Chapter 443

I look over at Mark to find him likewise studying Rafe in the same way I am, confused. Jesse clears his throat and I look over to see him nodding eagerly to me, darting his eyes over at Rafe, letting me know that he, too, clearly sees that something is up.

“Well!” Mom says, smacking her leg and getting hastily up, dislodging Cora, who gives a tiny yelp as she spills to the side. “I need a refill. Who else!?”

Rafe immediately stands, as do others, and Jesse takes the opportunity to scootch over to me.

“Hey,” Jesse whispers, looking up at me from the floor with a grin, “want to go visit Midnight and talk about how weird Rafe is being?”

“Yes!” I gasp, jumping to my feet. I turn to Jackson with a grin. “You in!?”

“No, I want to have a word with Hank,” Jackson says, standing and pressing a kiss to my hair. “You go…if…” he frowns, turning to Jesse as he stands up. “You’ll keep her safe, right?”

Jesse pauses, going a bit still, and then breaks out into a laugh. “Jacks, she has full goddess-controlled fire magic now. She’ll be keeping me safe.”

“Yeah,” I say, grinning up on my mate and flicking blue flame to life in my palm, letting it play over my fingers. “No worries, baby. I’ll be all right.”

Jackson grumbles, truly not liking to leave my side, but he bends low to press a quick kiss to my lips. He also very subtly, surreptitiously swats my ass before striding away, making me yelp and then laugh. Jesse grabs my hand, grinning at me, and tugs me quickly from the room.

“Nooo,” I cry, glancing back towards the party, “we forgot wine! I need more wine! They didn’t give me any wine in Atalaxia, and Jackson didn’t think to pack any for his weird solo trip –“

“There’s wine on the roof!” Jesse protests, laughing and hauling me along. As we run suddenly a group of little puppies come spilling out of the party room, chasing us and yelping their eagerness to come along.

“We’re going to the roof!?”

“You said you wanted to see Mids, didn’t you?” he replies, grinning at me. My eyes widen as I realize the connection here and I hasten my steps, pounding after Jesse down the hall and then up the staircase to our little roof garden.

I gasp as soon as Jesse pushes the door open, my eyes flashing wide to take in the sight of…

God, of an enormous yurt taking up the vast majority of the space.

I burst out laughing as I realize, immediately, precisely what it is.

“Jesse!” I gasp, grabbing him into a big rough hug even as the pups all come dashing up the stairs and into the garden, yelping and barking their joy. “I can’t believe you did this for her! You are – you are so nice!”

He laughs, blushing a little, hugging me back and then running a bashful hand through his hair. “Yeah, well, it’s her house. She didn’t want to leave without it.”

“Oh my god Jesse,” I grumble, tears springing to my eyes again and I wrap him again in a hug. “You’re so secretly sweet. I love you so much.”

“Yeah, well,” he sighs, patting my back. “Don’t give me too much credit.”

I hug him for a moment more while the pups set up a racket, barking at the flap that functions as a door to the front of the yurt. And even as I smile and laugh at the sight of them, my heart suddenly seizes as I remember that…

That I have a friend. Who I have spent far too little time thinking about in the past few days. A friend to whom Jesse was likewise just as secretly sweet, if, perhaps, in not so performative a way.

I push away from Jesse with a little gasp, looking at him, a little afraid to ask.

My cousin sees my face and immediately senses the direction of my thoughts. “Don’t, Ari,” he begs, his expression falling slack. “Not – not here, okay?” He nods his head towards Midnight’s yurt.

I immediately understand his complicated situation and force myself to tuck the question away, my emotions with it.

But there wouldn’t be time to ask anyway as a fairly feral cry sounds within the yurt. My head snaps towards it, shocked, as all five pups start barking with increased fervor, Chase even beginning to spin in eager circles at the sound.

“What is happening?” I whisper.

“Oh, just watch,” Jesse murmurs, wicked and delighted.

I do as he says, my eyes trained on the yurt as Midnight suddenly appears, whipping the tent’s flap back, her face furious. “You pups!” she shouts, holding out a toy gun with what looks like a thousand soft foam darts attached. “I told you to stay away from my yurt! You’re worse than the whores!”

The pups yelp in delight as they dash for her, playing, pretending to leap at her and then dashing away as she sprays them with foam bullets, shouting at them to get away from her house, and to never come back again, that they’ll rue the day they ever crossed her door and disturbed her solitutde.

I burst into hysterical laughter, leaning against Jesse for support as the pups come again and again, clearly delighting in the game – although it becomes immediately aware, at least to me, that to Midnight? It is not a game.

“Jesse!” Midnight shouts, frowning desperately at him and waving the gun in the air. “You said this would make them go away!”

“No,” Jesse calls over, laughing with me, his arms crossed as he beams at his funny little mate. “I said it would help. But you misinterepreted me, I meant it would help me have a great deal more fun.”

Midnight scowls at him, narrowing her eyes, her shadows beginning to overtake her form. “You get these mongrels you call siblings away from my house!” she snaps, glaring at him hard. “No children allowed! No pups!”

Jesse whistles, long and sharp, and the pups all go still before seeming to sigh and turn towards him, obeying even though they’re sad that the game is over.

“Mids is tired,” Jesse says to them all with a shrug. “You can come bother her again tomorrow. Go downstairs and make Aunt Ella give you chocolate, okay?”

The pups all glance at each other, clearly considering their options, and then Caleb barks and leaps for the door, all the rest of the pups following after him and flowing down the stairs, leaving the rooftop shockingly quiet.

“How come they don’t listen to me when I tell them to go away?” Midnight sulks, pouting at Jesse, her toy gun still hanging from her hand.

“Because they just love you so much, Mids!” Jesse says, grinning at her and striding for the little wine fridge we keep up here, pulling out a bottle. “They don’t want to leave your side, but they don’t mind leaving mine, as I am both cruel and boring.”

“True,” Midnight says, cocking her head to the side as she considers this point. Then, perhaps for the first time tonight, she turns her eyes to me. “Hello, Blonde Rat. It is nice to see you.”

I perky up a little, curious. “Blonde rat?”

She just shrugs like it’s a fact, her eyes moving to my neck. “I like your new mark.”

“Thank you!” I say, cheerful and beaming.

“Is it from Jackson?” she asks, cocking her head. “Or the fancy one?”

“Both, actually,” I say, holding out my wrist so she can see my bandaged arm.

“Lucky,” she says, scowling and shifting her eyes to glare at Jesse as he comes over with three glasses and a cork screw.

He ignores her. “You going to invite us in, Mids?”

She narrows her eyes at me. “Are you going to use all your blue fire to take away my darkness and my magic?”

“Oh!” I say, kind of shocked by this question – honestly, the thought never crossed my mind. “Um, no? Not if you don’t want me to?”

“Then yes!” Midnight says, breaking into a smile, quite pleased, gesturing grandly towards the inside of her yurt. “If you promise not to take my magic then you are more than welcome, Ariel. Please come in.”