Chapter 27

27

“ A nd it turns out Queen Eronia had an almost identical painting above her bed. That’s where Brax found the notes about the legacies,” Jinx said as she made her way toward the training hall with Phaedra.

The pixie had volunteered to escort her because the others were busy getting things set up for her birthday party. She couldn’t believe they were pausing in their search for a megalomaniac to celebrate her birthday. She had entirely forgotten all about it. Birthdays weren’t a big deal when she was a kid, and she’d only acknowledged her last four birthdays because Sabre and Gage insisted.

“Wow. So, the late queen was an evil genius, huh?” Phaedra asked with a skip. “I never did like her.”

“You knew her?”

Phaedra scrunched her nose and shook her head, sending her curls bouncing. “No. But I did meet her a couple of times. And I spied on her a lot. She was a bitch.”

“Sabre is a bitch,” Jinx pointed out as they turned a corner.

“But Sabre is the fun kind of bitch,” Phaedra said with a grin. “Eronia was the mean kind.”

“Well, she certainly did her best to turn one of her sons into a mean bastard,” Jinx muttered as they approached the Horde’s indoor training centre.

“Enough shop talk,” Phaedra insisted, adjusting her skirt higher on her waist and flashing more leg. “Party time.”

Jinx flashed her a knowing grin. “You look great. Draven will be drooling.”

Phaedra winked. “That’s the plan. After you. But remember, this is a non-surprise party, so don’t claw me when everyone jumps out.”

“Everyone?” Jinx said doubtfully. “This is a small thing, right?”

Phaedra cackled. “This is Sabre we’re talking about. Her biggest love language is acts of service.”

“Oh no,” Jinx mumbled, backing away from the door.

“Oh yes,” Phaedra stated, giving her a shove.

Knowing that resistance was futile, Jinx wrapped her fingers around the cool door handle and pulled. It opened with a metallic groan. Darkness greeted her, along with the scent of multiple bodies. She stepped inside, her eyes struggling to adjust even though she was a shifter. “Hello?” she called out, her voice echoing.

Suddenly, the hall erupted in a blaze of light, and a chorus of voices shouted, “Surprise!” Jinx blinked rapidly, momentarily stunned by the transformation before her.

Once filled with weights and weapons, the training centre now pulsed with life and colour. Strings of twinkling lights crisscrossed the ceiling, casting a warm glow over the space. Balloons in shades of deep purple and shimmering silver bobbed gently in the air, their ribbons trailing like colourful vines. A long table draped in a midnight blue cloth stood at the centre, laden with an array of mouthwatering dishes and a towering cake adorned with sparklers.

Jinx's eyes widened as she took in all the familiar faces beaming at her. Sabre, Eric, and Gage stood at the head of the table with wide grins on their faces. “Happy birthday, Jinx!” they exclaimed in unison, rushing over to embrace her. She hugged them all tightly, feeling overwhelmed with love and gratitude.

“I can't believe you guys did all of this,” Jinx said.

“We wouldn't miss celebrating your birthday for anything,” Sabre replied warmly.

“Yeah,” Eric agreed, grinning wide. “Even a plot to take down the royal family.” He winked, making her laugh.

Brax came next, squeezing the breath out of her. “Happy birthday, Jinx.”

“Thank you, Brax,” she said, squeezing him right back. “I thought this was supposed to be small. There must be close to fifty people here. I’m sure I don’t know this many people.”

Brax looked sheepish when he replied. “I enlisted some of the Horde to help set up. And now I can’t get them to leave. They saw the cake.”

“Aren’t you their General?” Jinx asked slyly.

Brax shrugged. “Like they listen to me when it comes to cake.”

“Hey, Jinx. Happy birthday! Great party!” Uno shouted at her from across the room.

Jinx grinned and waved at him. “I guess it’s not so bad,” she allowed, as the music began to pump through the speakers.

“Jinx …”

She spun around, only to be utterly gobsmacked. Mikhail was standing there looking like a juicy apple ripe for the picking. She’d never seen him looking so casual. Jeans clung to his arse and thighs, and he was wearing sunglasses and a tight-fitting red t-shirt. He removed the shades as he walked over, smiling down at her.

“You’re staring at me,” Mikhail whispered in Jinx’s ear.

His breath was warm against her neck, causing her to shudder. “I was not,” she lied. But she gave in quickly when he grinned at her, looking smug and happy. “Okay. I was staring. Happy now?”

“Outrageously,” he teased.

“I’ve just never seen you in jeans and a T-shirt before. It’s …” she licked her lips, recalling how amazing his kisses were, and eyed him up and down. “… inspiring.”

“Inspiring, huh?” Mikhail said, crowding her a little. She was startled to realise she didn’t mind one bit.

“I thought you two weren’t getting together,” Mercy piped up, shoving biscuits into his mouth.

“We’re not,” they said simultaneously.

“Riiiight,” the pain demon drawled. “Then what’s with the foreplay?”

Jinx gasped, taking a hasty step back. “Mercy!” He simply grinned and continued to shovel food into his mouth. She ran her tongue over her top teeth before saying, “You have the confidence of a much taller man. Would you like to talk about that?”

Now it was Mercy’s turn to gasp as everyone around them laughed, including Mikhail. He gave her a gentle nudge with his shoulder before moving away to talk with some soldiers. Jinx forced her eyes away from his very fine butt, accepting more well wishes. She’d had little time to contemplate Mikhail’s declaration from the day before, the one about them finding a way to be together. Though it was a big deal, what they, Brax and Sabre, had discovered eclipsed her love life.

Along with the missing pedigrees, the journal Brax found behind his mother’s painting revealed the truth behind all legacies. It was written by Ruari, the youngest triplet of King Drune. He was the grandson of Cerberus and the only triplet to survive a massacre. A bunch of other direct relatives were also killed on the same day, and Ruari documented a series of new powers over the following weeks. Powers he quickly became consumed by. It seemed Loki was right again: history was on repeat.

Ruari’s entry had stopped abruptly after a particularly wild tirade about weakness infiltrating the bloodlines of the Forefathers. After that, there was nothing. And no records of his abilities, nor his descent into madness, were ever recorded in any history books or archives that they could find. It was like the whole thing was simply swept under the rug.

Before Jinx could get too lost in the depressing thoughts, a perfect, ice-blue, long-stemmed rose was presented over her shoulder with a flourish. “Happy birthday, lovely Jinx,” was murmured into her ear.

Jinx took hold of the stem, noting it had been thoughtfully stripped of thorns. Smiling, she said, “Thank you, Lucifer.”

“Didn’t we talk about this?” Lucifer asked, appearing in front of her. “Call me Luca.”

She made the effort to roll her eyes even though he was successfully charming her. “Whatever you say … Luca.”

The handsome devil grinned at her, his white irises shining like marbles. “Hmm, I like the way my name sounds on your lips.”

“Say that a little louder. I don’t think Sabre heard you. Or better yet, Brax,” Jinx said.

“The demon prince is very protective of you,” Lucifer allowed, looping his elbow through hers and leading her to a seat at the table. “Not that I blame him. But I hear you have another demon lined up to take his place?”

Jinx pursed her lips. “You and Sabre have been gossiping again.”

“I do love gossip,” the King of Hell admitted. “There’s certainly plenty of it around at the moment.”

“You’re not wrong,” Jinx said, twirling the rose between her thumb and finger. “Mikhail and I are just friends. Don’t push, please. And I could do without any further jokes, too,” she added sternly.

Luca bowed his head respectfully. “Your wish is my command.” He gazed at her intently, and she fought the urge to fidget. “Are you okay? Sabre told me what happened with Zagan.”

Her current situation was so far removed from where she had been two nights ago that she’d forgotten all about her kidnapping for a moment. “I’m fine. Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

Luca raised his fist. “Badarse, babe.”

She dutifully bumped his knuckles with her own. “That’s me. Now, tell me about what’s going on with you. I understand Hell is a little more Hellish than usual?”

Lucifer grabbed a beer, cracked it open and took a long swallow. “Thanks to Zagan. That boy is making a mess of a lot of things.”

“That boy is the same age as Mikhail and Brax,” Jinx pointed out. “And he knows full well what he’s doing.”

“Sad …” Lucifer commented, rolling his drink between his hands. “But true.”

“We’re getting close,” Jinx said, hoping to relieve some of the Devil’s burden. She knew he was just as busy and stressed as they all were.

Lucifer nodded. His crooked smile didn’t meet his eyes. “Yes. You are.”

Before Jinx could question what he meant and why he suddenly looked so down, Sabre bounded over. “Luca!” she cheered. “You made it.”

Lucifer stood up and risked a maiming by hugging Sabre. “Sabre, my favourite leather-wearing assassin. Where’s your ball and chain?”

“Brax is with his brother,” Sabre promptly replied. “And the pair of them look like they want to scalp you.”

Jinx looked over her shoulder, finding Brax and Mikhail looking mighty pissed.

“Jealousy is an ugly emotion,” Lucifer told Sabre with a sniff.

“But sometimes a useful one,” Sabre retorted with a self-satisfied smirk.

Jinx groaned, slouching in her chair. “Please tell me you didn’t invite Luca because he’s a playboy, and you’re hoping Mikhail will lose his shit? I know what you put poor Eric up to that time in the library.”

“It worked, didn’t it? Mikhail scooped you up into his manly arms.” Sabre was completely unapologetic. “And no. That’s not why I invited Lucifer. I wanted you to be surrounded by people you enjoy. And by the people who know how special you are.”

Jinx grumbled because there was no way she could stay mad at Sabre now. She rose, throwing her arms around the woman who saved her. “Thank you, Sabre. I’m sure I don’t say it enough.”

Sabre returned the hug. “You do. More than enough. And you are so very welcome.”

Jinx stayed like that for a moment, soaking in the comfort and security of Sabre. She giggled when she felt a pair of masculine arms wrap around them both. “Luca …”

“What?” he asked innocently as they all broke apart. “I thought it was group hug time.”

Sabre gave him a healthy shove. “It’s present time.”

“Presents?” Jinx questioned, feeling a little overwhelmed.

“You bet,” Sabre confirmed. “And cake.” She whistled shrilly between her teeth. “Singing. Cake. Presents.”

As everyone gathered around, Jinx closely watched Mikhail when he formally introduced himself to Lucifer. She was happy to see he didn’t indulge in man-child games like crushing Lucifer’s hand when he shook it. Lucifer, for all his irreverent ways, was likewise respectful. Then it was time for her to blush when dozens of people sang “Happy Birthday” to her. After the sparklers died down and Sabre lit a single candle, Jinx met Mikhail’s eyes right before she made a wish. She kept her gaze steady when she blew it out, hoping her wish would come true one day.

“Mercy, would you mind cutting the cake? You’re good at slicing,” Sabre said before turning to Jinx with a large, poorly wrapped parcel. “Presents! Open mine first.”

Jinx shook her head, chuckling. She loved seeing Sabre so carefree. She cautiously peeled back the wrapping to reveal a … “You got me a bowling ball? Uh, thanks.”

“It’s not a bowling ball. It’s a giant pearl,” Sabre informed her amidst laughs and groans.

“Wow, Sabre. It’s really … pretty,” Jinx decided. It was flawless, glowing with a soft iridescent sheen. As she turned it over in her hands, its smooth surface reflected the light, casting tiny rainbows across the floor. “Is this what you were playing with in the library that day?”

“I didn’t have time to get you anything else,” Sabre said defensively. “Besides, it’s from Heaven. I’d like to see anyone beat that.”

“It's not a competition, my love,” Brax reminded Sabre, smacking her lightly on the rear before handing Jinx a small box wrapped in silver paper. “This is from Gage, Eric, Draven, and I. We kind of joined forces. As Sabre said, we didn’t have a lot of notice. Sorry.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jinx scolded Brax. “You’ve all done an amazing job. Just having you all here is gift enough.”

When Eric and Draven blushed, and Gage blew her a kiss, she unwrapped the gift to reveal a black velvet jewellery box. Inside nestled a delicate silver charm bracelet. Looking closely, she realised that each charm represented a cherished friend. A heart from Gage, a fang from Eric, wings from Draven, and a little crown from Abraxis. She bit her lip and busied herself with trying to put the bracelet on, hoping nobody noticed the tears in her eyes.

“Allow me,” Mikhail said quietly, gently latching the silver chain around her left wrist.

She smiled at him. “Thanks. And thank you, boys. This is gorgeous. I absolutely love it.”

“Because Draven is the only one of us capable of shopping without having a breakdown, he got it,” Brax revealed. “But we all thought of it.”

“It’s wonderful,” Jinx promised them all. I’m so lucky, she thought silently, hardly able to believe how far her fate had shifted from when she was a child. She spent the next ten minutes opening gift after gift. They were an eclectic mix of functionality, frivolity, and heart. Just as she thought she was safe from another scented candle, Gage handed her a white box with a red ribbon around it.

“There’s one more,” he said helpfully. “No card.”

Jinx murmured her thanks, relieved when the guests went back to chatting. She was never entirely comfortable with so many eyes on her. Her fingers deftly undid the ribbon, and her breath caught in her throat as she lifted the box lid. A slender band of polished metal lay, nestled in tissue paper—a collar almost identical to the one from her painful past.

Memories flooded back unbidden: the cold walls, the harsh voices, the degradation and despair. She blinked rapidly, willing away the hot tears that threatened to spill.

“What'd you get, Jinx?” Eric called cheerfully from across the room.

Jinx plastered on a smile, shoving the collar deep into the gift box. “Some more socks,” she lied smoothly. She tucked the box under a pile of discarded wrapping paper, scooping it all up in her arms. “I’m just going to tidy up some.”

She headed straight for the rubbish bin outside. With shaking hands, she pulled out the box containing the collar and tossed it in. She watched as it landed with a satisfying thud among the discarded food wrappers and empty cans. She had no idea who would do such a thing, but she knew there would be hell to pay if anyone behind those doors found out.

Finally able to breathe again, Jinx turned to head back inside when she heard a noise behind her. Whipping around, she saw Mikhail standing there with a concerned look on her face.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

She brushed imaginary fluff off her pants, avoiding eye contact. “Yes. Of course. I was just putting some rubbish in the bin and getting some fresh air while I’m at it.”

Mikhail’s green eyes flicked to the bin behind her, but thankfully, he made no comment about it. “I was wondering if you would allow me to give you a gift.”

Her first inclination was to tell him no. She’d had more than enough presents now. “You don’t need to give me anything, Mikhail.”

“I know. But I want to,” he insisted. “Will you let me?”

Jinx hesitated one last time before agreeing. “Okay.”

His relieved grin was boyish and charming. “Great. Will you meet me in the gardens near Brax’s rooms tomorrow?”

“Oh.” That wasn’t exactly what she had in mind, but she went with it. “Sure. What time? What should I wear?”

“How about midday?” Mikhail offered after thinking for a second. “And wear anything you want. You always look beautiful.”

Her smile faltered a little when she thought of the collar lying in the bin behind her. She didn’t feel beautiful. Not anymore. And what was worse, someone else knew just how ugly her past was as well.