Gods, her laugh is so pretty. She is so pretty. I've never doubted my looks, really, my mom is beautiful too, my dad—I’ve got good genes. But somehow Vai seems otherworldly. Maybe it’s Mort’s realm on her, or could just be that I’m absolutely dazzled at meeting a witch like her, my grandmother, my—
”Nonna,” I repeat, my eyes shining, and I nod. Perfect. That’s perfect.
I do reach for a drink, something fizzy with a little bit of a sting as it goes down. I hold it in my lap, glancing back at my mother as she stands nearby, wiping her tears. Then I turn to Vai, and my smile lights up.
”Yeah, I’m staying! Torchline is great. Remi and Ronin are here. And Flora!” I take a quick drink. ”She’s the first one I met. I’ve hardly seen her since I got here though—but she’s the queen and all, she’s busy.”
As for trouble, I shake my head, and then wince a bit. ”And yeah, mostly. I did have a run in with some void luxere, but Deimos was there. I held my own well enough that he said I could join the monster hunters.” I thumb the hole in my jacket at the arm—I haven’t mended it just yet. ”I got got, but his unicorn healed me. And then there was the beach party with the Family, that went south, but… Ronin sent me off.” I shrug a little. ”Probably for the best though. A little out of my league.”
I twist my glass in my hand. I’d known in the moment he was likely sending me away, but looking back, no one had needed the spring water in the end, but I’d tried right?
”I’m really trying to live up to all these family legacies,” I say on a laugh, waving it off as light even as it constricts around my throat.
but my god, you're alive and it's spectacular
