present. I poked Kai. “If I am psychically intuiting my imminent death, then this would be a great time to give me my gift.”
Kai looked at me with both fondness and frustration. I could live with that. He leaned over to reach under the bed. I enjoyed the view of his back muscles rippling in the process. When he rolled back up, he held a poorly gift-wrapped box out to me.
I took it and frowned. “It’s wrapped in Kleenex.”
He shrugged. “Wrapping is wrapping.”
“And duct tape.”
Another shrug. He really didn’t get it.
But there was a present of some sort under there, so I ripped into it with nails, teeth, and a bit of viney light, eventually prying off the lid.
Inside was a bright red T-shirt with the word Phospherocious spelled out in glittery silver letters. I stared blankly at it.
“It’s because all your power names suck,” he explained.
I still didn’t get it.
“You come up with the worst names for your light.” Kai grinned, excitedly. “Then I thought, why not combine the word ‘phosphorus’ from the Ancient Greek for ‘bearer of light’ with ‘ferocious’, because when you wield your power you get all kick-ass. Which is hot. So you’re phospherocious.”
He sat back and waited expectantly for me to say something.
I stared at the shirt again. “You got me a T-shirt with a made up superpower name for my birthday?”
His grin faltered. “Was that wrong?”
“Are you kidding me?” I screeched. “Polar opposite of wrong!” I bounced up and down on the bed to appropriately display my enthusiasm for this most awesome of gifts.
Kai’s eyes flared at the sight of all my soft jiggling bits.
I stopped and leaned forward. “Kai?”
His face broke into a wolfish grin. “Yes?”
I was suddenly very conscious of how short my dress was and how very close my boyfriend was. “Got a pair of sweats I can borrow?” His crestfallen face made me laugh. “I want to try on the T-shirt, but not over this dress.”
Kai looked horrified. “I don’t own sweats.”
“Oh, whatever.”
Kai grumbled, but he rooted around in one of his cupboards and pulled out a pair of jeans. I motioned for him to turn around.
He leaned back against his elbows with a look of unholy glee.
Not fazed in the least, I shimmied into the jeans while still wearing the dress. I had to roll them up and use the belt already conveniently threaded through the loops, but they stayed put.
I wasn’t wearing a bra, though, and I wasn’t giving Kai his own personal peep show right now. We had to get back to Fee’s. Instead, I did the most awkward maneuver—pulling the T-shirt over my head to cover me, and then wiggling out of the dress before finally stuffing my arms into the shirtsleeves.
Kai gave a resigned sigh.
I looked down at it in sheer delight. It rocked. Even though the cotton was thick, it had that gone-through-a-billion-washings softness to it. And it fitted me to a T, pun intended. It also went very well with the cuff Hannah had given me. “I think the silver glitter brings out my eyes,” I said, beaming down at myself.
I was so phospherocious, it was insane.
“I like you in my clothes,” Kai said.
I grinned and launched myself at him. “I love you.”
Kai yanked me close by my shirt front. “You and me? We’re unstoppable.”
And in that moment, I chose to believe that we were.
***
I tried valiantly to remember that feeling later in the evening, as Kai and I faced Festos and Theo. Their club gear was gone. They were back in their regular casual clothes, and looking grim.
Kai had brought me back a few hours earlier. We’d updated the guys, and waited anxiously while the two went to Eleusis to check out the new ward for themselves.
“There’s no way to break it,” Theo said.
“You’re positive? You checked it from every angle?” Losing the war because we were essentially locked out of the ritual location? Lamest defeat ever, and not going to happen.
“Trust us.” Festos sank
Kai looked at me with both fondness and frustration. I could live with that. He leaned over to reach under the bed. I enjoyed the view of his back muscles rippling in the process. When he rolled back up, he held a poorly gift-wrapped box out to me.
I took it and frowned. “It’s wrapped in Kleenex.”
He shrugged. “Wrapping is wrapping.”
“And duct tape.”
Another shrug. He really didn’t get it.
But there was a present of some sort under there, so I ripped into it with nails, teeth, and a bit of viney light, eventually prying off the lid.
Inside was a bright red T-shirt with the word Phospherocious spelled out in glittery silver letters. I stared blankly at it.
“It’s because all your power names suck,” he explained.
I still didn’t get it.
“You come up with the worst names for your light.” Kai grinned, excitedly. “Then I thought, why not combine the word ‘phosphorus’ from the Ancient Greek for ‘bearer of light’ with ‘ferocious’, because when you wield your power you get all kick-ass. Which is hot. So you’re phospherocious.”
He sat back and waited expectantly for me to say something.
I stared at the shirt again. “You got me a T-shirt with a made up superpower name for my birthday?”
His grin faltered. “Was that wrong?”
“Are you kidding me?” I screeched. “Polar opposite of wrong!” I bounced up and down on the bed to appropriately display my enthusiasm for this most awesome of gifts.
Kai’s eyes flared at the sight of all my soft jiggling bits.
I stopped and leaned forward. “Kai?”
His face broke into a wolfish grin. “Yes?”
I was suddenly very conscious of how short my dress was and how very close my boyfriend was. “Got a pair of sweats I can borrow?” His crestfallen face made me laugh. “I want to try on the T-shirt, but not over this dress.”
Kai looked horrified. “I don’t own sweats.”
“Oh, whatever.”
Kai grumbled, but he rooted around in one of his cupboards and pulled out a pair of jeans. I motioned for him to turn around.
He leaned back against his elbows with a look of unholy glee.
Not fazed in the least, I shimmied into the jeans while still wearing the dress. I had to roll them up and use the belt already conveniently threaded through the loops, but they stayed put.
I wasn’t wearing a bra, though, and I wasn’t giving Kai his own personal peep show right now. We had to get back to Fee’s. Instead, I did the most awkward maneuver—pulling the T-shirt over my head to cover me, and then wiggling out of the dress before finally stuffing my arms into the shirtsleeves.
Kai gave a resigned sigh.
I looked down at it in sheer delight. It rocked. Even though the cotton was thick, it had that gone-through-a-billion-washings softness to it. And it fitted me to a T, pun intended. It also went very well with the cuff Hannah had given me. “I think the silver glitter brings out my eyes,” I said, beaming down at myself.
I was so phospherocious, it was insane.
“I like you in my clothes,” Kai said.
I grinned and launched myself at him. “I love you.”
Kai yanked me close by my shirt front. “You and me? We’re unstoppable.”
And in that moment, I chose to believe that we were.
***
I tried valiantly to remember that feeling later in the evening, as Kai and I faced Festos and Theo. Their club gear was gone. They were back in their regular casual clothes, and looking grim.
Kai had brought me back a few hours earlier. We’d updated the guys, and waited anxiously while the two went to Eleusis to check out the new ward for themselves.
“There’s no way to break it,” Theo said.
“You’re positive? You checked it from every angle?” Losing the war because we were essentially locked out of the ritual location? Lamest defeat ever, and not going to happen.
“Trust us.” Festos sank
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