Page 55 of Found In Destruction

“I wasn’t even facing her, how can I possibly see them?”

“The mirror on the medicine cabinet door, when it’s open you have a direct line of sight to the boobies in question. Don’t even fucking try me, Feathers. The Greeks gods were the original detectives.”

“Y’all inventedfuck around and find out, huh?” Zaz said before flicking his fingers and shooting water at Ares.

“That’s COLD!” Ares screeched.

I got up, then washed my hands at the sink. I didn’t have to pee anyway, and I desperately needed a shower. Using my magic, I erected a barrier that pushed them both out of the space.

“Thanks for running my shower, but I need some alone time so I can chill. You can both use the bathroom after I’m done.” I shut the door.

As I showered, I couldn’t help but think of all the things that could go wrong. Mom barely knew me. She passed when I was nine, and I was a far cry from the plucky, loud kid that she last saw. I silently hoped that I was a woman my mother could be proud of.

Whispers spreadthrough the dining hall. Vampires had no sense of propriety at all. Actually, paranormal beings in general lived for gossip. Apparently the woman sitting between Michael and Lucifer—who were already at the center of the rumor mill—was the hot topic of gossip today. They weren’t even subtle about it. And to give my mom credit, she pretended not to notice.

My mother looked exactly like she did the last day I saw her, not a day older. Her big, curly black hair was tied up in a messy bun, showing off her multiple ear piercings, and her high cheek bones were still breathtaking. She wore a flowy black maxi dress with bell sleeves. She was the definition of fabulous, and I hated myself for watching her from afar behind a giant potted plant instead of rushing up to her and hugging her for dear life like she deserved.

What is wrong with me?

A hand brushing across the top of my shoulder caught my attention. I welcomed the distraction. “Diana Rossi Morningstar, who’s that woman who looks just like you sitting between your Daddies,” Judas asked, his voice ripe with fake scandal.That fucker very well knew who she was because he got to see her before I did. I’m not jealous or anything…

I tried to give him a death glare, but I couldn’t muster any hate toward him. He flashed his fangs at me, and I burst into a fit of laughter. Judas was a vibrant, hilarious, ball ofeverything, and one of my favorite people in the entire world, spare my men and my family.

“Ew, what’s wrong with your teeth?! They’re peroxide white and pointy. Are you a…vampire?!” I jokingly gasped. “Joke’s on you, night creature. I ate a shit ton of garlic flavored hummus this morning, in preparation for this very occasion.”

I faked blowing a breath into his face, and he mockingly put the back of his hand over his forehead, stumbling back.

“Whatever he is, he better back the fuck off,” Bash said, pushing Judas aside. “What are you doing here? Your mom is in there.” He put his hand around my waist, guiding me to the front of the dining hall where my parents ate with Oisín and Angela.

Bash, I’m not ready!I whisper shouted at him.

Sorry, I’m too busy being a conniving bastard,he linked me back.

By the time I processed what he said, we were already standing at the table. In front of Mom. She stood, and before I knew it we were squeezing each other, crying like babies.

“Mom!” I bawled. “It’s really you?!”

She kissed my cheek and rocked us back and forth. The world stopped as we held each other, just taking in each other’s presence. Mom was back, in the flesh, hugging me like she did when I was a child. It was a fucking miracle.

“I’m back, Di!” her tears ruined her mascara, and I used my magic to fix the smudges.

“I forgot how alike you two looked, oh my stars!” Angela exclaimed. “O, can you take a picture of the three of us?!” She handed him her phone, and I realized that I didn’t even know where mine was. I was that nervous that I didn’t have it on me.

“The three of you can pass as sisters,” he commented as he snapped away. “Look, Marilyn.” He showed her the pictures, and her smile spread from ear to ear.

“I can’t believe this is a cell phone now,” she whispered to him. They laughed together, and a weight I didn’t even realize I held lifted from my shoulders. I loved that they got along. O could be extra for some people.

“It is. Oh, you’re going to flip a lid when you see Desmond’s tablet he’s always carrying around. It’s razor thin, and when I threw it against the wall last week, it didn’t crack. That’s craftsmanship.”

“I haven’t met him yet, I just met Ares so far. I’m looking forward to meeting all of your boyfriends, Di.”

“I’m Sebastian, one of the boyfriends. It’s nice to meet you,” Bash said, extending his hand to my mother.

She assessed him lightly, taking in his crisp black Armani suit and white dress shirt. He wore cufflinks today, because he was a fancy incubus at heart.

“It’s nice to meet you.” They shook, and she smiled at him. It was genuine, full of warmth. “Is that a British accent I hear?”

“Yes, I lived in what’s considered London for centuries before I met Desmond,” he answered, giving her his most charming smile. The tips of his fangs peeked out, and I wanted to laugh. He was pulling out all the stops to impress my mom.

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