“When are you going to ask her out, man?” Caleb asked.
“I’ve asked her out fifty times,” Max said in anguish. “She just starts calling me a silly seabass or some shit and then descends into some sort of sea language I just don’t get, but it makes me so damn hard I can’t even concentrate anymore.”
Tory and Darcy shared a twin look then started laughing.
“What?” Max demanded. “Do you two know something about this fish language that I don’t?”
“No idea, dude,” Tory said through a grin. “It’s fucking hilarious though.”
“She seems to like fish, so I think it’s affectionate,” Darcy offered thoughtfully and Max’s face brightened at that.
“I know she wants me, I just don’t know if she wants me, wants me, you know?” Max sighed.
“You could try asking her?” I suggested.
“Yeah, taking advice from a guy who fucked a student, went to prison for it and is now Power Shamed doesn’t seem like the best idea, thanks all the same though, man,” Max said casually and I clenched my jaw.
“Don’t be an asshole,” Darius growled, but I didn’t give a fuck. I’d lose about as much sleep over the Heirs disliking me as I would if I’d taken ten sleeping drafts and laid down on a fluffy little cloud.
“Maybe you should try the Capella smoulduction,” Seth suggested.
“And what the fuck is that?” Max asked, narrowing his eyes at him.
“I’d bet both of my hands he just made it up,” I said.
“No way, it’s my power move,” Seth insisted. “Half smoulder, half seduction. C’mere, Cal, lemme show them how it works.” He tugged on Caleb’s shirt, dragging him into his personal space and everyone watched them with rapt attention.
“What are you doing?” Caleb muttered under his breath.
“You’ll see,” Seth said, leaning close so they were nose to nose then dropping his gaze to Caleb’s mouth. Seth wet his lips, desire pooling in his eyes as his hand ran down the plane of Caleb’s chest, his gaze never faltering from his friend’s.
I suddenly felt like I was watching something private and glanced at Darcy as her eyes darted between the two of them with intrigue.
Caleb’s hand fell to Seth’s waist for the briefest second, almost like he was going to tug him closer before he shoved him back a step and carved that same hand through his hair, laughing a little.
“Fuck off, man, that shit might work on your pack, but not me,” he said dismissively and I swear Seth let out a small whine.
What the hell was that about? Oh right, I don’t give a fuck.
“Shall we do the book thingy now?” Darcy suggested excitedly, looking up at me and everyone’s attention followed.
“Wait for me, dear Burrow buddies!” Geraldine’s voice sounded across the snow as she came gliding towards us upon a sheet of ice she’d cast beneath her feet, sliding gracefully to a halt beside Max, her light brown hair fluttering around her shoulders in the breeze.
I twirled my finger through the air and a wall of ice shot up surrounding us to give us some privacy. Darius cast a fire burning on the ground between us and the place immediately warmed, though I kept the ice hard and compact around our group so it didn’t melt.
Caleb started making mossy seats around the place and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Did he have to make everywhere into a damn palace for himself?
I took a seat all the same and opened my father’s diary on my lap as the rays of the moon fell over us from above.
We sat there for over an hour as I listed out all the power words for the Imperial Star and Geraldine made note of the things it could do on a piece of star damned papyrus she’d cast with her earth magic, using a pen made of bark and some organic ink she’d conjured too.
Tory and Darcy repeated each word as I spoke it, though it was clear the Heirs were memorising them too as time went on, their faces full of concentration. And I hoped that didn’t mean they were getting ideas about using the star if they ever claimed the throne. It was meant for the Vegas, and I could feel the Zodiac Guild brand itching beneath the skin of my forearm at the idea of someone else wielding its power.
I reached the final empty page of the diary and I ran my thumb over the blank paper, trying to feel out any lasting sensation of my father there, sad that this was the end of his notes for me.
Geraldine rolled up the papyrus and cast a strong wooden case for it before sliding it inside and sealing it up tight.