Page 111 of The Sorcerer of Shadowholde

All that solitude had changed when Aurora and Petran arrived home; their trip to Oakengate cut short after hearing word of Vita’s kidnapping and subsequent escape.

Now, joyous laughter rang through the main hall, Petran twirling Vita around in the air as if she were as light as a feather. Verian couldn’t help but laugh along with them, Renatus standing beside him and Aurora giving him a knowing wink.

When Petran finally put Vita down, he turned to Verian with a grin. “I don’t believe we’ve formally met. I’m Petran.”

“Verian,” he said as the bear of a man pulled him into a hug.

Thankfully, Petran didn’t lift him off the ground even though he was surely capable, the scent of smoke wafting off his heavy jacket. Verian’s entire body felt aflame; the memory of the last time he’d seen this man—and what Aurora had been doing to him—burned forever in his memory.

Something he still hadn’t gotten a chance to try with Vita or Renatus, though he hoped it would happen soon.

“Verian,” Petran repeated, releasing him from his vice grip. “It’s truly wonderful to meet you.”

“Afriendof Vita’s is afriendof ours,” Aurora chimed in, stepping up and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

Verian burned now, embarrassment and arousal intertwining like a tangle of thorns. Just a few months ago, he would never have considered the fact that some had intimate relationships with more than one.

And now here he was, squarely in the middle of just such an entanglement.

Strangely enough, he felt at home, like he’d known these people his whole life. He saw the love they shared as Aurora embraced Vita and Renatus. The woman pressed her palms to Vita’s cheeks, their foreheads touching as they basked in the joy of reunion.

They were a family, a family that Verian was now a part of. Something he hadn’t had in a very long time.

“I’m sorry we weren’t there to help, my dear,” Aurora said, but Renatus just shook his head.

“Vita had it more than handled. You’ve taught her well.”

Oh,she had it handled.

Verian would never scrub the burned bodies from his memory, the look of shock on her face afterward. He always knew she was powerful, but knowing it and witnessing it firsthand were two different things. She’d saved his life, and Renatus’, too, came into her power at the exact right time.

“I’ve never heard of the man…Spurius, and I know many of the sorcerers in the city. What did you say he looked like again?” Aurora asked as she walked arm in arm with Renatus towards the hallway, Petran following closely behind.

The grin hadn’t left Vita’s face since the two had arrived, and she turned to direct it towards Verian. “What do you think of them?”

He chuckled. “Well, they both seem quite… nice. It’s a lot at once, you know? But I like them, I do.”

Her face softened. “I know it’s a lot. It’s not the type of situation I ever thought I’d be in, but I enjoy it. If you don’t—”

“I wantyouto be happy. I love you. Renatus… I care for him. I’m certain that I will feel similarly for Aurora and Petran. You are free to do as you wish and I… may or may not want to join you.”

Now she laughed, linking her arm in his and meandering down the halls, nodding at servants and thralls as they passed.

“Are we in one of your fairy stories, sweet girl?” Verian asked, a sparkle in his eye as she glanced his way.

“I would say so, don’t you think?”

Vita’s smile was as bright as the solstice sun, beaming up at him with the same adoration he felt in his chest.

“I never really thought there was another way, that I couldchoosehow to live my life. It all seemed so set in stone when I was at the collegium, working as a guard. A ladder I needed to climb to get what I wanted. But all of that… it wasn’t reallyme. I just wanted to help people, like my father did.”

She squeezed his arm, easing some of the tension building in him. “And you can still do that. There are so many ways you… we… can help others. The guard was only one avenue.”

“I know. I just hope I can find my way.”

She paused, turning and pressing a kiss to his lips. “You will, Ver. I know it in my heart.”

As always, her sweet words settled his nerves, her melodious voice washing over him like a wave.

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