“No, I want to be this wound up for you all day, since I have something special planned tonight. And you’re going to need to eat a lot, Tamsin. You’ll need your strength.”
I groaned. Just groaned. That sounded fantastic.
I checked that the councilman and his people were gone before taking down the barrier.
“Well, you two were doing dirty things,” Natalie teased, blinking at whatever state we were in. “Was it good?”
I snorted. “Always. And yes, we like to have fun.”
“That we do, agra,” Darby chuckled, hugging me to him and kissing my neck. “That we do.” He let me go and tended to the grill, building me a big plate and Izzy a smaller one. Mel took over when she arrived with Colton and a few of her cousins.
“So, explain this to me again, and I promise I won’t be a smartass,” I said in between bites. “It’s basically American football, but with runes.”
“Yes, your throwing banana peels on the ground, flying brooms, and other snarks were not appreciated, as this gets intense fast,” Mel drawled.
“You said an ice rune and I’m sorry, my mind immediately went to—”
“Yeah, yeah, but you can be sort of demeaning at times, Tams,” Izzy cut in. “They train hardcore, just like you do, and deserve respect.”
I felt two inches tall to get a lecture like that from Izzy. “I don’t mean to be, I really don’t. I don’t ever feel apart of any of this and always the outsider. I’m not one of you. I still forget I’m not human, and this is all a lot, even after a year. It doesn’t make sense a lot of times when you guys explain things, and I get snarky when I feel stupid and left out.”
I flinched when I realize everyone around me had frozen during my ramble. I cleared my throat and took too big of a bite of my hot dog. I didn’t like I’d said all of that, but it was true. I always felt the odd man out and with good reason.
I was the last fairy.
I was an unknown.
I was way more powerful than them.
I was the only one in this world staying undeclared.
I didn’t go to high school or get into Artemis the way they did.
There was always something, and a list of ways I was seriously different from them.
“It’s my fault at times because I’ve known you so long, and I assume you always understand Mel,” Mel said gently. “I’m sorry. It is a lot.”
Colton seemed to read the tension—something he was always good at doing—and took over. “But you’re right that it’s basically football with runes. I don’t know much about American football since I grew up on magical football, but I think instead of a couple of defenders, you have positions of casters, which are warlocks who are slinging out runes.”
I bobbed my head. “Which vary whether you have possession of the ball or not. Trip the guys trying to tackle yours, or get the ball if you don’t have it.”
“Yes, but the limits are much, much tighter than you had with the Power Playoffs, or even in sparring, as there are too many other distractions,” he continued. “So ice, but no fire. Water and air, but not electricity or other basics that can be too dangerous when there’s a lot of lack of focus. Anyone who could pull off your barriers would have a total edge that would be unreal.”
“And the field is bigger, wider in the stadium.”
“Yeah, and the pace is faster than human football. It’s—the pace is what makes it so difficult,” Mel added. “You’ll see. It’s—they hustle. I’m shocked you haven’t seen them all racing around campus to get their miles in as well.”
I shrugged. “I stick to my path, and I’m fairly in my head during my runs. I could have, but I’m glad most haven’t found my routine, as you know there are those who would bother it.”
Darby snorted. “Not with as fast as you’ve gotten. I’m fast as a vampire, Tamsin, but you can go for miles pretty damn fast. I don’t hate running as much anymore, but I’m done after a couple of miles, and I can’t do that pace as a vampire.
Well, that was something. It was always nice to hear that I’d improved.
Energy danced over my skin, and I knew he’d joined us before he spoke. “Are these the boxes we can take for our tables?”
I glanced up and met Hudson’s gaze, swallowing loudly. It was hard being around him, even as friends, and trying to let him back in. He’d chilled a lot now that I’d stopped shutting him out. At least, according to Mel and Lucca, but I never saw that side of him that flipped out really.
But it was hard. I didn’t know if I could ever forgive him and to me, this seemed like… Cruel. It seemed cruel for us both and false hope for something I didn’t think could ever truly happen.
“Yeah, the hobgoblins drew goofy dragon faces on your boxes because you know they always try to make you laugh,” I answered, trying to keep my voice even and easy.
He smiled at me. “Because someone told them I was too stern all the time.”
“I think they figured that out on their own. It’s not much to snitch on.”
“Thank you for getting it for us, Tamsin.”
“Anytime.” I glanced away from his intense gaze and was glad when Mel got up to flip burgers, asking for some more, and fries. Distractions were good.
And I was starving. Shocker.
Everyone started cleaning up while I did my part and ate the rest of everything. I simply shrugged as the others chuckled
