I climbed out of the chair Alex and I were sharing. “You sure you want to have a party?”
Alex chuckled as he stood up with me and pulled me into the bedroom I’d just woke up from. “Absolutely. I want to show these people who’s you are now.”
“I thought you didn’t want to do the wedding thing?” I asked.
“This isn’t a wedding, it’s a party. To celebrate us. And that is something I want to do. Plus, I get to show off my fucking hot husband.” His fingers lifted my shirt deftly over my head. While I tossed my shirt to the side to pick up later Alex’s fingers were all over my chest, abs and sides. “And there is nothing to hide anymore.”
“Except the tattoos that came out of no where.”
Alex smirked as he ran his fingers over the magical ink that represented him. “People see what they expect to see. I’m beginning to think that I’m not even real sometimes.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I’ve always been able to blend in, it was part of my talents, but since meeting you I’m even more unseen.” My face must have shown discomfort or displeasure as Alex pulled me close against him wrapping his arms around my waist, leaving me to wrap my arms around his neck and shoulders. I loved being close to Alex, and without his own shirt on it felt too good – almost naught.
Alex chuckled in my head, One track mind.
I gave him a wry smile. “You are Chevalier now, of course you’d not be seen by mortals now. It’s part of vampire magic. Eventually you could learn to control some of Ant’s magic. Throwing a fireball won’t be possible, but lighting a candle or hiding in the shadows like Ry does should be possible. You and Ryan could be learning together how best to do that.”
Alex laughed, “He said he could show me some tricks that work now, and then once life settled in we could play.” Alex cocked, his head to the side, “Though I’m not sure I want to play with him. He’s a bit not into guys but he always seems to be…”
“He’s over 800 years old, he’s seen it all. A little guy on guy action is nothing to him. Just like Ant and Cari and probably all our vampire friends.”
Alex sighed, “I find it so hard to believe he is sixteen and 800 plus years old too. I don’t know how to deal with that.”
“He’s just Ryan, don’t worry about it.”
My phone rang interrupting our conversation.
“Hello?” I answered the unknown call.
“Mr. Sétanta?”
“Yes ma’am,” I said still unsure of who this was as I didn’t recognize the voice either.
“I’m Sherry O’Brien down here at Oberon Charter School, where your children are supposed to start this next school year with.”
“Yes, Ms. O’Brien.” I still had no clue what was going on.
“I just received some bad news. Apparently we have over booked our enrollment and your children will be unable to attend.”
I frowned. “Really? And is my bank account going to be refunded?”
She spluttered. “Mr. Sétanta, our fees are non-refundable.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck. You aren’t teaching my kids. You overbooked. This is not my fault. You will have the money in my bank account by the end of the day today, or I will be having my lawyers contacting you.”
“Mr. Sétanta, that isn’t going to work for us.”
“Then you will be seeing my lawyers first thing in the morning, Ms. O’Brien.” I hung up the phone.
“Fuck!”
“What was that all about?” Alex asked.
“The school Dorian set up for the kids just told me they didn’t have room for them and don’t want to refund the money. Which tells me they have room, they expect to keep the money, and someone is trying to keep my kids from normal schools.”
“You think it’s Venatori intervention?” Alex asked.
“I know it is. I will have to see if Larry can get on it. I guess I need to hire a retainer for myself.”
It was like the phone had summoned everyone from their tasks as they piled on to the veranda. Ant stood in the double door looking in at Alex and I wrapped around each othere, “Are we interrupting?” He laughed. “But, Mother said her people are your people, and they are more than happy to help you change the world one thing at a time. Why else would she give up Ryan.”
“The others can do work for anyone, and while you don’t pay, your favors mean more,” Ant said.
My phone rang again and I was grumpy, “What?” I asked.
“Is that the way to answer your phone Mr. Sétanta?” Ms O’Brien scolded me.
“To a woman who is being a jackass yes, ma’am it is. I told you my lawyers will be in touch with you tomorrow morning.”
She spoke quickly before I had a chance to hang up. “I will have the money returned to your account by the end of business today, there is no need to have your lawyers here.”
“If the money isn’t here by end of business today, Ms. O’Brien, you will be seeing my lawyer in the morning.”
“Understood.” I hung up before she got the full word out.
I sighed. “So now what?” I wondered what the Venatori were playing at. There was no point in keeping my kids from schooling in New York. There were a ton of options they couldn’t stop.
“I can home school them,” Isabelle said as he stood next to Ant wrapping her arm around his waist. “I’m a certified teacher, but we can purchase on-line curriculum for each of them. I’ll get together with other home schools and extracurriculars for the boys, and you have their magical abilities all covered right?” She looked happy. “And we would be able to keep them safe at the Night Life building. Maybe even some of the other supernatural and wiccan children could join in to make it more like school.”
My brothers wee sitting on the steps outside looking out at the water. Matt was cuddling with Hunter, reassuring him everything was alright. He’s just like his dad. Alex said in my head showing me images of Hunter freaking out because he got sand in his shoes, and on his legs and in his hair. Cass was perfectly fine in the sand she was giggling with Quinn. I was so glad the two girls were getting along so well. It made their lives easier. “What do you guys think?” I knew they’d been listening.
“Dad would be happier if we didn’t get involved in all that New York Gang shit. So he’d be cool with it. And we know more supernatural kids than we do normal ones, so it’s cool either way,” Laker said.
“And you already have a boyfriend – so meeting new people means nothing to you.” Rider laughed. “Having said that, I’m good, Nox I might want to take up Dance or Photography or something.”
“Or Cooking,” I suggested. “I bet Marco would absolutely love to have another boy to boss around.”
Rider’s eyes went wide. “But that won’t be something that I can do with girls.” But the look on his face was more convincing – he liked the idea of learning from a master chef even if there were no girls involved.
“Alex?” He looked at me.
“Quinn’s only ever gone to public school. No reason why I’d have a problem with Isabelle teaching her. Her mother might object but…”
I smiled, “Hopefully by that time we’ll have custody.”
Alex just grinned, I knew he didn’t think we had a chance in hell. But we already had a great track record thanks to the adoption records for Matt and Faelen. As well as the official guardianship of my brothers. That was temporary but still it said a lot that we had that trust from Jesse.
Faelen sat shyly next to Matt and Hunter, he didn’t seem to care. “Fae?” I asked.
“Whatever you think best.”
“He reminds me you.” Alex said to me.
I grinned at him, “I wonder why.” I stuck my tongue out at him.
“Isabelle we’ll have to sit down and do some research and see what’s best for all the kids. But not now.” I said wrapping grabbing both the French doors with a bit of air and smiled, “I’m going to change, and hit the pool.” I said closing the door on them. Leaving Alex and I alone where we’d left off.
The Mind of Nox 