It had to be the grace in him. That was—
A blur of movement startled me, and I turned just as Danika rushed me. There was no chance to prepare myself. A second later, I was enveloped in a warm, tight hug that smelled like roses. Danika lifted me clear off my feet.
Girl was strong.
“You did it,” she said, voice choked. “You brought him back to us. You did it.”
I didn’t know what to say. You’re welcome seemed a weird way to respond, so all I could do was hug her back, and that...that felt good.
“I think you might be squishing her,” Nicolai said, voice close.
“Am I squishing you?” Danika asked.
“No.” A laugh made its way around the surprising knot in my throat.
“Good.” She squeezed me tighter and then let go.
I caught a brief glimpse of her wiping at her cheeks before a slight touch on my arm caused me to look up at Nicolai.
Only a few inches from me, I could see the glassiness to his Warden-blue eyes and the emotion building in them.
“Thank you,” he said, voice hoarse.
Oh God, the knot in my throat expanded as I nodded. He hugged me, too, not nearly as tight as Danika, and when he stepped back, Dez was there. As he folded his arms around me, I felt him tremor.
“I was afraid, girl.” His voice was thick, too, and my eyes and throat burned. Ugh. Emotions sucked. I did not want to cry again. “When we didn’t hear from you, I thought...”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “We just—”
“No. You don’t need to apologize. I get it. If this was Jasmine and me, calling anyone would be the last thing we’d be doing,” he said with a hoarse laugh, and I flushed. “I don’t know what we expected when we came here, but I couldn’t be more glad to see both of you.”
“Same,” I murmured, cringing the moment that left my mouth, because that made no sense.
“I think Trin’s all hugged out.” Zayne was there suddenly, easing me out from Dez’s embrace. He pulled me to his side, curling his arm around me. “We should’ve called. Sorry about that,” he said, and I detected a small hint of insincerity that was so not like Zayne and yet still made me turn and hide my grin. “We were a little busy.”
“No doubt,” remarked Nicolai.
Oh, dear.
Now my face was on fire as Zayne glanced down at me. “You want something to drink?” he asked. “I think I actually spied some OJ and water amid the cartons and cartons of soda.”
I pulled back. “You’re still hung up on the water thing?”
He dragged his teeth over his lower lip as he stared down at me. “You can always drink more water.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re a fallen angel now. Drink some carbonated, tasty goodness. Live a little.”
Zayne dipped his head, brushing his lips over mine. He then took my hand, squeezing it as he guided me toward the kitchen. “Grab a seat.”
I was still stuck on the kiss, so I grabbed a bar stool and sat. The old Zayne could be touchy and sometimes flirtatious in front of others. He’d even gotten caught up in the building tension between us before, seeming to forget when we weren’t alone, but to be that bold? That was a new side of him.
I liked that side.
He met my gaze, and there was no mistaking the heat in his eyes. I had to wonder if he knew what I was thinking as he dragged his damn lip between his teeth and then turned to the fridge. “You guys need anything?”
There were a chorus of noes as I toyed with a coaster, knowing my face was a thousand shades of red at that moment.
And I couldn’t seriously care less.
“Fallen angel.” Danika and the others joined us at the island. “I still can’t believe you’re here. I saw your...” She trailed off, and I knew where her mind had gone. She and others had witnessed his body turning to nothing more than dust, just like all Wardens did upon death. Her inhale was ragged. “I was so mad at you even though I knew it wasn’t your fault.”
“It is...different seeing you standing there.” Dez folded his arms against the island and leaned in. “So, if I’m staring at you a little too long, that’s why.”
“You sure it’s not my amazing hair?” Zayne asked, closing the fridge door. Of course he’d gone for the OJ and not the soda. “I know you’ve always been jealous of my luscious locks.”
“Yeah.” Dez drew the word out. “That’s exactly it.”
Chuckling, Zayne managed to find two clean glasses and poured us a drink. “You all think it’s weird seeing me? Imagine what it feels like to die, but then to wake up.”
Even though the whole topic of Zayne dying wigged me out, it appeared to utterly fascinate the Wardens. Zayne answered all their questions, but it was in the vaguest means possible. What he had shared with me and even with Cayman he wasn’t willing to go into a lot of detail about now. As I drank my OJ, I had a feeling he didn’t want to relive everything for a third time and it had little to do with trust. These Wardens that were standing in the kitchen were like family to him. So was Gideon, even though he wasn’t here.
“Based on what Dez said about you, I got to admit, now that I see you,” Nicolai said, “I’m kind of disappointed.”
“Wow.” Danika turned to look at Nicolai.
“Sorry,” he replied, and I squinted, thinking he smiled. “But where are these wings Dez kept talking about every five seconds.”
I grinned around my glass.
“It wasn’t every five seconds,” Dez muttered. “More like every twenty seconds or so.”
“I still have them.” Zayne turned, scanning the counter behind him. He picked something up.
“Are they...invisible?” Danika asked.
“Only when they need to be.” Zayne leaned across the island, and I looked down, seeing my glasses. I had no idea that I’d left them in the kitchen.
I smiled, taking them. “Thank you.”
He nodded as I slipped them on. The Wardens’ faces became a little more clear, but not by much. Glasses only went so far with cataracts and RP.
“So is it magic?” Danika asked.
“Kind of. Apparently it’s some kind of old-school angelic magic that was used back when angels worked alongside man. They remain hidden until I need them.”
“They look like a tattoo on his back,” I said, finishing off my OJ. “It’s really cool, and yes, the wings are as amazing as Dez has surely told you.”