Page 37

EVE

The teleportation hit harder this time. The weightlessness that came with it felt unnatural, like my body wasn’t meant to be dragged through the seams of the world.

Ragnar didn’t waste a second when we landed back at the cabin. He stalked toward the sleek black car parked under the trees.

“Where the hell are you going?” Orion shouted at his back.

“I’m going to speak to the witch,” he snapped as he hopped into his car. The engine roared to life, headlights flooding the driveway before he pulled out with a speed that sent gravel scattering in his wake.

Orion let out a low whistle beside me, his hands shoved into his pockets.

I swallowed hard. “Does he… does he always do that?”

Orion’s lips twitched into something resembling a grin, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Only when he’s in a really good mood.”

As much as his absence felt like a reprieve from the weight of his glare, I couldn’t help feeling like it left something unbalanced. Despite his temper, Ragnar was the anchor of this group, and his absence was clear as day.

I crossed my arms tightly, trying to crush the worry that I felt growing in my chest. “Shouldn’t one of you go after him? It could be dangerous.”

Xander sighed. “He doesn’t need help.”

“And if he did, he wouldn’t ask,” Orion added. “Big guy loves playing the lone wolf. Thinks it makes him mysterious or something.”

Xander’s lips twitched into the barest hint of a smile, but he didn’t disagree.

“Well,” Orion said, clapping his hands together. “I don’t know about you two, but I am not ending this night on that note. I know just what will take our minds off this whole debacle.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Should I be worried?”

Orion’s grin widened. “Worried? No. Excited? Absolutely.”

“No,” Xander said flatly. “Don’t even think about it, Orion.”

“What?” I cut in, glancing between them. Orion was already vibrating with excitement. Xander looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.

“Hoppity Snatch,” Orion declared dramatically, as if that explained everything.

“Hoppity what?”

“It’s only the most competitive card game on both worlds,” he said, puffing out his chest like he was announcing some ancient, sacred tradition.

Xander groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s a ridiculous drinking game that Orion thinks he invented.”

“I did invent it and it’s genius,” Orion corrected, waggling his eyebrows at me. “One night to pretend we’re normal. What do you say, Sunshine?”

Normal. The word twisted something in my chest, surprising me with how much I wanted it.

“OK,” I muttered, trying to sound reluctant even as a flicker of excitement bubbled beneath my frustration. Orion’s triumphant cheer rang out, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Have fun, you two,” Xander said, turning away from the cabin.

“Oh no,” I said, grabbing his arm before he could escape. “If I have to suffer through this, I’m not doing it alone.”

Xander sighed, but he didn’t pull away.

Before I knew it, I sat cross-legged on the living room rug, eyeing the deck of cards Xander shuffled the deck meticulously. Orion returned from the kitchen and sat on my other side. The bottle of whiskey in his hands landed between us with a loud thud.

Xander tried to explain the rules as we played, but even with his help, I could barely keep up. Especially once the drinking started.

The first few rounds were a mess. Orion played every card like it was a declaration of war, announcing his moves with enough bravado to rival a Shakespearean actor, but Xander was having none of it.

“I have slayed you in your sleep, Xander. Pick up four!”

Xander placed his next card on the pile. “Not this time.”

“You’re no fun,” Orion complained, throwing his head back dramatically.

“And you’re no good at this,” Xander replied, deadpan.

“So if I play this eight, you have to… drink? Or pick up two?”

“Try it and find out,” Orion said, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

“No,” Xander advised. “Play the five instead. He’ll have to skip his turn.”

Orion groaned. “Stop coaching her! How is she supposed to learn?”

“She’s better off learning from me than falling victim to your ridiculous antics.”

I couldn’t get my mind off this version of Xander—usually so cold and collected, he was beginning to sway, the gentle smile now a permanent feature on his face. And dammit, if he didn’t look good when he smiled—like it could melt even the coldest of winter days.

Shit. I couldn’t let myself think about things like this—that was not how things worked.

But as the evening disappeared, I found myself completely distracted and just having fun. The laughter, the teasing—it all felt like a glimpse into a life I’d never had. A life that was warm, carefree, and so achingly human.

“I don’t cheat!” Orion exclaimed, swaying slightly as he gestured to the pile of cards. “I’m a man of honor.”

Xander gave him the side eye and motioned for me to take my turn. I laughed, playing the next card he’d suggested. Orion’s groan of defeat was so over-the-top, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yeah, you deserved that one,” Xander said, puffing his chest out like he was proud.

I glanced between the two of them, their banter like the kind of sibling squabble you’d see in movies.

Orion was a whirlwind of energy, his movements exaggerated as he argued.

Xander was calculated and precise, but it was nice to see this more relaxed version of him.

I never would have pictured them being this competitive.

I mean, I could definitely have pictured Orion, but Xander was a surprise.

It was clear these moments were rare, if not necessary.

For all their power and their immortality, just two men trying to carve out a sliver of peace in a world that never stopped demanding from them—and somehow, I’d stumbled into it too, aching for a piece of it myself.

Xander shifted closer. “You’ll want to play the queen next.”

His shoulder was pressed lightly against mine, and I thought about pulling away, but I just couldn’t bring myself to. He’d been steadily moving closer the longer we played, and I found myself leaning into him too, pulled together like magnets.

I nodded, trying to focus on what he was saying, but between the whiskey burning pleasantly in my veins and the way his voice wrapped around me like a blanket, I felt dazed and breathless.

I went to place the card down, earning an approving hum from Xander, when Orion leaned heavily against my other shoulder.

“Don’t listen to him, Sunshine,” Orion whispered. His lips were so close to my ear, I could feel the heat of his breath tickling my skin. “He’s just playing you to win. Drop the six, I dare you.”

“Ignore him,” Xander tapped my chin away, encouraging me to focus on the intensity in his icy eyes. “Play the queen.”

“Don’t do it, Sunshine.”

I glanced between them, trying to focus, but the absurdity of the situation hit me like a freight train. These guys were the literal angel and devil on my shoulders, and the thought was so ridiculous I couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Xander asked, his brow arching as he pulled back slightly.

Before I could answer, the front door of the cabin burst open.

All three of us turned to look at Ragnar.

His leather jacket was shredded, hanging from his shoulders.

The rest of his clothing was littered with claw marks and tears, exposing bloodied skin beneath.

He absolutely reeked of lavender and incense, but it was the sheer number of tiny, crescent-shaped bite marks dotting his arms and neck that threatened to send me over the edge.

I slapped a hand over my mouth, trying desperately to stifle the laughter bubbling up again.

Orion squinted at him. “What the hell happened to you?”

“Fucking witches,” Ragnar muttered as he stormed down the hall and disappeared into one of the back rooms.

I lost it. The laughter burst out of me in uncontrollable waves, shaking my whole body as I doubled over.

“You okay there, Sunshine?” he teased, but even he was fighting the laughter.

“He looked like he lost a fight with an angry cat!” I wheezed.

Orion’s laugh joined mine, and I collapsed against him, my cheeks aching from how hard I was smiling.

For the first time in days, I wasn’t thinking about magic or daema or the thousand unanswered questions hanging over my head. I was just here—with them—laughing like an idiot, and for once, feeling something dangerously close to happy.