Page 45 of Gift from the Stone

We finally fall into an easier conversation, letting the weight of all our news and Willow’s Elementra lesson settle. It’s been a few stressful days, but listening to Gaster’s stories of the trouble my mom and aunt caused, followed by the trouble we caused, makes it almost feel normal, okay.

“Caspian was the biggest prankster of the lot. When his gift emerged and he got control over it, he’d hide in the pantries, jump out, and scare the poor kitchen staff. Everyone would open the doors with brooms or spatulas, ready to smack him when he jumped out.” I laugh at Gaster’s imaginary swings of a broom, a reenactment of poor Ms. Grace.

“What made you start pranking everyone in the house?” Willow asks him with a huge smile on her face.

I know exactly where he’s going with it when he grins at me and then at her.

“My emerging. I was stuck in the shadows for an entire day. I cast shadows across the entire palace, blackening every room. It took me hours to figure out how to project my voice beyond my shadows so everyone could hear me, but I still couldn’t find my way out and they couldn’t find me. Finally, Corentin managed to come up with the idea that he’d light up like the damn sun in the foyer again. It stole the shadows away and I fell out. It became a running joke after that.”

“Again?” She turns to ask me as I sip my drink rather than answer.

“Because of his emerging. He—”

I cut Gaster off with a grunt before he starts getting to that embarrassing-ass story, but Willow casts her gaze up to me, a sweet, mischievous look playing across her face.

“Will you tell me about your emerging?”

I groan as everyone else at the table starts laughing at my expense. My gift emerged with a bang, just like my brothers’ did, but it was an embarrassing bang. Completely out of control, chaotic. It was awful.

“You really want to know?” I hoped she’d say no, but I can tell by the sly grin, she isn’t going to let me off the hook.

“I do. By all their laughs, something funny happened, and I want in on it.”

Damn.

“Fine. Every year, Mom and Aunt Tilly threw huge, ridiculous birthday parties for us, but that birthday, my mom told me we weren’t throwing a party, that she was taking me somewhere special, so she sent me to go get ready and get dressed up. After I got out of the shower, I searched everywhere in my room for my favorite pair of pants and shirt. I was a little obsessive over what I wore.”

“Was? As in past tense?” Caspian asks sarcastically, raising a brow at my choice of words.

“Fuck off, was, am. Same difference. Anyway, they weren’t in my room, and I was determined that’s what I was wearing for the day. So I stormed out of my room, heading to the laundry to see if the staff had them in there. Well, unbeknownst to me, my mother and aunt had planned a huge surprise party, so when I came stomping through the foyer, my mom dropped the concealment spell and a hundred guests popped out, shouting surprise. It scared the shit out of me.

“Winds, strong enough to blow tables around the room, knocking over statues, vases with flowers, the cake, you name it, swept through the room, also snatching my towel from around my waist with it.”

Willow’s gasp is followed by hysterical laughter that causes a chain reaction and everyone at the table is in tears, laughing.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please continue.” She wipes her eyes and pats my chest. Groaning, I fall into the memory of that sheer embarrassment.

“There I was, butt-ass naked in front of all these people, my air going crazy, and I couldn’t control it. Then blinding light shot from every pore of my body. Everyone started running around, screaming. Tumbling over each other, tripping over the chaos my air left behind. I was freaking out and started running with everyone, trying to find one of my dads, Caspian, my uncle, someone to help.

“My light began shifting, making the entire foyer resemble a room of mirrors. And there I was, naked as the day I was born, on display at multiple different angles for everyone to see. Finally, Caspian figured out which me was the real me and covered me with my towel. Needless to say, there was no party, and I didn’t leave my room for the rest of the week.”

Their laughs create a sweet melody that floats through me and settles in my chest. Sure, I’m embarrassed for fourteen-year-old me, whose balls had barely dropped and was just getting to the point of wanting to impress girls, but hearing the love and laughter coming from my Nexus makes it all worth it. Feeling my Primary vibrate on my lap in fits of laughter and happiness is worth any story any of them want to share.

“Oh God, Corentin, that’s awful. I’m so sorry for laughing, but I swear I can picture your face in my mind. Running around naked…” She trails off, giggling, trying to compose herself. It’s such a beautiful sight.

“It was horrible, terrible. A kiss would make it so much better.”

“That was so cheesy,” she teases.

Beaming up at me, she cups my cheeks before pulling me down to her. I fall wholeheartedly into the kiss, savoring the sweet taste of her. Running my hands up the back of her neck and into her hair, gripping firmly, I tilt her head back and deepen the kiss, humming in approval as she instantly lets me take control. I swallow down a needy little moan she releases, just as someone clears their throat.

Damn it, old man.

A blush creeps across Willow’s cheeks, but that doesn’t stop her from cuddling back into my lap and facing everyone, not shying away from the affection she just showed me.

“Sorry, got a little distracted there for a second.”

“Huh-uh. Let’s eat before our food gets cold. Are you excited for classes tomorrow?” Gaster asks, rolling his eyes.

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