Laurel

3:11 Laurel

I quickly checked in with Basalt, it was nice having access to him whenever I wanted a second opinion. He reaffirmed my belief that not only William and Hyacinth were trustworthy, but the whole of their court. I quickly brought my new personal guard service up to speed, the total number of my mates, their abilities, and all the other relevant details they needed to know.

No one was going to know about our method of travel until we had already arrived. It was key to maintaining surprise and our advantage.  It was both tactical, and because I wanted to see everyone’s faces when I did something no one would expect. This time, I was finally in control. This time I knew what I was doing, and what I meant to do. I wasn’t lost anymore.

After finishing up with Hyacinth and seeing them out so they could arrange everything they needed before tomorrow, I wasn’t sure what I should do. Everything was already arranged and in place, Auris was hopefully able to teach Delia everything she needed to know. I was pretty sure I had felt her master all the skills we had decided she might need to use, Basalt having let Auris know I no longer needed the teaching had kept quiet when it was clear I wouldn’t be joining the magic lesson like we had discussed before the night of the Ruined Ball. 

I started to aimlessly travel down a hall, realising I was heading for the bedroom, maybe I could curl up and relax for a moment alone while my mates enjoyed each other. As I drew closer to our wing, I could feel more intensely just how much Sky and Brydel were enjoying their time together, whatever it was. I could feel their sexual tension growing, and they were doing something very physical. Leaving me very curious, indeed. As I walked by the playroom, all was quiet so they weren’t in there for a session, they were nearby but not in this wing, maybe on a floor above or below the one I was currently on. 

I made it to our room, grabbed an apple from the bowl of fresh fruit on the table and went to the bookshelf, I grabbed a copy of Jane Eyre, the book cracked open as though the cover had never once been moved. I looked at the print information and it was a first edition copy in pristine condition. I shook my head, this book on its own would be worth a fortune. I looked around my opulent environment, thinking back to my small apartment from before everything had changed for me. I had been so proud of that apartment when I had first moved in, after having carefully saved my tips and earnings from the coffee shop and paying first and last month's rent on top of the damage deposit all by myself had felt like a monumental achievement. I never could have even dreamed of where life was going to take me back then.

I started to read the book with one hand, holding the crisp, tart, green apple in the other as I started to fall into the simple world of Jane Eyre, letting myself have just a little break from the real world and everything in it. I was fully engrossed in my book, happy in the familiar world. Jane was just being offered the position of governess at Thornfield when the door burst open with a giggling Delia and smiling Auris at her heels. They were both sweaty, their hair and clothes much less neat than when I had last seen them.

“Oh!” Delia said, a wide smile lighting up her flushed face. Her eyes came to rest on me as I sat perched in a comfortable reading chair by a window. “We weren't expecting anyone to be here,” a sweet smile towards Auris before she looked back at me, “We were going to take a shower together to clean up after training. Auris knows so much magic Laurel! It’s amazing” she looked over her shoulder and up at the tall lithe man who was positively preening under Delia’s admiration. The smell of lingering magic was so strong around them. Auris was an excellent teacher. Our family was doing good things for him, all he had needed was support, love, firm boundaries and he thrived. 

I set my book down, and nudged the long finished and now browning apple core off the table into the waste bin on the floor. As Delia swooped over, dropping her warm, sweaty body on my lap, inelegantly flinging her legs over the armrest. Making me cradle hold her on my lap.