Cyrus and Vox hid their pointed ears with their hair, while Sol, Titus, and Exos put on hats. Cyrus gave me a kiss as he tucked my hair around my ears as well.
Okay, call me intrigued.
My eyes lit up when Sol brought me into the room, and Vox turned on the portal, activating a sequence of buttons that brought festive Christmas music ringing through the air as it connected to its destination.
I recognized the melody instantly because I’d heard the same carols growing up.
Home. They remind me of home.
My eyebrows lifted. “Are we…?” I couldn’t finish the hopeful statement, my heart beating a chaotic tune in my chest that reminded me of that famous song about bells.
“We think we know why you’re not feeling well, little queen,” Cyrus said, keeping his tone soft while the Christmas music lingered in the air. The atmosphere hummed as the world around us distorted, the smooth realm transition taking place in one of the more secure transit d
evices built by the Fortune Fae.
“What’s your theory?” I asked, a smile hinting on my lips as I waited for the realm travel to complete so I could see exactly where we were going. I hadn’t been back to my hometown in ages. I could almost taste the hot chocolate from my childhood. Although, my childhood had often been a lonely one.
Sol shifted me in his arms, keeping my belly resting comfortably against his chest while Cyrus leaned in and pressed a kiss to my lips. His water magic tingled over me, reassuring me that I wouldn’t be alone this year.
“You’re half-fae”—Cyrus’s blue eyes sparkled with magic—“but you’re also half-human. And we think you might be in need of some human indulgences. So that’s exactly what we’re going to give you.”
My lips curled. “I think you might be right. I’ve been craving my human food…”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Vox asked, his silver-rimmed irises flashing with a mixture of emotions. “I would have tried, Claire.”
“I know. But you all have been doing so much… I didn’t want to ask… It’s… I’ve been okay.”
Sol grunted at that. “Okay is not the word I’d use, Claire.”
“You should have told us,” Vox added.
“She’s telling us now,” Exos interjected. “That’s what matters.” He leaned in to brush a kiss against my forehead.
My heart fluttered in response. Thank you, I said to him.
He gave me a smile. Anything for you, baby.
This is exactly what I need, I promised. Home.
I loved my fae. I loved everything about their world, but with a child on the way, a sort of nostalgia gripped my heart and wouldn’t let go.
I wanted my child to know everything there was to know about the world. Not just about the fae realm, but about where I came from, too. Humans had a good side to them, one I had enjoyed in my friends before my universe imploded. My child would be one-quarter human, and that was a part of our bond that I wanted to share.
The room shuddered as we arrived in the Human Realm, the doors opening onto a busy street just a few blocks from where I’d grown up. Oh! I smiled to myself. Everything’s just the way I remember it.
I drew in a delighted gasp as Sol took me out into the open and a snowflake landed on my lips.
Winter.
Not just the fake kind with my attempts at springy cotton strewn about my office. Real snow landed in puffy balls all around me, making me feel like I’d stepped into the center of a snow globe.
This was what I’d been missing.
The cold drifted around me with its welcome embrace, and the coat Exos had given me did a good job of keeping me warm. I tucked my chin into the fur’s edge and smiled.
Carolers strolled along the street, their songs highlighting the festive ambience. It made me want to dance and sing along with them. “Oh, Sol, put me down,” I begged.
He appeased me, but not without a warning frown. “If you stumble, I’m picking you up again.”