He looks to Zedd and they share a look.
What the hell?
Since Ash looks so hopeless, I decide not to push him further. “Okay. Let’s move on.” I turn to my military man. “Hale, what do you know about your potential powers?”
Hale moves to sit on the bed and shrugs his shoulders. “I have absolutely no clue. I’m guessing that when I touched Lana in her protective barrier, it triggered my own power coma like the rest of you. But I didn’t have any manifestations of power. Your guess is as good as mine at this point. We technically still don’t know yours either, Lana.”
I twist so I can see Hale better and as I do, Ash places his hand at my lower back, rubbing circles into my skin. At this point, the butterflies in my stomach need to start paying rent for how often they occupy my body. It blows my mind how the simplest of touches make me melt for them. I want more of it with all of them without any further second guessing.
“So, we potentially have air, fire, water and two”—Zedd looks at me, his nerd hat on— “Actually, three unknowns. I’m guessing Earth is an elemental affinity so maybe one of you could be that but I’m not sure of a fifth or sixth option.”
As he speaks, I can’t help but glance at the twins, who have been unusually quiet. It’s the kind of feeling I imagine a mother gets when there’s a toddler running loose around the house and no sound coming from anywhere—an unmistakable sense of doom.
The two lunatics have their hands up in the air in front of them, palms up, and they’re making weird motions with their fingers that have me concerned for their sanity—which is fucking hilarious because we’re supposedly the chosen ones for a Goddess.
“Are you guys finger fucking the air?” I blatantly ask. All them cough and splutter at my vulgarity and I smirk. I’m ready for them to finger fuck something already.
The twins drop their hands back in their laps, the picture of innocence with their sweet smiles and wide eyes. What a crock of shit.
“Whatever do you mean, my Queen?” Luke asks, batting his ridiculously long eyelashes at me.
I narrow my eyes at them, giving them my best no-nonsense look, which just makes them pout at me with quivering lower lips. I forget why I’m glaring as my hungry eyes zone in on those plump lips that I’m dying to kiss.
“Cut the shit, tweedles. What’re you doing?” Hale asks, forever the stern parent of the group.
Huffing, Luke finally relents. “Fine! We were trying to see if we could conjure our powers on command, okay?”
I purse my lips to keep in the giggles that want to erupt from his adorable response but they burst out anyways.
I have three guys taking this situation seriously, genuine concern clear in the lines of their face—and then I have the twins, who are ready to perform magic with no knowledge of how it works, like they’re desperate to pull a rabbit out of a hat. I fucking love these men.
Humor still heavy in my voice, I say, “Okay, I vote that we turn in for the night and get some sleep. We can regroup in the morning before these two burn down the inn somehow.”
“Well, in theory, if he starts a fire, I’d be able to put it out.” Luke wags his eyebrows at me, clearly thinking they have it all figured out.
Ash gets up and grabs the twins by their necks, herding them out of the room as they try to twist out of his steel grip. “Say, ‘Goodnight, Lana.’”
Glaring at him, they shout, “Goodnight, Lana!”
Zedd comes over to me and drops a light kiss on my cheek, surprising me and making both of us blush pink. “Goodnight, Lana.”
My, my, someone is finding their confidence.
“Night, kiddos!” I call at their retreating backs as the door falls shut after Zedd.
“Kiddos?” Hale raises a single eyebrow at me as he moves to close the door. “Seriously?”
Waving him off, I bend my knees slightly, wiggle my ass like a cat about to pounce on their prey, and prepare to launch myself onto the bed like Superman. Finding the perfect depth in my squat for the jump, I shoot forward, spread-eagle, and plop onto the bed.
“I think you’re the kiddo, Lana.”
Rolling over onto my side, I prop one leg up and put a hand behind my head. “Paint me like one of your French girls.”
A sharp bark of laughter erupts from him as he makes his way into my bed, shaking his head and still chuckling. He pulls back the covers, gets in and wiggles over to the middle of the bed, stretching his arm out as an invitation for me to cuddle.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Sliding over, I rest my cheek against his smooth chest, enjoying the warmth emanating from him. I’m more grateful than they can imagine that they let me off so easily and that we’ll be dealing with this whole shitshow together. As a unit.
My exhaustion quickly catches up with me, relaxing as I’m pulled into the coma I had been yearning for.
I hope you’re proud of us, Mom.
Chapter Eleven
Lana
As sunlight assaults my eyelids, I groggily open one eye, ready to decimate whoever dares to interrupt my slumber. My glare lands on Hale’s well-toned back as he ties back the curtains. A girl could get used to waking up to a view like this.
As he turns around, I quickly drop my eyelid shut again, pretending to sleep. Maybe he’ll leave me alone and I can get some more shut eye.
He scoffs. “Good try, Lana. You snored all night like you need a CPAP breathing machine. I know you’re awake now that it’s blissfully quiet. Get your ass up.”
Groaning, I kick my legs out, displacing the comforter, throwing a small temper tantrum at being caught. He’s no fun. He could have at least pretended to go along with it for a few minutes.
“I’m going to go grab us coffee from the buffet area so get dressed and I’ll meet you there,” he says on his way to the bedroom door. He swings it open. “Or I’ll bring it back for you if you don’t show up.”
Bolting upright, I loudly proclaim, “I love you, you beautiful man!” Instantly, I gasp and fling my hands over my mouth.
I’ve done this before but that’s not allowed now, right? I shouldn’t just casually throw it around anymore.
He halts in his movement. “I knew coffee was the way to your heart but damn, I didn’t think it’d score me that many points. Sweet.”
The door shuts behind him and I’m relieved that he didn’t make a big deal of it or say it back. That wasn’t how I intended that to come out.
Flopping back into bed, my mood instantly sobers. There’s so much to do today. We need to head to the hospital to identify Beth’s body before they’ll allow us to plan a funeral for her. I guess it’s policy to make sure they’re giving us the right person but I don’t want to see her like that again.
Time to put on my big girl pants, again.
Begrudgingly, I throw the covers off of my body and get up. I grab my duffel and throw it on the bed, unzipping it and rummaging around. I grab a green, V-neck shirt and a pair of faded, blue shorts.
Grabbing all the essentials, I head to the bathroom and change quickly, wanting to get to the coffee as fast as humanly—Fae-ly? —possible.
As soon as I’m dressed, I glance in the mirror and say a thank you, Goddess to the sky. The natural waves of my hair have never looked this smooth and healthy. I decide not to bother with the small assortment of makeup the guys dumped into the duffel for me. I’ll just ruin it by crying and I don’t think makeup is called for when going to identify your mother’s body.