Page 14 of Mantle (IMMORTAL FLAME #3)

As Mom took her seat at the head of the table, Pops to our right as we faced her, and Dad to her left, Papa settled beside Pops.

And then I watched curiously as Vorzyr sat right next to Dad.

Interesting and boding very well there. Dad winked at me, letting me know things were well, just as I was interpreting.

He was trying for me and cooling it with his alpha wolf protectiveness toward his baby girl.

It was something that was definitely needed with what we were up against, with what I’d have to do—and become.

A brush to my arm from Kai had me blinking back to the moment, and I took a seat next to Vorzyr. Nyx settled beside him, and Kai sat next to Pops opposite us.

It was strange that he wasn’t all over us, especially me.

He actually looked tense.

About the breakfast? Being around my family and the weight of that?

A buzz from his pants pocket sounded and he pulled his phone out, then glared at whatever notification had just come in.

“What’s wrong?” I asked quietly, while everyone started serving themselves breakfast.

“Just familial obligations rearing their ugly head in light of this lockdown.”

“Your parents want you back there at Maven Coven locked down with them?”

“Something like that.” He waved his hand and forced a smile. “Not to worry. I’m handling it. Let’s just enjoy breakfast.”

Before I could speak more to it, Nyx handed me the dish with the waffles on it.

And then everyone was digging into their breakfasts.

“Really good,” Dad said, looking out at Mom and Papa.

“Shit, yeah. Nicely done,” Pops said, being his more chilled and brazen self. He rubbed Papa’s shoulder. “And the flawless presentation didn’t go unnoticed either.”

“It certainly didn’t,” Kai spoke, as he took a sip from his juice.

I eyed him with amusement.

Nyx nudged Vorzyr. “Told you he’s all about the manners when it’s called for. He can bring it like nobody’s business.”

Papa chuckled.

“That’s the Maven Coven upbringing shining forth,” Pops spoke. He eyed Mom. “We know it well.”

“Yup,” Kai said, picking at his food. “Elitist to its core.”

I saw Mom frown. “You don’t care for it?”

“Of course he doesn’t,” Dad spoke.

I tensed, thinking he was making a dig at Kai because of the way things had started and him finding out about Kai’s dangerous and calculating side.

But then he grinned and said, “A different breed, aren’t you, sorcerer? A step beyond.”

For one of the very few times that was ever possible, Kai actually looked completely caught off guard.

He wasn’t the only one.

Dad was being beyond accepting. It was actual support, being in Kai’s corner.

The corner of Kai’s mouth turned up. “I see my reputation precedes me. This time, in a positive way.”

“It does,” Dad confirmed.

Mom let out a laugh.

“What’s so funny, princess?” Dad asked, as we all turned to her in surprise.

“This. History repeating itself, but this time in a highly amusing way.” She looked at me and my boys in turn then and told us, “My father absolutely abhorred both Ryker and Jaxon. He hated them being with me. He gave them crap, like Jaxon has been doing. And now they’re all the best of friends.”

“That’s an oversimplification,” Dad argued.

“Still the truth, Jax,” Pops chuckled. “A fucked-up truth, but still the truth.”

“What about Lucian?” Nyx queried.

Lucian smiled. “Who could possibly take issue with a refined and diplomatic wonder like me?”

Mom laughed again. “He fell in line.”

Lucian cleared his throat.

“Right,” Mom said. “ Appeared to fall in line more than Jaxon and Ry.”

“Professional persuader indeed,” Ryker said, smirking at him.

“I love it,” Nyx said, chortling.

As we fell into a comfortable silence, eating away, I took in the moment and memorized it. It was no small thing and it really felt like the next step for our foursome, being here with my mom and dads like this, the comfortable intimacy of it. The normalcy of it.

“Very nice job on the Crossborn Refuge System proposal,” Pops told Nyx. “Off the record, I’ve already ratified it.”

“Seriously?”

Pops smiled kindly. “Seriously. I’ll be working with the Unity Council in the coming weeks to determine how best to implement it.”

“Damn, that’s amazing. Thank you, Ryker!” Nyx cried excitedly.

It had Kai beaming at him, and Vorzyr rubbing his shoulder. I planted a kiss on his cheek and his eyes sparkled at all of us.

“Warlow and I have discussed it and there’s a full-time position waiting for you when you graduate the Academy,” Pops told him.

Nyx’s eyes went wide.

“It was well-earned,” Pops added, ensuring he didn’t think it was due to his connection to me and the family.

Besides, Pops wouldn’t do that. He liked and respected out-of-the-box thinkers and those who showed passion for their work.

Both of which Nyx had demonstrated since joining the Crossborn team.

He and Vorzyr high-fived excitedly and I giggled. I caught Kai’s eye and he started chuckling, liking the revelry, actually sinking into it more than he normally would.

“What about you, Kai?” Mom asked.

“Me?” Kai responded.

“It’s your last year at Maven Academy, too. What are your plans? Your reaction to the Coven seems like you’re not happy about what’s been laid out for you.”

All eyes were on him in a second.

I grimaced. Shit.

At Kai’s hesitation, Mom told him, “I know what it’s like to be forced onto a path you didn’t choose for yourself, to be told you must be something that doesn’t mesh at all with who you really are.

So, rest assured, despite my close relationship with the covens and your parents, it’s not my intention to reprimand you, nor report your disillusionment with the path laid out for you. ”

“I appreciate that.”

“She can help you,” Pops told him.

“I can’t ask that of you,” Kai told Mom. “Given your role, it would put you in an awkward position and possibly even compromise diplomatic relations between the Guardian Movement and the covens.”

“I wouldn’t be bringing this up if I didn’t believe the fallout could be dealt with,” Mom assured him.

“Thank you. I do appreciate it. But I’m seeing to it. There’s nothing to worry about.”

There was.

There was a lot to worry about.

But none of them knew the truth there.

“He’ll be fine,” I told Mom, needing to take the heat off Kai, because he didn’t do well with this subject matter. I was actually surprised he’d kept it together this long.

“Yeah,” Nyx spoke up. “Kai Hunter can talk his way out of anything.”

It wasn’t true in this case, but Nyx sold it.

“ I’m going to stay in this realm,” Vorzyr spoke up, intentionally diverting attention to him and off Kai.

Everyone frowned, looking surprised.

Especially Dad. “You’re heir to House Titanus.”

“I need some time to figure out my greater power and how it meshes with the beast. Just like we talked about outside.”

“I think that’s admirable. Work on your stability before even considering returning as heir. It’s a responsible move for you and your kingdom.”

“I thought so, yeah.”

“You’re going to help him?” I asked Dad. That was why they’d been thick as thieves walking in here?

“I am,” he confirmed.

Amazing. “Good,” I said, smiling at him. “He deserves it,” I told him pointedly.

“Yeah, I’m getting that, baby girl. And I should have gotten it sooner.”

Yes, he should have. “The important thing is that you’re there now.”

Papa sat forward and eyed me. “You were considering your own future role after your tour of the Guardian Movement. Is that still the case?”

“I mean, with everything that’s going on, I’ve put that on hold.”

“I see.” He folded his arms in his lap. “That would be a mistake. That’s actually why we’ve been enquiring about your future plans.

All of you. When we are embroiled in difficulty and crises, putting our lives on hold only worsens the weight of it all.

It can invite hopelessness and lead us to making decisions borne from bad places.

It can even compromise our judgment. Instead, we need things to look forward to, and we must continue engaging with what makes us happy, and who makes us happy. Things cannot come to a standstill.”

His words hung there with a whole lot of heaviness as Mom, Dad, and Pops nodded in silent agreement.

“I hear you,” I told him. “I’ll take it to heart.”

“That’s all we want,” Mom said. “Despite the current threat, things aren’t all doom and gloom.

There is hope, there is a future for you to carve out.

” She smiled out at my boys. “There is this special relationship you’re building with one another.

And there’s love and support in your family as well. ”

I smiled out at her. “Thank you, Mom. All of you.”

The room reverberated, startling us.

Mom eyed the door. “Somebody has breached the wards—mine and the Underveil Shield.”

Pops rose to his feet right along with Dad.

Vorzyr and Kai were about to do the same when Papa reported, obviously using his insanely perceptive vampiric senses, “It’s Cassius.”

Despite knowing that, as Pops took a seat with Papa, Dad remained standing.

In the next moment, Cassius swept into the room, that usual determined look in his eyes, all business. He was even clad in his full Celestial battle garb—still so on edge because of the Ketheron threat.

It shifted the atmosphere in an instant, tension and alertness taking over.

I saw Cassius take in that we were all having breakfast.

His gaze flicked to mine. “Ariana,” he greeted politely and respectfully.

“Morning.”

He smiled, but then his expression hardened as he focused on Dad. “Ready, Descendant of Draco?”

Dad bristled. “That’s the first and only time you refer to me that way.”

“It much more adequately describes your vast capabilities and power than merely terming you Alpha.”

“It’s the Draco aspect,” Mom told him.

Cassius pulled up short and stared at them in thought for a few moments.

And then he showed empathy, telling them, “Yes, you all suffered greatly when he rose. My apologies.”

It left everyone utterly stumped.

Cassius registered our reactions. “You wish to survive this, you wish to break the link to the Celestial Plane also, then we all must work together. To do that requires cooperation as well as respect and understanding.”

Dad rounded the table and held out his hand. “I couldn’t agree more.” As Cassius took it and they shook, Dad said, “Let’s get started on figuring out how the fuck we break the Celestial link.”

Cassius nodded, then eased away and walked to me.

I rose from my seat at his approach and watched as, with a flare of his magic, he conjured a thick dusty book forth.

“While I am immersed in conveying my knowledge to Jaxon, begin reading and absorbing this. Practice the sections noted as Tier Two Practicalities. The Tiers beyond that we will only do together due to the potential of magical fallout if a competent anchor isn’t present when you perform them. ”

“Is this your grimoire?” I asked, running my hand over the raised Celestial text that I couldn’t actually read—yet.

“In a sense. Last night, I consolidated information and lore regarding the Celestial Plane, lost magic, history, and everything from my memory, and magically fused it into this volume for you. Time is of the essence. I can no longer reveal information over time and in pieces. It is also what the True Celestials wished, so let’s refrain from following their instructions in any way going forward. ”

“Absolutely on board for that,” Mom said, coming over and staring at the book. “This is a major show of trust. Thank you,” she told Cassius.

“I’ll offer another. It’s my understanding that you prefer being in an administrative, hands-off role after the trauma you endured years ago.

However, I am aware that you researched the bargain you were bound by and the Celestial Plane extensively in order to try to break it.

That knowledge will be useful to combine with mine and Jaxon’s in our quest to break the link.

I invite you to join us and return to your role as the most revered and knowledgeable sorceress alive. ”

Mom stared at him for several moments, then looked at me.

“Yes,” she breathed. “You’re right. It’s time for exactly that.”

“Excellent.”

Wow, this was something else.

“Mom, are you sure?”

She nodded firmly. “I am. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Since your party, actually. It’s time.”

I wrapped my arms around her and we held each other for a moment, before she then said her goodbyes to the room, then headed on out with Cassius and Dad.

Pops and Papa started rising from their seats too and talking about their respective tasks ahead of them.

And then it was just us.

I sucked in a breath as I held Cassius’ book tight to me.

The calm in the midst of all the chaos had come and gone.