gray mist that Elliot had somehow contained his entire life. It meant that Amaya was more powerful than her father, but I could tell she’d be just as emotional as me. That made for a terribly unstable concoction. Thankfully, that night, Charlotte was around and quickly spelled a bracelet to help keep Amaya happy. Short of blocking her dark nature, it was the best we could do.
Charlotte, even now as we sat together enjoying the night and the glowing fire, kept her eyes steady over my daughter. I knew she’d help us keep Amaya grounded, even if it meant keeping her true strength a secret.
“Why would she ever cry?” my sister smiled at Amaya. “She has everything she’ll ever need.”
“Well, I could use something else,” Elliot spoke up. I studied him with narrow eyes. “Another beer,” he laughed. I shoved at him as he handed me Amaya. It
didn’t take her long to want down again. She was quite the daddy’s girl. Always peaceful in his arms, always restless in mine. Kicking a bit, she wiggled from me and got down to the grass. This time, with the hovering watch of my brother, I let Amaya wander around us and pick at the flowers. There was a grasshopper as well, and she kept trying to grab it up as we laughed.
Elliot sat back down beside me and put his arm around me. We had all eaten a bit, had a few more conversations about life in the past few months, and the night was growing dark. With a yawn from my aunt, I decided it was time to leave.
“You’re going to come with Aunt Charlotte, aren’t you?” my sister played around with Amaya as we gathered our things. “And I’ll feed you all kinds of sugar and give you back to mommy.”
“No you won’t,” I told, of course, with a smile. “But you can keep her tonight, if you want.”
“Yes, we want,” my aunt was quick to take Amaya in her arms. “I have some new coloring books.”
“We’ll leave the bags inside,” I said, carrying some of our things into the house. In the kitchen, as I stood there alone, I stopped and stared over the place. The room was empty and cool. It had furnishings, of course. But it felt empty. It felt without energy. Lights were dimmed as shadows consumed the corners of the home I knew too well. I took a couple more steps inside, taking in the lingering scent of coffeecake and old books. Whether it was my imagination or not, the cake was fresh and real, even if it wasn’t visible. And like so many other things in the house, it was every bit my mother’s.
“Ready?” Elliot came in behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. I nodded, setting down the bags slowly. “You okay?”
“I miss her,” I said to him. “It isn’t fair that she didn’t get to meet Amaya.” I sniffed, trying my hardest to keep the moisture in my eyes from beading over.
“That’s the beauty of our daughter,” he turned me to face him. “Someday, when she’s strong, she’ll learn to speak to the spirits around her. She’ll know your mother. And she won’t be afraid.”
“Do you ever see her?”
Elliot shook his head. “I only felt her presence before. I never did hear or see her.”
I took a deep breath. With a smile, I said, “Let’s go home.”
Elliot wrapped my hand in his and led me out the door. I watched as my friends said goodnight to each other, then my sister and aunt as they laughed and danced around with Amaya. Things were safer now, in all the realms. But life was never easy, and it never would be. Raising our daughter would take a team, and thankfully we had one. Dragons, mighty and honorable; faeries, clever and loyal; and the enchanted, daring and brave. My legion was now hers, and together, all of us would work to make sure her life and the lives of those after us would be a promising one full of light. And love. And magic.
Witherstone- Wings of My Legion Page 25
