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The house was still in the night until around two in the morning, when I heard a mumble of voices coming up from the main floor. I tried to extract myself from Von’s lax grip without waking him, but clumsily managed to rouse both of them in the process. “Where are you off to, love?” Von’s eyes were still closed, his lips puffy. He was pretty much the cutest vampire I’d ever seen.
“Can’t sleep. I’m going to go get a snack. Be back in a few.”
My whisper woke Mason, who sat up. “I’ll go with you.”
I placed my hand on Mason’s chest, gently pushing him back down onto the mattress. For good measure, I stroked the hair that peppered his toned belly, smiling when he made precious noises of utter contentment. “No, no. Go back to sleep. You want me to bring you anything?”
Mason was only half awake, so he didn’t catch my dubious glare when he mumbled, “Always offer to bring me food dressed only in a nightgown. Fantasy come to life.”
I paused a moment to kiss Von’s lips, and then Mason’s, stealing just a moment where we were together, and life gave us a few breaths that weren’t so harrowing. Von was already asleep again, so I climbed over Mason, whose hand grazed the back of my naked thigh, giving me goosebumps as I righted myself. I quietly opened the dresser drawer and pulled on my jeans, and then zipped up one of Von’s hoodies over my nightgown, shoving a pair of socks in the pocket.
Mason was sitting up now, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Where are you really going?”
“To the kitchen. I heard Ezra moving around down there, and don’t want to walk around in my nightgown in front of my dad.”
Mason paused, craning his neck to confirm with his keen hearing that Ezra was in fact downstairs. “Okay. You’ll be safe. It’s only Ezra and Carter.”
“Like I said. Lie back down, sweetie.” I waited until Mason complied, and then tugged the comforter up over his chest, kissing his forehead. When his eyes finally shut, I made my way down the stairs, hoping for a brilliant diversion to come to me so I could get on with my master plan.
Ezra and Carter both ceased their conversation and stood from their stools at the counter when I came into the kitchen. Only the light over the sink was on, and I could tell they had been trying to drown their sorrows in the bottle of rum that was sitting between their crystal tumblers. “Good evening, October Grace. What are you doing up at this hour? Trouble sleeping?”
“Yeah. I would ask what you two are up to, but I’m guessing nothing good, judging by your breath. What’s bothering you?”
Ezra sank back down onto his stool. “Only the things you already know. Danny’s simply gone. He’s resurrected a portion of my daughter’s spirit, and he’s taken it with him. Sama’s set on getting into your head. Sakuna’s on the brink of a major hierarchy change yet again. I’m actually surprised it’s taken me this long to open a bottle.”
I gawked at the half empty bottle, and then narrowed my eyes at Carter. “You let him drink that much? You know he doesn’t have the stomach for it. Dad!” I put the cap on the bottle and glared at Carter’s glazed, impish grin. I pulled a slice of bread from the box on the counter and slapped some peanut butter on it. “Take this to bed. We’ll talk about Mariang and what to do about it all in the morning. You’re not going to solve anything at this hour, young man.” I was worried about Ezra, but it came out as pissed. “Go on to bed. I was hoping to have a word with Carter anyway.”
“I’m sorry!” Ezra moaned, his mouth sticky with peanut butter. “I let her down, and now I’m letting you down. I’m utterly worthless!”
My shoulders drooped, and I knew Ezra wasn’t with it enough to make rational decisions. “It’s alright, Dad. But it’s time to go to bed now.”
“‘Young man’,” he echoed as he stood from the stool, leaning heavily on the granite counter. “I haven’t been young in so long.”
Despite the time-sensitive nature of my master plan, I wrapped my arms around Ezra’s waist and buried my face in his chest. “It’s okay. We’ll find Danny and reason with him. What he brought back? It’s not the Mariang he loved. He’ll realize it soon enough, if he hasn’t already.” I glared at Carter. “Help me get him to bed.”
“Me? You seem to be mothering him well enough on your own.” Even though he argued with me, Carter stood and took Ezra’s arm around his shoulder. He wore a black tunic and the same kind of I’m-ready-for-anything military black pants that Finn and Mason wore.
“Yeah? Well, you break it, you bought it.” We carefully maneuvered Ezra to his room, laying him on his grand bed that had so clearly been designed for two, but only held his lonely form. I smoothed his blond hair back from his brow and kissed his forehead, tucking him in with his heavy teal and brown comforter that had gold trim on the edges. There wasn’t much I didn’t love about Ezra. He’d taken me in when I’d had no one, and claimed me when neither of my parents would or could. I loved him, and because of that, I knew I couldn’t let Sama cause him another night of restless sleep. I scribbled a note on a pad of paper on his nightstand and folded it, tucking it into his breast pocket for him to find when he was sober. I swallowed thickly and placed my engagement ring in his pocket, and then fastened the button so it didn’t slide out. The note explained things well enough, so hopefully Von didn’t think I was leaving him. I couldn’t very well go off with Philip for a week wearing Von’s engagement ring.
I leaned over Ezra’s body and kissed his prickly cheek, knowing that of all the people I loved, Ezra was near the top of the list. “Goodnight, Dad.”
Ezra mumbled a farewell, but he was already snoring when I tiptoed out with Carter.
Carter chuckled next to me as we made our way back to the kitchen. “I haven’t had a drink with Ezra in ages. Probably not since my coronation.”
I whirled on Carter, my finger in his face. Even though he was much bigger and taller than me, my anger was nothing to be trifled with. “Next time the two of you go thinking you’re pirates and can drink as much rum as you want, remember that you’re old men, and cut yourselves off after two drinks.”
“I’m not an old man!” Carter frowned at me, affronted. “I’m twenty-nine years old.”
“Oh, so not sixteen? Then you should know better, old man. Get my dad drunk again, and you’ll see a side of me you don’t want to.”
Carter had the nerve to let his eyes travel down to my backside appreciatively. “I can’t imagine there’s a side of you I wouldn’t want to see all rolled up in my sheets.”
I popped his chest bone with the flat of my hand to move him back a step. “You’re drunk. Stop being a flipped-up jackwagon. You know I’m engaged, and you know I used to date your brother.”
His gaze drifted where it most certainly wasn’t welcome. “Oh, Mason always does the noble thing. I’ll bet that even with all the sleeping together you three do, he’s still never seen your softer sides.”
I glowered up at him. “Stop talking to my breasts. Keep this up, and I’ll knock you clean out and leave you right here for Lynna to step over in the morning when she starts up breakfast. I don’t think anyone’d have trouble believing you got your face kicked in just because someone didn’t like the look of it.”
“You’ve got quite the mouth on you.” He reached for the bottle of rum, but I grabbed it from his hand. “I was needing that. Terraway spirits don’t have the same sweet flavor. Topsider drinks are far more enjoyable than ours.”
I sized up his rosy cheeks, his easy smile and the slate eyes that kept losing focus. “You’re the perfect amount of drunk for what I need right now.” I gripped the neck of the bottle tight in my fist. “How about we take the rest of this to Terraway? Finish it up just the two of us.”
Carter eyed me curiously, leaning away with his hands on the back of his hips. “You’re trying to get me liquored up.”
“I’m trying to get you to take me to Dagat.” I decided this was the best opportunity I was going to get. “I need to talk to Finn, but I can’t get there without someone to port me down.”
“What about Mason? I’m thinking your keeper wouldn’t want you running off with me.” He leaned in and stage-whispered, “I’m the bad one. He’s the responsible son.” Carter stank like he’d bathed in rum.
“Take me to Dagat, and I’ll hand over the rest of the bottle. Just a quick trip. Oh, thank you!” I pretended like Carter had already agreed to it and scampered off to the living room, snatching up my backpack and slinging it over my shoulder. I slid on my socks and tennis shoes, ready to go.
“Wait, why are we doing this?” Carter’s eyebrows pushed together as he frowned, following me into the living room.
I whirled on him, my hand on my hip as I huffed dramatically. “We already discussed this. Ezra asked you to take me down to Dagat. He needs me to deliver this backpack to Finn. Kinda time-sensitive, so if you don’t mind...”
Carter scratched his head in true caveman fashion. “Ezra didn’t... I don’t remember that.”
I forced out a light chuckle, looking up at him with affection. “Dude, how drunk are you right now? Better trust the memory retrieval to me.” I chucked his shoulder like he’d never hit on me, like we were old friends, and like I pretty much knew he’d do whatever I asked of him.
Drunk guys are funny like that.
He harrumphed as he tried once again to sort out the events of the evening, but put up no further protest. “Okay, little Omen. Hold tight to your big, strong king. I haven’t ported drunk in years. Might not be the most graceful landing you’ve ever been dealt.”
“Make it quick, then.” I moved into Carter’s body space and clung tight to him, holding my breath until his arm wrapped around my back to keep me in place.
He was counting down from five, which made me more than a little nervous. None of the others who’d ported me needed to psych themselves up before the plunge.
I closed my eyes and knew as Carter reached “one” that there was no turning back.