Page 53 of Fool's Bargain

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Deva

I’d urged the guys to stay out of Zarya’s way at first. Even though she had arrived clearly bonded to all three of Llyr’s brothers, and a female Thiasoi for good measure, it was obvious they had unfinished business.

But after Fate wandered over with a smile I’d never seen the creature sport, I was pretty sure something actuallygoodhad transpired to make it so gleeful all of a sudden.

“What are you up to?” I asked, sliding up to our sideboard where the cocktails and small food had been laid out for the party. I’d been worried the presence of Fate would scare away our other guests, but now I believed it would be more entertaining than intimidating if Fate’s current mood persisted.

“Nothing, which feels surprisingly nice.” It turned toward me with a plateful of snacks. “I should thank Zarya for the excuse to take a day off.” It popped a melted-brie-laden cracker into its mouth and crunched. While it ate, its face went through a transition of contemplation, then realization, then shock so swiftly I worried it might have realized it was lactose intolerant. It speared me with a look akin to deep chagrin. “It’s Christmas and I didn’t get you a gift!”

Before I could say not to worry, it popped out of existence, leaving me to catch the suddenly unsupported plate of cheesy snacks before it hit the floor.

“Well, okay then,” I said, setting the plate aside and turning to check on Sophia and Susannah in the kitchen.

The two women weren’t exactly a well-oiled machine where cooking was concerned. Rather, they worked on the meal as though cooking were a cutthroat competition and if either of them slacked, they’d be voted out of the kitchen. I only peered in long enough to know I didn’t want to venture through. Even though a normal blade couldn’t harm me, they still hurt, and the pair of whirlwinds was wielding them like mad right now.

I headed to the living room as more of our guests arrived and went to greet Callie and Pete, who were followed in by Nadia and Neil. Callie pulled a small cart that I knew was filled with the most delicious chocolate desserts and I directed them to the kitchen with a warning to mind the cooks.

“Oh, I can hold my own. I need to stake out an oven, anyway,” Callie said, heading that direction with a determined set to her shoulders.

The new guests were already immersed in conversation with Zarya and her mates, so I merely waved a greeting, wondering where the hell my mates had gotten to. They were conspicuously absent, though I could still sense them nearby. Everything was set up that needed setting up. Our big outdoor table stretched across the patio outside, awning in place and set for sixteen. We’d need to squeeze in a half dozen more to fit everyone, so the guys needed to get on that. Usually they were already on top of things—Ozzie was a bit of a stickler for being prepared.

I could sense Rohan’s excitement through our bond, which piqued my curiosity. The entire morning Rohan had been overflowing with the same emotion, particularly when one of us was about to open a gift from him, all of which he’d labeledFrom Santa Ro. We’d just completed our Christmas morning gift exchange when Zarya and her new mates had unceremoniously appeared, naked, with Fate in tow.

Something was up, but this time I got the distinct sense they were all in on it and I wasn’t sure whether it was safe to wait, what with a house full of guests and a meal about to be served.

Passing by the front hall, I caught a glimpse of movement and heard muffled voices coming from the end of the hall toward Rohan’s room. Suspicious, I headed that direction, stopping short at the cracked door to the empty guest room. Something wasn’t right. I narrowed my eyes and nudged the door open, then pushed wider when I saw a familiar nightstand, above which was a framed print of an old Fate’s Fools concert announcement from the seventies.

What the hell were Rohan’s things doing in this room? I opened the door wider and stepped in, gaping at the redecorated room. It looked like he’d moved in completely and I wasn’t sure what the hell to make of it. Was he tired of sharing his room with me? Or rather, me and everyone else. He’d never said anything of the sort, nor had I caught a hint of dissatisfaction with the situation from our bond. If anything, he’d want to spendmoretime with us, not less. He thrived on surrounding himself in happiness as much as a fate hound did.

A flash of movement beyond the French doors to the patio flickered and was gone, nothing more than the blur of a golden head followed by the slap of bare feet on flagstones. I narrowed my eyes. Those hooligans were up to something, I was sure of it.

Heading back out into the hallway, I made a beeline to the end of the hall and the room the six of us shared most nights, what I’d once thought of as Rohan’s room. Before I could reach the door, it opened and Llyr eased out, closing it behind him. He leaned nonchalantly against it, giving me a bored look.

“Hey, sweetness.”

“Hey yourself,” I said, crossing my arms. “What the hell are you guys scheming in there? And what’s with all Rohan’s things being moved?”

He shrugged, as fake a gesture as any even though he was very convincing at it. “Oh, you know. Just doing a bit of rearranging to make room.” He picked at a nonexistent flake of paint on the doorjamb and glanced at the ceiling. “The renovation we’re planning won’t happen instantly. Adding an entire floor to this house is going to require patience.”

His eyes swirled when he met my gaze again and I pursed my lips. “That doesn’t work on me, Llyr. We have room already. Nothing needed to be moved—it isn’t like we all need separate beds.”

He tilted his head as if listening to the goings-on inside the room, then looked back at me. “Not separate beds, sweetness. You mean the world to us, so we wanted you to have something of your own. You already know our plans for the addition account for that, but you shouldn’t have to wait. We were hoping to show you tonight, but you’ve caught us, so obviously we can’t wait. Now if you’ll allow me...” He bowed his head and reached out a hand to me. When I took it, he swung the door open wide and pulled me in.

I gasped at the complete transformation the room had undergone. The overabundance of gold and metallic decor had been replaced with more muted shades. The walls had been repainted sometime today, though I had no idea when they’d have managed it, and were now a sandy taupe. The bed had grown a size, from its previous king to something even more enormous but which could comfortably fit all six of us. It was covered in a silvery comforter with matching pillows, and its frame was a newly carved behemoth. When I stepped close and saw the detail, I realized with a start what the room represented and spun around, taking in all the details I could.

“You guys seriously didn’t,” I said, covering my mouth with my hand to stifle a gasp. Every detail down to the handwoven pile rugs on the floor matched the chamber from the realm of the gods that I’d shared for one beautiful night with Ozzie. The details weren’t identical—obviously the bed hadn’t been quite so enormous there, and the walls had been solid sandstone, not painted plaster—but the spirit of it filled this room. Even the drapes had been switched out for gauzy lengths of fabric that fluttered in the breeze coming through the open doors.

“This isn’t even the best part,” Rohan said, beaming at me as he took my hand. He led me toward the bathroom and opened the door. I peered inside, confused at first because it looked exactly the same as usual, only clean.

“Okay, I’m missing something,” I said, giving him a quizzical look.

“It’s yours,szívem,” Ozzie said from behind me. “At least until the new one is built, this one is off-limits to the rest of us.”

My jaw dropped and tears filled my eyes. I spun and tackled Ozzie in a ferocious hug that made him grunt in surprise, then grabbed Rohan just as solidly. He laughed and hugged me back.

“I knew you’d love this,” Rohan whispered in my ear.

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