Page 106 of Premonition of Peace

“Lucifer!” I admonished, glancing over at Little who stared up at him with innocent eyes.

“Right, my bad.” He crouched down in front of her and patted her head. “Sorry about that.”

“What is?—”

“Anddddd we’re going,” I said standing up. Lucifer took my hand and tugged me toward the door. As we stepped through, my body gained awareness, the loci drifting away.

I opened my eyes, finding myself back in the familiar surroundings of my room. Marcel leaned against the door watching me with bemused eyes. Lucifer was perched casually in front of me, a smirk still playing at the corners of his lips.

“You always shoot down my ideas for the loci.”

“Because all of them involve fucking several versions of me,” I responded with a roll of my eyes climbing off of my bed and heading to Marcel. “Something you’re shameless about in front of Little, I might add.”

“I wish I could see inside your mind,” Marcel commented.

“So he can join the nonexistent orgy,”Bad Nat responded with a snort.

I led the two of them down the stairs and into the dining room. “I don’t know why,” I told Marcel. “It’s not like I’d let you fuck them either.”

Marcel grimaced. “That’s not why.”

“Oh?” I prompted as we stepped into the dining room. “Then why do you wish you could enter the loci?”

“Because the level of eidetic memory you possess fascinates me.” That was . . . very Marcel, actually. He was the intellectual among my men. It didn’t surprise me that he’d find the way my mind works interesting.

Looking up from setting the table, August added, “Not everything is about fucking with some of us. I’d love to see inside that mind of yours because I want to know everything about you.”

A blush crept up my cheeks as I walked over to him. August looped an arm around my waist and brought me in for a kiss. Lucifer scoffed.

“I’m notallabout fucking. I’m just saying we should celebrate the return of Peace.”

August paused his breath mingling with mine and a slow smile crept across his face. “Peace is back?”

I bit my lip and nodded. “Sort of. She’s there, she’s just hiding. I don’t think she’s ready to come out yet.”

While it made me a little sad, I could also understand it. Of all my others, the one that needed the most time to herself was Peace, and the greenhouse brought her that.

“You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, sunling.” His whispered words had goosebumps trailing over my skin. We kissed. Softly, at first, but it gradually deepened. I was starting to get carried away when the doorbell rang. August and I pulled apart, both breathless.

“I’ll get it,” Marcel said, leaving the room.

The sound of my niece and nephew greeted me as the twins bolted inside, shrieks of laughter following in their wake. Piper and Ronan followed after, with Marcel bringing up the rear.

“Can I just say again how much I love that you took over hosting family dinners?” Piper said as we all headed for the dining room. “Not making dinner for a small circus is the best part of my Sundays.”

I laughed and said, “I have more help, so I don’t mind.”

The doorbell sounded again, and this time August went to get it since Marcel and Ronan were already locked into a conversion. Piper and the others settled in at the bar as I went into the fridge and grabbed two pitchers of peach lemonade. I came out and set them on the long island as Hallie, Mist, Anders, and Sienna entered the main area. Of course, Hallie was at Orson’s side in an instant, her face lighting up with a smile as the two of them began talking excitedly.

The children, now appearing around eleven years old, had grown so much. Orson and Hallie remained the best of friends,their bond as strong as ever. Sienna had come to accept that Hallie’s bond with Orson would evolve naturally, regardless of her influence. Honor, on the other hand, was in the midst of a sassy rebellious phase. Well, that’s what Piper liked to say. I’m pretty sure Honorwasa sassy rebellious phase. Her attitude was sharp and her magic wild. It made for an interesting combination on the best of days.

As I scanned the room, I realized Sasha was missing. Since cutting the bond with August, she’d stopped avoiding me, and while the first family dinner was decidedly more awkward than the ones that followed, by now we’d all gotten used to our new normal.

“Where’s Sasha?”

“She’ll be along,” Sienna said vaguely, a smile playing on her lips. I narrowed my eyes, getting ready to grill her when the doorbell rang again.

“I suppose it’s my turn,” Lucifer said, exiting the room to get it.

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