Page 49 of Whispers of the Water

Everyone, including Ardley and the twins, was gathered around the living space. They wore pointed party hats and had hung up balloons and streamers all over the room. A large breakfast of eggs, bacon, biscuits, fruit, coffee, and orange juice covered every inch of the coffee table.

Akira skipped over to us and handed me a party hat. Grinning, he asked, “Well, what do you think, birthday boy?”

Rune laughed as he begrudgingly let Akira put a hat on him. “You guys didn’t have to do all of this. It’s practically just another day.”

Akira shrugged. “We know, but Bria wanted your day to be special. And, to be honest, I forgot how fun it can be to put together a birthday party.”

Rune raised a surprised brow as he looked at me. “This was your idea?”

I gave him a sheepish grin. “I hope it wasn’t too much.”

Before we’d left for Massachusetts, I’d secretly sat down with Avana and the guys to plan what we’d do for Rune’s birthday. They’d told me that Fae didn’t really celebrate birthdays after the age of twenty-one since that was the age where Fae fully matured in their abilities, and their aging slowed drastically. Every other birthday became unimportant and uncelebrated.

While I understood that Fae lived far longer than I could comprehend, I didn’t want today to just be another day for Rune. This was the day he’d come into the world, the day when he’d taken his first breath, the day that had brought him another day closer to meeting me. It deserved celebrating. He deserved celebrating. So if Myra was using his birthday as an excuse to get him here, I could use it as one too to have this small celebration of him.

He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me in for a tight hug. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

Our small group moved to sit around the coffee table. We spent the morning eating the breakfast that everyone had whipped up downstairs, much to Myra’s dismay. She’d apparently requested that everyone join the family for breakfast, but Ardley had declined on behalf of the group. Normally I’d be worried about refusing her, but seeing as how the twins were here, safe and sound with us, I figured this one time was fine. The real get-together for today was the required dinner, so declining breakfast wasn’t that big of a deal. So, we stayed tucked away in our own little world full of paper party hats, rainbow confetti, good friends, and booming laughter.

Everyone had a story about Rune to share, most of which were embarrassing. Ardley reminisced about the time when they were little, and Balgair, Rune’s father, was trying to teach them how to master their ability to control fire. Rune had gotten overly confident and actually set their house on fire. Then there was the time Rune had been teaching the twins how to sled, and as he’d been barreling down a hill outside their home, his sled hit a rock, which sent him rolling down the embankment. According to the twins, he’d looked like a snow monster by the time he was done tumbling down the slope.

There wasn’t a dry eye in the room by the time everyone shared, and my stomach hurt from laughing so hard. Rune punched Ardley in the arm for starting the endless cycle of embarrassing tales, to which Ardley laughed and ruffled Rune’s hair.

“So, what else should we do today?” Avana asked, popping a strawberry in her mouth. “It’s your day, Rune. What would you like to do?”

“Definitely something outside of this house,” Rune replied. He draped an arm over the back of the couch, and my body became hyper aware of his touch against my shoulders. “I know my mother will find an excuse to get us involved with them downstairs, so it’s best to leave.”

“The weather is nice today,” Ardley said. “How about something outdoors?”

“The beach?” Rune offered, looking at everyone. “We could picnic out there, play some beach volleyball, soak up some sun.”

“Yes, please!” Akira practically squealed.

“Is that good with you?” Rune asked, meeting my eyes.

Was it good with me? Not really. It meant being surrounded by water—currently a concern of mine—but I was struggling to come up with a reason to say no to the beach. Rune knew I loved being near the water. I’d just have to be extra careful that my emotions didn’t get the better of me.

Finally, I said, “It sounds perfect.”

With our plan made, we finished up breakfast and spread out to divide and conquer tasks. Avana and I packed a lunch down in the kitchen while the boys cleaned up breakfast and organized the beach bags. With everything set, we headed off for a day of fun in the sun.

When we got there, the crowd was small, most likely because the autumn weather didn’t make the water very inviting. Still, there were a few families out enjoying the warmth of the day.

“Last one to the beach has to carry all the stuff,” Ardley yelled as he flung open the car door and raced toward the lapping waves.

Laughing, the twins were quick to jump out with Marlow, and the trio chased after Ardley.

Avana punched Bassel’s arm and said, “How about it, Liger? I bet I could beat you there.”

Bassel smirked. “Oh, you’re on.”

They quickly fumbled out of the SUV and set off at high speeds toward the water.

“Well,” Akira said, sticking his head in between the driver and passenger-side seats. He passed a bright expression between Rune and me. “Should the three of us carry everything down together?”

“How did the birthday boy get stuck with the manual labor?” Rune grumbled, but I saw him fight a smirk as he climbed out.

Together, we loaded our arms with baskets, bags, and folded chairs. The hike down the embankment was short, and our group was already in play mode, chasing each other up and down the shoreline.

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