“Let me try.” I set my intention on the birds in the case, imagining bats in their place.
It didn’t work. Feathers exploded everywhere as the birds poofed up and became big pink puffballs with eyes, staring at me crossly.
Delmare let out a laugh. “They’re pissed at you!”
“I can see that. Let me change them back.” I cast the spell. The puffballs became birds again, though their feathers were pink this time instead of blue.
Delmare sighed. “I think we’ve tormented them enough. Fly away, little birds.”
She opened the cage door, and the birds came flying out of it in a flurry. The pink color bled out of their feathers and fell onto the ground like liquid as they flew into the sky, making for the safety of the branches within the forest.
She set the cage aside, and I wiggled my eyebrows. “So... how’d things go between you and Stefan the other night?”
Delmare chewed on her lip. “I told him about my dad. And my mom,” she said. “It was hard opening up to him about my past, but after that night, he deserved to know.”
“Did anything happen?” I asked, hanging on her every word.
Delmare blushed as she admitted, “We might’ve kissed.”
I squealed. “Mare! Did you do anything else?”
“No. It was a moment of weakness,” she said. “We’re not in a relationship.”
I let out a groan of frustration. “You should be!” I said. “Why didn’t you say yes?”
“You know why! I can’t let a man get in the way of my career,” she said.
I huffed. “Mare, you’re impossible.”
“It’s not like I’m making him my boyfriend. If I say yes, he’ll become my mate. We’ll be bound for life. It’s like accepting a proposal. We’ll have to get married,” Delmare pointed out. “And I don’t know if I want to be a wife. It’s a big responsibility, committing yourself to someone else like that forever. I can’t play with Stefan’s feelings. I have to be serious about us before I commit.”
She had a good point. Dating was one thing, but marriage was another entirely.
“I know you jumped in feet-first with Ethan, because you didn’t have a choice. But I do,” Delmare said. “I need a little more time.”
I could respect that. A familiar humming noise could be heard from not-so-far away. I turned on my seat, and a huge smile spread on my face when I saw Odette skipping up the pathway, Theo behind her.
“Odette!” I cried. I leapt from my seat and ran toward her. I flung my arms around her and squeezed her tight as she let out a delighted, cute sound.
“I didn’t know you were back!” I said. I noticed she’d gained a little weight in the time she’d been gone— not much, but better than she was.
“I came to take exams,” she said. “I’m out of rehab, so long as I stay on track with my recovery program.”
Theo’s eyes glittered proudly. He’d been miserable since she’d been gone. Now that she was back at school, he was relaxed. Being out of her presence had to be agonizing for him.
“Are you doing well?” I asked. “I’ve been so worried about you.”
Her smile fell. “Well... I’ve been kicked out of the company, as I’m sure you’ve heard. Nobody wants me to dance for them anymore.”
Then Odette brightened. “But Igor says I’ll make up for it. The company will take me back eventually, he’s certain. He didn’t visit me in rehab, but he’s been ever so sweet since I got out.”
Ugh. She was still with that creep? Count that as a loss.
Odette hugged Theo’s arm. “But Theo saw me every day. He was the kindest friend, weren’t you?”
“I’ll always be there for you, Odette,” Theo said.
When she gave a fond look to Theo, I relaxed. Okay, she was still dating Igor, but it looked like she and Theo had made up and were friends again. Her relationship with Igor wouldn’t last long. Theo would find a way to win her over.
I heard the padding of griffin footsteps on the path. I looked behind me. Alexei was in his griffin form, Kiara next to him. He changed into a man as he came near and offered cheerfully, “Hey, guys. What’s up?”
Ethan and I hadn’t told Alexei what Kiara had done. In fact, we hadn’t told anyone. The only ones who knew were the three of us.
“Not much,” I said. “What’s going on with you guys?”
“Just a stroll. It’s a lovely day,” Kiara said.
Kiara was acting like everything was normal, and it was