Page 104 of Blood & Betrayals

“We’ll be back,” Zane finishes.

I giggle and roll off Connor, both of us soaked. He lies on his back, his laugh free and easy. Even the idea of going home for the weekend seems to be healing for him. I push to my feet and offer him my hand to help him up. Connor grins at me and takes my hand, careful not to pull me over as he stands. He kisses me deeply and playfully slaps my ass before tossing me a towel to dry off while he gets dressed.

We pound down the steps exactly two minutes and fifty-eight seconds later. The twins are waiting at the bottom of thestaircase, their super soakers primed and ready. They deflate a little when they see us, knowing they can’t attack again, but perk up when Connor flexes his shoulders and his wings spring free. His brothers eagerly follow his lead, their wings exploding from their backs. There are a few more gold feathers in Connor’s stark white wings, and they sparkle in the dawn light. Zach’s and Zane’s are a warm ivory and nearly identical. Luke has the whitest, most pristine-looking wings. I glance at Rafe expectantly, but he has made no move to ready himself. For the first time, I notice he doesn’t have a bag, and my smile falls.

Connor looks at him. “Ready, Rafe?”

Rafe looks down into his mug. “I’m not coming.”

“Why?” Connor drops my hand and walks over to him.

“I have stuff to do here,” Rafe replies, his words clipped.

“It would mean a lot to Mom…” Connor says, dropping his voice.

“I said I’m not coming,” Rafe growls, pushing away from the breakfast bar and going upstairs to his room. The door slams, and Connor deflates. He catches my eyes and forces a smile, though the worried sadness lingers.

Connor looks at each of his brothers. He squares his shoulders and grabs our bags before stalking out the door, Zach, Zane, and Luke following. The moment I am within arm’s reach, Connor scoops me into his arms and launches into the air. I wrap my arms around him, burying my face in his neck to keep it out of the wind.

When we get above cloud cover, the wind dies down, and Connor whispers into my ear, “Babe? Ready to see my home?”

I lift my head, and Connor presses a kiss to my temple as I look around at the clouds. They are fluffy and white except for the one right in front of us. It’s more pearlescent than the others and seems to have more substance. Zane flies ahead, tapping something on his halo, and the cloud becomes transparent,rippling like a drop in a lake. We soar through the portal, and while the sky looks similar, it also looks completely different. A beautiful city lies below, but thousands of clouds are scattered through the sky. They look more pillowy than the ones in other realms I’ve been to, and each supports a city of its own.

Between the clouds, the air is a stunning mix of blush pink and baby blue swirls. Zach expertly glides through the sky, his brothers close behind. He dives, and Connor tucks his wings. I tighten my hold on Connor, feeling like I’ve left my stomach behind as we drop. With practiced ease, Luke swerves past a flower shop and grabs a bouquet. Zane is right behind him and drops money into a box labeledFly Through.

Connor pulls up and flares his wings wide, cupping the air to slow our descent. He lands on a cloud beside Zach, Luke and Zane touching down beside him. Connor puts me on my feet, bracing his hands on my hips to steady me. They chat happily as they walk to the single door at the center of the cloud. Zane presses a button on the pad to the left of the door, and I look up at Connor, wide-eyed and a little overwhelmed.

He smiles down at me. “I promise I’ll show you everything,” he says, brushing his lips over mine.

There is a small ding, and the door opens.

“Are you coming or what? I’m hungry,” Zane groans.

Connor softly kisses me again and slides his hand into mine before leading me into what looks like an elevator. Once we’re all in, Connor presses his halo to a scanner, and the lift starts to move.

“Do you guys live in an apartment?” I ask. I’m unsure where the apartment could be, considering the only thing that seemed to be above the elevator door was more cloud.

Zach rolls his eyes, and Connor’s lips twitch. “Not quite.”

A few moments later, the elevator pings again, and the door slowly opens. My jaw drops. An expanse of the greenest, mostlush grass stretches out into the clouds. Round stones create a path through the velvety perfection of the lawn, leading to the most welcoming house I’ve ever seen. It’s similar to the Morningstar House, though it is bigger, and I can already tell it’s homier.

Zach and Zane break into a run. “Mom!” they shout as they head toward the house, Luke following behind them.

Connor squeezes my hand, and we walk up the path. A feeling of comfort and warmth envelopes me the moment we step onto the porch. We pass through the open door, and I’m hit with the smell of waffles, maple syrup, and strawberries.

Uriel smiles brightly and pulls Connor and me into a bear hug. “Hello.”

I pat him on the back and silently curse myself for my awkwardness. I’m still not used to all of this affection, except with Alice and Connor. Uriel pulls back, and Farrah walks into the room, holding Luke’s hand.

“Ah! There’s my other boy!” She beams at Connor, her love for them so clear and tangible. She hugs Connor first, kissing him on the cheek. “And my girl!” Farrah pulls me into a hug, and I try to return the embrace a little less awkwardly.

“How do you like the Silver City, Summer?” Uriel asks as Farrah leans into his side, wrapping her arm around his waist.

“It’s beautiful!”

Connor kisses my head. “I’m going to show her more of it this weekend.”

Something in the kitchen smashes, and Farrah sighs, but the content smile remains on her face. “Excuse me for a second. Zach! Zane! You better not have started eating!” She disappears into the kitchen, and Uriel nods, slinging his arm around Luke’s shoulders. “You’ll need to show her the Godiva Pond.”

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