Page 77 of Wings of Valor
For a moment, all I can do is stare. Dad and I have never really talked about feelings, not since Mom was alive, so that he’s doing so now is much bigger than I can wrap my mind around. “You’vealways been there for me, even if it looked a little different. I’ve always felt it.”
“I’m glad. And I’m so happy you found someone like Hayliel who supports you. Cherishes you. The friendships you’ve made with Raphael and Theo, with Dina, and even with Mira, which is why I suspect her secret hit you so hard. Those are connections I could have only dreamed you’d have.”
His words burrow deep, spreading through me like wildfire. I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear them. The fact that he can sense all of this already makes me smile. “I lucked out pretty hard with them.”
He pulls me into a hug that eases a pain in my chest from long ago. “When we get through tomorrow, I promise things will be different. We’re going to spend some much-needed time together, and we’re going to remember your mom the way she deserves to be remembered.” He pauses, then adds, “We’ll even have weekly family dinners. Not just with the two of us, but with Hayliel and her parents, too.”
I laugh. “Ah, so you’ve experienced Mari’s cooking then, have you?”
“What can I say? That woman can cook.”
30
“Where are you taking me?”
Raphael and Theo placed a soft scarf over my eyes five minutes ago, and we’ve been walking ever since. Zeke is here too, somewhere up ahead.
“So many questions,” Theo teases, lightly trailing a finger down the back of my arm.
“You could try answering at least one,” I pout, though there’s no conviction behind it. I don’t really mind that I’m blindfolded and being led to some undisclosed location by my boyfriends. After the day we’ve had and what’s coming for us tomorrow, I can’t imagine anything better.
I listen, hoping something will give away our location, but other than the sounds of our feet, all I hear are crickets. With thebreeze on my cheeks, it’s not hard to guess that we’re outside, which tells me they’re taking me somewhere private. But where?
The ground shifts from cobbled stone to something smooth, and my guides help me navigate a few short steps. Up ahead, a door creaks open, and I know the moment I step inside the building. There’s a faint scent of ink and leather, but it isn’t overly familiar. This isn’t a library. Not a barn either. So where could this be?
The door shuts behind me, making me jolt in surprise, and then Raphael says, “Are you ready for this to come off?”
I purse my lips and nod, then the scarf is pulled away to reveal a large open room. The glass ceiling is tall and domed around us with a perfect view of the night sky, but it doesn’t meet at the top. Instead, it’s like the walls have retracted to allow free access to the outside world. In the center of the room is a large machine that I can’t decipher. Is that a huge-ass telescope? Beyond it is a makeshift bed made up of blankets and pillows. There’s a table laden with fruits and cheese next to a bottle of some type of sparkling beverage that’s resting in a bucket of ice.
“This is …” I trail off, unable to find the words. Everywhere I look, I find something new. A bookshelf filled with leather-bound tombs. A desk with quills and ink pots resting beside aged parchment. It’s like we’ve stumbled into another dimension.
“We wanted to do something special for you, and when Theo found this place, we knew it would be perfect.” Raphael leans in to press a kiss on my forehead.
My eyes sting with tears, and I laugh. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything, firefly,” Theo says, holding out his hand. “Come explore!”
Without hesitation, I take his hand and do just that. I pass by Zeke and offer him a dazzling smile and kiss before perusing the shelf beside him. They’re full of books on planets, stars,constellations, and meteors. It’s incredible and impossible to pick only one to read.
“I’m really glad we’re all here for this. Thank you for putting it together.” I reach out to each of them, holding their gaze and hoping they sense how much I mean the words.
“While we’re on the topic of gratitude, I don’t think I ever properly thanked everyone for rescuing me.” Zeke’s deep voice is raw with emotion. “I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye—and that’s mostly my fault, which I deeply regret—but you put yourselves in danger for me anyway. I’m still working on overcoming my baggage, but when I’m with you guys, it doesn’t feel like it’s between us. Here with you, it just feels like home.”
My gaze is glued to Zeke—mouth agape—because holy shit. Did he just apologize, thank Raphael and Theo,andadmit how he feels all in one go? The guys must be equally in shock, because it’s silent for several moments.
“Too much?” Zeke asks, looking abashed for maybe the first time ever.
Theo steps forward and places a hand on Zeke’s shoulder. “Unexpected is all, but in a good way. We feel like home to me, too.”
“A family—one we get to choose instead of being saddled with,” Raphael adds, placing his hand on Zeke’s other shoulder.
“I love you. All of you,” I tell them. I’m not sure whose mouth finds mine first, but suddenly, the room feels extra charged, heavy with tension. They pass me between each other until I’ve felt each of their lips on mine, but they don’t progress things further because Theo speaks.
“Wait, wait, wait. The telescope first.”
“The telescope?” I ask, breathless.
Zeke sighs, his chin resting on my head. “Right. Okay, let’s do it, then she’s all ours.”
