hearts of metal

xxxiv. make a wish

"Surprise!" came a chorus of voices.

Aelin blinked as her friends and family jumped out of their hiding places. In the few hours that Fen had distracted her with a movie, the living room had been transformed with balloons and streamers.

A grin stretched across her face as she glanced over the people.

Dorian appeared by her side and slung an arm over her shoulder. Lys appeared on Aelin's other side, linking their elbows together.

"You guys did this all for me?" she asked.

"Well, I just showed up," Dorian admitted sheepishly.

"I brought cake," Lys chirped. "Chocolate, of course."

"I love you," Aelin exclaimed.

"You better," her friend responded, earning a laugh from Dorian.

Chaol, Elide, and Nehemia joined them soon after. Aelin's family lingered behind, giving her time to meet her friends.

Nehemia, the most recent addition to their group, wished Aelin first in Eyllwe, then the Common Tongue. "Your family is quite...colorful," she added in amusement, glancing back to where the twins were bickering.

"They're annoying, is what they are," she said. Fenrys overhead and stuck his tongue out at her, before returning to fighting with Connal. "But I wouldn't trade them for anything," she added. There was a tinge of sadness to her words and Dorian's arm tightened around her in soft comfort.

She'd already lost too much time. Spent too many years without them.

"Tall, dark and handsome over there has been eying Elide this whole time," Lys said.

Elide immediately blushed and cast a furtive glance behind to her, earning laughs from everyone else. "Shut up, Lys."

Aelin glanced past her, finding Lorcan's gaze to indeed be fixed on the petite brunette. "Hmm, Salvaterre's an ass...but you could do worse."

"Stop talking," Elide hissed.

Lys only laughed, but changed the topic. The group drifted over to the couches, where Aelin ended up sandwiched between Nehemia and Dorian. Fenrys and Connal joined them, sitting on the rug in front of them.

Eventually, Lorcan and Rowan ended up beside the twins, though they mostly kept silent in the conversation.

More than once, Aelin found Rowan glaring at Dorian. Specifically, the arm that he had wrapped around her.

Got a problem, Buzzard? she raised a brow at him.

He only scowled. And when Dorian made some remark about not having been invited to their place sooner, Rowan said coldly, "you're lucky you're here at all, Havilliard."

Dorian tensed beside her, and she snapped at Rowan to keep quiet. Even Lorcan nudged Rowan in warning.

For a couple of seconds, silence reigned.

Dorian only broke the silence with, "you never let me borrow that book like you promised." He grinned lightly at Aelin, though she could see he was still uneasy.

She smiled back at him. "You'll have to see the library before you leave."

The conversation returned to normal after that.

A while later, Rhoe called out that it was time for cake.

Everyone gathered around the kitchen table, while Aedion brought the cake and some candles.