“Ruby!” I scold. “You little snitch.”
“What?” Ruby grins. “She bribed me with sugar drops.”
Eclipsa stuffs the gift into my Puma gym bag. “Open this later, okay?”
I nod as Ruby flits up level with my face, holding out a half-chewed Charms lollipop. “Here you go, Kid.”
“Thanks.” I take her gross birthday offering, still wet with slobber, and glance at Eclipsa, suddenly hopeful. “Does this mean no more trying to kill me today?”
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Eclipsa’s eyes light up, and she waves her hand through the air. “Who said anything about taking it easy on you?”
A translucent golden portal just large enough to step through appears in front of her.
Crap. The last time she sent me through a portal for training, I ended up fighting two orcs. Granted, they were a miniature variety, and not fully grown . . . but still.
I glare at Eclipsa.
She grins back. “After you, Princess.”
With Ruby resettled on my shoulder, I jump through the portal, ready for anything.
Anything except . . . Mack’s Manhattan apartment? I recognize the luxurious penthouse immediately, my gaze flicking from the white marble and abstract paintings to Mack’s beaming face.
“Surprise!” she screams.
Like some birthday nightmare come to life, silver and blue balloons and confetti fall from the air. Mack’s parents, Nick and Sebastian, flip on the lights and jump from the kitchen, waving their hands.
When I see Aunt Zinnia appear behind them, wearing the apron with the cats, her frizzy blonde hair haloing her head, stupid tears spring to my eyes. Aunt Vi waits a little ways behind her sister, wringing her hands. She stands ramrod straight, her mouth a stern line, refusing to move, as if Fae magic lurks in the opulent modern steel countertops and appliances.
Maybe it does.
Mack throws her arms around me. “Happy birthday, Beezy!”
My heart swells. We haven’t seen each other in a month. We tried Facetiming, but the internet in our area crapped out recently.
“How’s the academy?” Mack asks as she guides me from the kitchen to the dining room.
“Colorful,” I say, sweeping my gaze over the elaborate setup piled over the long mahogany table. “Everything smells like flowers, the birds are really loud, and I’m still getting used to actual sunlight.”
“You’re so lucky.” She sighs, as if getting an extra week of getting her ass kicked is her idea of heaven. “I would die to train with Eclipsa. I can’t wait until you meet up with Reina this year.”
“Our turn!” Mack’s dads rush over, and before I can escape, I’m locked into a group hug.
“Okay, okay,” Mack says, swatting at both men. “Personal space, remember?”
Her dads back off, and it’s Zinnia and Vi’s turn. I hug them both, surprised and a little overwhelmed that they would venture into the Untouched Zone for me.
Just getting Vi here was a miracle in and of itself. I can’t imagine the effort it took to convince her, plus managing the travel visas and then talking Vi into using a portal.
I owe Mack’s dads big time.
Zinnia pinches my cheeks. “Sweet girl, we’re so proud of you. Now, look what I found you.”
She holds up an opened, near-empty bag of Zapps sweet southern heat barbeque chips.
Vi rolls her eyes. “The old cow ate nearly the entire bag.”
“You can’t just have one chip, Vi!” Zinnia protests. “Those things are like crack in a bag.”