Page 192 of Gift from the Nexus

His words seem to do the trick, though, because I feel Willow’s hope rise like the ocean. It pours out to all of us, and we gaze down at her with loving eyes, followed by tender touches.

Dyce, Gaster, and Keeper walk off to the side to get Tanith situated in the garden and clearing, leaving the five of us standing together at the mouth of the gate. It’s a sight I’ve seen hundreds, thousands of times in my life, yet this moment is a first.

“Breathe, Primary, we’ve got you,” Caspian says as he links his fingers through her other hand, while I bring the one I have clutched to my lips.

We will always have her.

Thirty

Willow

To say that the palace is beautiful would be like calling the Taj Mahal pretty. Those descriptions are unparalleled, mediocre.

I’ve never laid my eyes on such a magnificent structure. In a picture, in person, on the internet, there’s just simply nothing like it in this realm or the nonmagical.

I’ll give the guys the benefit of the doubt that because they grew up here, this is normal for them so that’s why they did a poor job of describing this place to me. Corentin explained it wasa collection of mansions that are basically spaced out by north, east, south, and west wings and they’re all connected to the central quarter.

So in my mind, I was picturing our house times five spread out.

No.

This is a true fairy-tale palace that stretches far beyond my sight can see. We’ve apparently entered in at the private entrance for the central quarter, so currently, this is the only wing I see and it’s just…everything.

With the sun rising high behind us in the sky, it bathes the walls of this majestic building in a shimmering glow that makes the white stone glisten with a thousand colors. Its beautiful, timeless color looks even more stunning with the vibrant plants that climb the sides in shades of green.

From this angle, the large, elegantly framed windows suck up everything the sun’s offering and I just know inside is covered in the natural light that would warm my skin comfortably. The large balconies have intricate railings, peaceful seating areas, and I want nothing more than to sit there and drink a couple cups of coffee first thing in the morning.

The roof of the palace is complex, with multiple levels. There’re vast spires that sit on top of towers stretching upward toward the heavens and just judging from the outside, those are towers I’d be okay with being locked in.

It’s not just the palace itself that’s impressive but even the landscaping is immaculate. The grounds are enchanting, with lush, radiant gardens filled with plants and flowers that are blooming in impossible patterns and colors. Multiple fountains slowly cascade water into sparkling pools, creating a serene atmosphere. There’s no loud sloshing that overpowers the sounds of nature. It’s just…peaceful.

The garden leads to a large clearing that stretches out until it meets the forest and we follow a stone path to where Gaster, Keeper, Dyce, and Tanith are. Standing back, waiting for them to finish up so we can head in, a laugh I tried to choke back flies out anyway when Gaster smacks Dyce’s hand like he’s a child after he tries to pet Tanith.

It’s hilarious to see Gaster scold this grown man but also mind-boggling because it just shows Gaster’s mysterious age has weight if he can pop a member of the ruling Nexus and all that happens is a mumbled sorry from said Nexus member.

“I can’t believe you all didn’t tell me how amazing this place is,” I whisper into Caspian’s arm as my grin lingers on.

“It’s something. That’s for sure, Primary,” he says with a smirk on his face that screams they purposely didn’t fill me in.

“You love it, huh, little wanderer?”

“It’s stunning. Is every wing laid out like this?”

“No, princess. They’re all different. We changed pretty much everything in our wing when we moved in there. Granted, we were teenagers who got a little element happy.”

“A little element happy, son? You four nearly destroyed your wing over the years. Do you not recall sending a couch through the window when you were trying to rearrange the foyer because you didn’t like the way the sun hit your face when it was rising? What about when Caspian flooded your entire hall when he was trying to adjust the water pressure in the shower? Or when your uncles and Aunt Tilly had to rebuild half of Tillman’s bedroom because Caspian scared him, and he created a sink hole? Or how Draken burned down at least ten different sets of curtains because he ate that dark pepper and burped fire balls for a week?”

By the time Dyce is done snitching the guys out, I have tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard. They each look properly chastised but in a loving way. None of them deny asingle statement made and each of their childlike mischievous smirks shows their fond memories over the accidents.

Based on the stories Gaster has shared, I already knew they were rough and tough boys who caused problems in their spare time, but hearing Dyce jokingly tease them on the mischief they caused warms my heart. How freeing it must have felt as children to be able to make mistakes without the fear of punishment because of it. Knowing you had loving parents who were going to discipline you in a healthy way and teach you how to do better, had to eliminate the fear of trying something new.

Oh, how I wish I could know them all.

“It did, little warrior. They gave us freedom to grow. We were incredibly blessed with a village of very loving adults. It wasn’t like we had five parents but ten, twelve really with Gaster and Uncle Orien. You may only get to meet half of them and I wish more than anything they were here for this moment, but my parents would’ve loved you fiercely, just like my aunt and uncles are going to,” Tillman says lovingly, thankfully mentally rather than out loud for Dyce and Keeper to hear.

I’m growing more excited about meeting the in-laws, but I don’t think I’m quite ready for all of them to hear of the traumatic upbringing I had. Keeper has some knowledge already that I would’ve liked to still be kept in the dark, but neither of us can help what we were exposed to.

Making our way back to the gravel path that leads to the palace entrance, I get lost in the view and laugh freely as the others carry on. Keeper begins asking a million questions about the architecture, the wards, everything he can think of to ask. He’s itching to ask more about Draken’s time growing up here, but my dragon has drawn a line in the sand about that for now and Keeper’s doing a good job of respecting that boundary.

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