by Laurie Roma
“You were broadcasting the bloody conversation, and that is something I really should be angry about. I spent a great deal of time teaching you how to focus a conversation, limiting it so others would not hear, and over the last few days, you have failed at every turn. Did you forget everything? And I may have to hurt Malik since he was in on this...after I am finished with you.”
“I was not broadcasting.” Had she been? Eden still had trouble blocking her sister out when she was communicating privately with their Tarin relatives. Something about all the stupid energy involved. She was going to have to work on that. “Come on. There is nothing you can do about this now, so suck it up.”
“I truly hate you sometimes.”
Huffing out a breath, Eden grabbed her sister’s hands and pulled her to her feet. “Do you always have to be the bloody slayer of fun?”
Offended, Amari scowled. “The what?”
Since the words were self-explanatory, Eden didn’t bother responding as she simply transported them out of the room.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Surprise!”
Amari forced her lips to curve into a smile as she looked at the group of people that had gathered in a small clearing near the glassy lake. She had known about the party for days, as Eden really had failed at hiding the plans, but she couldn’t muster up true appreciation for what they had put together for her just yet.
Well, she couldn’t just thank everyone, then leave, could she?
She had pretty excellent transporting skills herself.
Amari considered it for a second or two, but that would upset everyone. Besides, she wasn’t a coward. She had never run from anything in her life, and she wouldn’t start now. That still didn’t mean she wanted to be the center of everyone’s attention. It was impossible to stew in silence when there were so many beaming smiles directed at her.
“Stop brooding,” Eden demanded through their bond. “You will enjoy yourself, damn you, even if I have to keep your lips curved in that blasted smile using magic the entire night. And you know how easily I could make a mistake using magic on your face.”
Outraged by the threat, Amari seethed, but didn’t let it show to the crowd. “You will not touch my face.”
“Oh, I will if you force me to. You are not allowed to be grumpy at your own birthday celebration!”
“I am not grumpy. That is a silly term. And you will not be using any more magic on me.”
“Well? Say something to them.”
“Hello.”
“Well, that was bloody brilliant.” Eden mentally let out a long, disgusted snicker, then hooked her arm through Amari’s, pulling her further into the clearing.
They had chosen a beautiful spot for the party. The lake was located in the heart of the forest set between Rego Palace and the Nazira castle. The forest was unlike any other area on Tartarus, made up of a unique variety of vegetation that she and Eden had encountered on various planets over the years. They had redirected a river through the mountains and added the lake to nurture the land, and the majestic trees, lush greenery, and vibrant flowers would endure beyond whatever else befell the rest of the world.
Normally, the Naziras would refrain from making such changes to an alien planet, but the forest had been a gift to Malik, Reva, and the rest of the Regos. The grass around the lake had been smoothed out until the shore was as soft as green velvet. Long tables set with gold plates and gleaming silver cutlery had been placed in a sunburst pattern around a large fire pit.
Gold and silver lanterns hung from the branches of the surrounding trees. The tiny flames within the glass glowed softly, just waiting until the sun went down when they would shine brightly like tiny stars.
Actually, the whole setting reminded Amari of the valley she’d discovered in the southern mountains. She began to say something to her sister about that, but the thought instantly vanished as Eden shoved Amari forward and she was surrounded by a cluster of Tarin females that rushed forward to greet her.
She found herself both surprised and pleased that some of the former slaves had ventured out of the strongholds they lived in on Rego and Tor land. A few just smiled shyly while others spoke with exuberance, excited to be at another celebration despite being surrounded by male Rego and Tor warriors.
Several of those warriors bowed in deference, and Amari acknowledged them with a nod of her own before she was encircled by friends and family. Their expressions were a mixture of amusement and caution, the Tarins were especially guarded as they waited to see how she’d react to everything.
Alexis Volis Tesera threw her arms around Amari in a hard hug that practically squeezed the breath right out of her. Patting the smaller female awkwardly on the back, she sighed and finally gave in, forcing herself to relax.
“Happy birthday, Amari! Or I guess I should say happy pre-birthday! Glad to see Eden didn’t have to drag you here kicking and screaming,” Alexis teased as she pulled away, her glowing violet eyes shimmering with amusement. “Are you surprised?”
Amari smiled wryly. “Oh, I would definitely say that I was not expecting this.”
Galan Tesera cleared his throat before saying, “It was not our idea.”
“Aye, we are not to blame. It was all the females’ doing,” Thorn Volis claimed, then he let out a soft grunt when his mate’s elbow connected with his stomach.
“Damn it, you’re like hitting concrete,” Alexis complained, rubbing her arm.
Thorn leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “My apologies, sweetling.”
With blonde hair so pale it almost looked white, Alexis’ beauty contrasted with the darker features of her four mates. Thorn and Brydan Volis had glowing gold eyes with dark brown hair, while Xavier and Galan Tesera had silver eyes and long black hair. All four males wore two small braids that started at their temples, hanging down so they framed their faces. Tattoos shimmered on their golden skin in a pattern that matched the more delicate lines that graced their mate’s torso and arms.
Alexis wore an intricate torque around her neck that had a deep purple jewel embedded in the center, and her mates wore matching torques without stones. The torques and the markings on their skin were both customary symbols to signify a mating, though, few pairings used both. Still, the adornments suited them, as did the subtle etchings on the torques that indicated they were members of a ruling family on their home world.
Royalty or not, the Volis Teseras had treated Amari and Eden like old friends since their first meeting. During the days that followed, they had gotten closer as they spent more time together. It had been a long while since Amari had been around so many Dragon Warriors she wasn’t related to by blood, and it was fun, even when they were annoying. That was like family, too.
The Tesera younglings, Gideon and Kadan, were playing with their pet dragons off to the side. They both glanced over, then jumped to their feet and ran over. Amari and Eden were treated to hugs around their legs in greeting before the little males returned to their dragons, the rest of the group forgotten.
Amari and Eden had created the dragons for a recent human holiday they had all celebrated together. They weren’t exactly sentient, but the dragons were tied to the younglings through blood magic. They would grow with them until the twins were able to shift into their own dragon forms, and they would fade when they were no longer needed. Until then, the new pets would be thoroughly enjoyed.
Alexis turned and watched the twins play. “They truly love your gift.”
That made Amari smile for real. “We are glad.”
“Blood magic is a difficult skill to master,” Xavier murmured, then he cleared his throat and raised his voice. “So, how many cycles are you now?”
“Dude...” Lazio Rego, the youngest of Malik’s brothers, groaned as he slapped his forehead with the palm of his left hand. “I don’t think it’s ever safe to ask a female that question. Especially one who can kill you...or at least maim you really bad.”
“How many times must I tell you not t
o call me ‘dude?’” Xavier growled.
Brydan chuckled as Lazio stepped behind him for cover. “Do not scare the youngling,” he scolded his brother. “Besides, he is right. It is not proper to ask an ancient their age.”
“You are hilarious...not,” Amari said dryly. “I am far from ancient.”
“And I’m not a youngling, though, most of you pretend I am. But I get away with more being the youngest, so please, by all means, continue,” Lazio added with a grin.
Xavier’s eyes narrowed. “Your babble is worse than the twins.”
“It is Amari’s celebration, so stop annoying her. No fighting,” Katra Tor ordered, smacking Brydan and Xavier on their shoulders to get her point across.
Brydan sighed. “You are taking the fun out of this party, little sister.”
Although Katra was related to Xavier and Galan by birth, Thorn and Brydan had been brothers to her since she had taken her first breath. They were a united family and being close to Katra had been the main reason the Volis Tesera family had made a home on Tartarus. Now, that family included Katra’s mate, Lord Jaden Tor and all of his warriors...whether they liked it or not.
“Do not mind my brothers. They have a complex around anyone wiser than they are,” Katra mocked cheerfully.
“Brat.”
Galan reached out to tug on a lock of Katra’s black hair, but Jaden shifted between them and slapped his hand away. The two males growled at one another, and Xavier shoved them aside to clear the path for Katra. Ignoring her brothers, she threw her arms around Amari. Since she was heavily pregnant, her enlarged belly made the embrace extremely awkward.
“They are—very active today.” Active was much better than saying it was unnerving to feel the babies moving around inside her friend. Trying to be tactful and considerate took some modifications. Besides, the very last thing she wanted to do was upset the hormonal mother-to-be...especially today.
Laughing, Katra rubbed a hand over her belly in soothing circles. “They truly are. Blessed birthday, Amari. Early, of course. We are all so pleased we are able to celebrate with you before you leave next rising.”
When she took a deep breath, then stopped rubbing her stomach, Jaden wrapped his arms around her. His glowing black and silver eyes swirled with concern. “You need to rest, love. You should sit down.”
“I am fine, mate.” Katra leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder as she kept her hand on her belly. “I just feel huge.”
Xavier glanced down at her belly. “You are.”
“Thank you, commander obvious,” Katra said with a laugh.
“Hey! What are you doing just standing there? Isn’t this supposed to be a party?” Reva Rego shouted as she strolled out of the tree line holding hands with Malik.
The Tarin male and the Helios female were like shadow and light. Her long, golden hair was pulled into her usual braid, and her amber eyes were bright with fun. In contrast, Malik had black hair and the pure black eyes of the Tarin. Then again, those differences were only on the surface since Malik and Reva were both warriors who lived by a similar code.
Three of Malik’s brothers, Darius, Aldric, and Iolas, followed closely behind the couple. Each male held some sort of tool that they threw into a small cart that was by a large boulder. Malik and Reva disappeared behind the boulder, then returned carrying a chest made of black wood that had been carved by someone with a skilled hand. Each held one of the two thick metal handles attached to the side of the chest, and when they joined the group, the Helios shifter’s fangs showed as she grinned.
“Did you really think you could get through today without receiving a gift?” Eden taunted after she heard her sister’s sigh.
“Fuck.”
“Here,” Malik muttered, taking the full weight of the chest from his mate. He lifted it, prepared to shove it at Amari, but one of the Dragon Warriors created a pedestal that he placed it on instead.
“It’s your birthday gift, from all of us. We figured you were already going to be weirded out by this whole party thing, so we thought we would get this portion of the event over quickly to minimize the pain,” Alexis said.
“Appreciated...thank you.”
“Malik, Darius, Aldric, and Lazio carved the chest,” Reva explained. “The Dragon Warriors could have created it with magic, but my guys wanted to make something for you with their own hands.”
“It is beautiful. Truly.”
All of the males shifted on their feet, and it was easy to see that they were uncomfortable with the praise. Malik wrapped an arm around Reva’s waist, and muttered, “It would have been easier if they had just used magic.”
“Magic is not always better than real skill,” Xavier commented.
“It is perfect the way it is,” Amari assured as she ran a hand over the top of the chest.
Alexis bubbled with excitement. “That’s not all of it. Look inside.”
Amari looked down at it in silence for a few heartbeats, then opened the top and glanced inside. Nestled on a bed of soft material was a sculpture unlike anything she had ever seen before. It was made of brilliant crystal, formed into the shape of flames. Inside the heart of the curved edges and facets was living fire that glowed red then purple, blue, and white. Above it was three separate crystals cut into small pyramids, each with a different color pulsing with life inside. Reaching into the chest with one hand, she touched the sculpture and immediately felt the surge of power.
“You created this with blood magic.”
Katra nodded. “Aye. Alexis and Reva thought of the design, and Xavier and Thorn provided the flame. We wanted to give you something that could be useful, as well as unique. Harvesting the flame when they were in dragon form was...interesting, to say the least.”
“The flame was taken from where our fires met. It was fun.” Thorn grinned. “And it was not the first time we had spewed fire at one another. At least this time, it was for a purpose.”
Xavier smiled ruefully. “You might be training us, but Katra is the only one who is any good at using blood magic so far.”
“Sad, but true,” Galan admitted, winking at Katra. “She seems to be the only one who is able to quiet her mind enough. Or perhaps it is easier for her since she barely uses it.”
Katra punched her brother on the shoulder hard enough so it rocked him back on his heels. “Jealous much? I am just better at all things. It is time you accepted that.”
“Ha! Eden aided in this project, so it would not be ruined, and we will keep practicing while you are away,” Brydan swore.
Xavier’s silver gaze met Amari’s as he said, “We know you are able to connect with our younglings since you used your own blood to create the pet dragons you gifted them. Now, we have done the same. Katra made the sculpture, but all of us donated a drop of blood to the cause. Even the twins.”
“In case you ever need us, or just want to talk,” Alexis added. “Eden mentioned that it’s how you are able to communicate with the rest of your family when you are really far away. You don’t use wrist units, so this will be a way you can reach all of us. All you need to do is—”
“Add my blood. The sculpture for me, and the crystals for you,” Amari murmured, touched that they would have thought to make her such a gift.
“Actually, they are diamonds,” Xavier corrected. “If we are going to make something, we do it right.”
Amari smiled at that. “That is appreciated, as well.”
She held her hand over the tip of one of the pyramids, then pierced the center of her palm. Centering her mind, she focused on finishing the bond that the others had begun. When she was done with the first, she handed it to Alexis, then she finished the other two, handing one to Katra, and the other to Reva.
Placing her hand on the diamond that held dragon flame, she completed the blood bond. Wanting to keep her gift safe, she sent the chest to her ship, where she could take it with her wherever she went. “Thank you, it is a splendid gift.”
Galan sighed. “It
is frustrating that you can do all of that so easily.”
“As it was pointed out to me earlier, I am older than you.”
“True,” he said with a laugh.
“As a bonus gift, you can contact us during the Ministry of Nations meeting if you do not want to participate anymore,” Xavier added. “We will just set up a video conference. We are very grateful you have taken over the duty, and if you—”
“I agreed, so you do not have to keep thanking me.” Amari paused, her eyes narrowed. “Wait. We could have done this without me being there?”
“You are going,” Eden insisted. “It will be good for you.”
Before Amari could argue, Katra swayed on her feet.
Jaden growled, “You are sitting. Now!”
“I could definitely sit...if we are going to eat.”
“Oh, yeah,” Alexis groaned, then she smiled sheepishly. “Ever since I found out I was pregnant again, I can’t seem to stop eating. I’m going to be enormous soon, just like I was during the first round.”
“You are a goddess whether you are carrying our younglings or not,” Thorn murmured. “Strong, beautiful, and full of life. And you should eat as much as you like.”
“That is why we are having plenty of ice cream tonight with the cake,” Galan added.
“You guys are so sweet,” Alexis cooed.
Eden grimaced. “I do not understand why you want to have cream that is iced. It just does not sound appealing at all.”
Alexis grinned. “That is because you haven’t tried it yet.”
“We cannot eat yet. We have to wait for—” Eden paused, then looked away from the group. “Never mind. They are here. We could not have a party without our companions.”
They turned and watched as Nym flew into the clearing, his enormous wings outstretched as he rode the breeze. Rhys walked out of the tree line, and he shot Amari that look. She felt his irritation at being left behind when she and Eden had transported to the clearing, but she hadn’t exactly had a choice herself. He relented, sending her what could have passed for an apologetic grin, right before the twin younglings jumped on him in greeting.