; “You two fought?” I asked, interrupting their bickering. “And Titus won?”
“I let him win,” my brother admitted. “Claire wouldn’t have been all that happy with me for killing her fire mate.”
Well, that was true. Still… “I can’t believe you let him win.” I glanced between them. “I want to see a rematch.”
Titus grinned. “Happily.”
Cyrus sighed dramatically. “So eager for another beating.” He peered at the Fire Fae. “Were you dropped on your head often as a child? Or were you always this dumb?”
Titus narrowed his gaze. “Were you born an ass? Or did all that power just go to your head and turn you into a colossal prick?”
My brother laughed outright. “I was definitely born this way.”
“That’s what I thought.” Titus pushed away from the wall. “Are we going to continue standing around here flirting or go protect our woman?”
I smiled. “I knew I liked you, Titus.”
“I’d say the same, but I’d be lying,” he replied, leading the way to the door.
“I’m telling you, he’s not the brightest mate of the bunch,” Cyrus mock-whispered. “Unless he’s on fire, in which case, he burns rather bright.” A flame broke out across my brother’s hand with the words—a flame that sizzled and died beneath a light spray of water.
Smoke billowed around Titus not a second later as he defended himself from Cyrus’s retaliation.
And an elemental blend of fire and water broke out around us.
I sighed. “Yeah, this is how we inconspicuously attend a ball to guard Claire.”
The two males chuckled. “I promise we’ll behave,” Cyrus said. “Mostly.”
“Mostly,” Titus agreed, smirking.
Oh, Claire.
The things I do for you...
Sol
“What is that?” Claire asked, her focus on the Earth Fae’s carriage waiting for us in the Spirit Quad.
“It’s tradition,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. I mean, Claire deserved the full Solstice experience, and I damn well planned to give it to her. And that included providing the transportation most fae were accustomed to receiving for the ball.
Her mouth quirked up on the side, her amusement palpable. “It’s a pumpkin carriage.”
I reviewed my work, trying to grasp her meaning. The rounded orange undercarriage was left open at the top with fine vine framework to keep its shape. I supposed it sort of resembled a pumpkin, but I wasn’t quite sure why she jumped to that conclusion.
“Sure. I guess it resembles half of one.” I had taken pride in doing this for her, despite the work required to create such a delicate design. Oh well. “If that’s what you want to call it, then that’s what it is.” I held out my hand to help her onto the first step.
She giggled and placed her palm against mine. “All I need now are some glass slippers and talking mice.”
Vox paused at Claire’s side and gave me a worried look over her head. “Glass would be quite dangerous to walk on, and mice don’t speak here.” His eyes seemed to ask me if the mice in the Human Realm spoke, something I didn’t know. We’d have to ask River later. Titus’s Water Fae buddy seemed to know everything about mortals.
“Guys, I’m joking.” Claire settled onto the bench and tucked her dress under her thighs, leaving little to the imagination as the fabric hugged her curves. “It’s from an old fairy tale.” At our blank stares, she sighed. “Just get in here.”
She didn’t need to tell me twice. I bounced into the opposite seat, needing more space in the small vehicle and to balance the weight. Vox cleared his throat as a small breeze swept between us. He seemed nervous and unsure of himself, which was decidedly unlike him.
I arched a brow. His power seemed to be unraveling as a result of the mating, something he hadn’t exactly admitted out loud. But I could see it in the way he handled himself, especially now. Yet he said nothing. Part of me wanted to call him out on it. Claire was our mate, and if his powers were on the fritz, she needed to be aware of it.
However, as someone who had spent an entire life in his shoes, I understood his hesitancy. He would tell us when he was ready. As long as it didn’t wind out of control, I would allow it. But the second I even suspected he might put Claire in danger, I’d call him on it.