Page 27

~Ariana~

Those profound words that Pops had spoken to me not long ago played on my mind.

“Cornelius made this for you as something to aspire to. He knew it wouldn’t be immediate. We all recognize that. But we do need to make a start right here and now.”

“He wants me to become part of the Guardian Movement?”

“Not necessarily. What we all want is for you to embrace your potential and we believe a big part of that involves safeguarding others. That doesn’t need to be with the Guardian Movement directly.

You know that Grandma operates outside the confines of the institution and she’s out there still helping lost ones throughout the supernatural world.

Your mom continues her work with the Covens via the Arcane Ascendancy Council.

Again, outside the Guardian Movement. There is a lot you can do.

However, doing nothing and hiding yourself away isn’t an option we will allow, nor one you should believe good enough for you. ”

I couldn’t believe it.

The day had actually come.

Pops had invited me up to the Guardian Compound.

An official summons.

Mom coming around the way she had and then the family dinner had shifted things in a monumental way.

And I was really excited to embrace it.

Excited, but also nervous as fuck.

I stared at what Grandfather had made me for my birthday present, the battle garb hanging in the closet of my dorm room.

The silver and black armored corset paired with shimmering gold pants made of a special reinforced material, along with the edgy and standout asymmetrical black hooded cloak with glowing silver sigils adorning it.

“I’m voting for that.”

Vorzyr’s voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I turned from my closet to see him still making himself at home in my dorm room, as all three of them had been doing since they’d come to bring me breakfast about an hour ago.

He was reclining on my bed against the pillows, fingers laced behind his head, elbows angled out casually.

He’d been taking on relaxed positions like that since coming in here this morning.

It seemed like it was his way of trying to force himself into that mindset with the stress of his meeting with Grandfather coming up shortly.

He’d been concealing it well. Although, his outfit gave a strong inkling that he was affected by it.

It was the coat that did it. The high-collared crimson and gold ornate thing that projected a whole lot of power and esteem.

He only wore it when he wanted to make a strong impression, or enforce a reverent reaction to himself.

I could understand him wanting to do that when it came to the almighty Cornelius Martel.

At least he wasn’t wearing his armor.

That was definitely a step in the right direction where he was concerned—and for the success of the meeting itself.

“Really?” I asked, Vorzyr.

“Sends a powerful message. No holds barred. No-nonsense.”

“The powerful message is that she’s coming in hot with a great deal of aggression,” Kai said, looking up from his tablet that he had resting on his crossed legs as he sat in my desk chair.

Nyx was leaning against my desk beside him and reading over some papers that were his notes for his presentation of his proposed Crossborn Refuge System (CRS) today to Gramps up at the Guardian Compound.

Nyx looked out at the outfit and nodded in agreement with Kai. “Sorry, dragon love, but he’s right. She’s not going to battle.” He studied my closet. “Hmm… what about that slinky black dress?”

“Again, inappropriate,” Kai said, his eyes darting from his tablet and being busy scrolling and typing on it, out to me and my closet. “It’s not a date. It’s business.”

“I see your point. I just like it.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me. “A hell of a lot.” As I chuckled and Vorzyr zoned in on the dress in question eyes hooding, Nyx nudged Kai. “I’m surprised you’re not suggesting that sexy black mini-skirt of hers. I know how much you love it.”

“You love it?” I asked, mighty intrigued now.

“I enjoy the way it looks on you, yes,” Kai admitted. “ Very much so.”

“Wow,” Vorzyr spoke, his eyes wide as he looked over at Kai. “You’re really holding back with the dirty, hmm?”

Kai arched an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“Come on, where was your comment about how deliciously it bounces against her tight little ass as she walks? The way it bears her thighs so stunningly and has you fantasizing about slipping your fingers underneath it and playing with her sweet cunt?”

Nyx choked. “Damn.”

Kai’s lips quirked. “It seems like you’ve said it all for me.”

“Please. That’s barely scratching the surface compared to you,” Vorzyr said.

Kai shifted his weight. “Can’t a man be on his best behavior once in a while?” He gestured at me. “Ari is nervous about today, I’m trying to attend to that and be emotionally available. She doesn’t need my dirty comments, she needs me to focus on her concerns, to give her support. All right?”

Holy… shit.

“Kai, that’s really considerate,” I told him.

As we all stared at him stunned, he lifted a shoulder, now trying to downplay it because it was out there so blatantly—so vulnerably.

“I know you need it from me, so I’m trying to access that part of me more.”

“Well, it’s definitely been noticed. And appreciated.”

“I’m glad,” he said. He tried to cast aside the lingering vulnerability of it by looking away and focusing back on his tablet.

But then, although without looking up again, he offered, “I’d go with the white wrap top paired with those dark leather pants, and that elegant high-collared fitted black jacket with the silver embroidery. ”

I stared out at him openmouthed.

“Yes! That’s absolutely it!” Nyx cried excitedly.

“Agreed. Mmm… leather on you… motherfucker,” Vorzyr said. “But, seriously, it balances your down to earth edgier look with some respectful refinement.”

“That’s… thank you, my boys.”

“ My boys. Absolutely loving that, Halo.”

I chuckled. “I’m loving it, too.”

“We all are,” Vorzyr said.

I saw Kai smiling contentedly as he typed rapidly on his tablet, working to crunch numbers and add financial elements and facts to Nyx’s upcoming presentation.

“You know, there is something missing from the ensemble, though,” Vorzyr proclaimed, pushing off the bed and crossing the room to me over by my closet.

He scanned the space as he went, eyeing my nightstands, my dresser, the shelves.

“Where do you keep it?” he asked, when he clearly didn’t find whatever he was searching for.

“What’s that?”

“The special necklace,” Nyx told me, putting his papers down and coming over as well.

Vorzyr explained, “Kai told us about it. A special piece that your mom gave to you during your party, something that was meant to represent who and what you are and celebrate it to its fullest.”

Oh my God.

I looked out at Kai. “You were still there when she came into my room?”

He tensed and put the tablet down, looking out at me from the chair. “I was, yes.”

“Not in a stalkerish way,” Nyx cut in quickly, sweetly defending him as was his dynamic with him.

“ Not in a stalkerish way?” I questioned, eyeing Kai.

He shoved his hand through his thick hair and revealed, “I lingered for a while after you’d thought I’d left.”

“And it wasn’t stalker behavior?” Vorzyr questioned, amusement shining forth. “I mean, it’s okay now, Kai. Those were the early days when you were being a shit. We’ve all moved past that.”

“If you must know, I was a little concerned.”

“Concerned?” I pressed.

He blew out a breath. “Yes. After what happened in that bathroom, I was worried I’d taken it too far, and I thought you might need aftercare, something I’d planned on providing, but you’d screamed at me to get out of your face.

” He fiddled with his hair again. “But then I heard you talking to your mom—yes, as I was cloaked nearby—and she gave you comfort in another way, comfort she didn’t realize you’d needed. ”

Before I could even begin to absorb it, and as Vorzyr and Nyx stared at him thunderstruck, Kai rose from the chair, his right hand sparking with his magic. “And it’s here. It was in the top drawer of her nightstand, but I just conjured it forth,” he told the boys.

In the next moment, he was levitating it over to me.

I took it out of the air. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” He came over and settled between Nyx and Vorzyr, laying a hand on each of their shoulders. “They’re absolutely right. This is the perfect final touch.”

I stared down at the necklace in my hand.

The beautiful gold chain with a heart pendant hanging from it that had my name etched into it, the heart surrounded by gold angel wings that were identical to mine, even possessing the silver edges and markings.

But despite how striking it was, the beauty wasn’t in the design or the jewelry itself. It was what it represented, what my mom had wanted it to represent.

And my men knew it.

I saw Vorzyr move to take the necklace, clearly to put it on for me, but then he stopped himself and settled back amongst the guys.

Emotion took me. He’d realized, they all had, that it needed to be me.

To put it on and take in what it meant—that I was accepting who and what I was. And this necklace… finally wearing it… was me taking pride in myself as well.

Rising above that previously internalized fear.

Transcending preconceived notions running rampant about me.

Choosing hope despite this recent Celestial Plane development.

I swallowed hard, then opened the clasp.

And then I sealed it around my neck and laid the pendant on my chest, gazing down at it and breathing in the moment, cataloguing it.

It was made all the more profound by my men gathering around me and taking it in with me.

“Perfect,” Kai said.

I snapped my fingers, a spark of my magic emanating, and then I was clad in the outfit Kai had suggested, the necklace all the more prominent against the white of my wrap top.