Page 77 of Outnumbered

“One who refuses to let his wife beat him,” Katar said with a chuckle.

“Like father like son,” Jolie said and scoffed.

“I don’t cheat! It’s part of the game, so it’s fair,” Fox countered.

Caleb kissed me and said, “Happy birthday, Ember. Now, come get beaten by me.”

“Challenge accepted,” I said and smiled up at him, feeling a space within my heart that had felt empty start to fill.

“Me next,” Branson said. “I’m going to beat Ember tonight. I can feel it.”

“Oh, Branny Boy,” I crooned, “you don’t stand a chance, but you’re welcome to try.”

“Come on, Ember, show these boys who the best gamer is,” Jolie cheered.

“My own mother rooting against me,” Caleb said and shook his head.

“I think after this we should play that card game where you get to say less and less words and do boys versus girls,” I said as I sat and took the controller from Kara.

“Yes!” Kara agreed. “I like this plan.”

“You’re still going to lose, darling,” Katar said and kissed her cheek.

How had this, being surrounded by royalty and playing videogames together, become my life?

Whatever the reason, I was so happy and couldn’t wait to see what the future had in store for us.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

“Try six portals,” Caleb said after we stretched in preparation of our morning training sessions.

“I can’t make the sixth one,” I argued.

“Practice helps, remember? Just try.”

I sighed, stood up from the grass, and created five portals on the grass where no one was standing.

Everyone watched, waiting to see what would happen.

A sixth one popped open and immediately shut.

Falling to my knees, I gasped for breath.

“What’s going on?” Nico asked as he joined us in his sweats and t-shirt.

“She opened a sixth one, but it closed as soon as she opened it,” Caleb said.

Nico set his hand on me and my breathing became easier. “She can’t do six, Caleb. She needs to practice holding the five open longer before she tries to make the sixth. Opening a portal is much more taxing and draining than holding ones already created open.”

I sat back and Nico patted my back. “Thanks,” I said and wiped the dirt from my hands.

“We’ve got to get you to the point of being able to do six,” he said softly and walked away, headed towards Rhys to start his sparring practice.

“Did something happen?” Nico asked me softly.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” I said and shrugged. “He woke up this morning growling. I think maybe a bad dream?”

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