Maxon (33 page)

Authors: Christina Bauer

“About what?” I ask.

Dad beams from ear to ear. “You're going to have a baby sister.”

“Really?” I raise my brows. “You're too old for another kid. I mean, I know we've got an extra-long lifespan and allâ¦”

Mom raises her right brow. “Keep talking like that, and I'm liable to get insulted.”

“No, I meanâ¦ That isâ¦” I scrub my hands over my face.

You're babbling, Maxon.

“Here's the thing,” I say. “I thought Mom couldn't get pregnant. There can only be one Scala and one Scala Heir, and I'm the Heir.”

“And you lost that job when you changed into an elemental,” says Dad.

“Exactly,” says Mom. “You practically threw a party when you found out the igni weren't coming back, remember?”

I rub my chin. “Uh, I forgot about that.”

“You did?” Mom's face gets all pale and worried.

“I've had other stuff on my mind, Mom.”

Plus, igni get on my nerves. Once I knew I didn't have to deal with them, it's like I automatically erased them from my memory.

Mom turns to Dad. “Do you think he's fully recovered from his change to an elemental?”

“He's fine,” says Dad.

Mom keeps going. She's on a roll.

“Maybe you suffered some kind of brain damage.” Mom raises her hand up to my face. “How many fingers am I holding up, baby?”

Dad lets out a low chuckle. “Give Maxon a minute. He'll put two and two together.”

“Yeah. Let's do what Dad said.”

I stare at them both, trying to process this news. Mom's right. There isn't a Scala Heir anymore so it makes perfect sense that a new one would be needed. And who better than Mom and Dad to bring up the new Heir?

All kind of warm and happy now bubble up through my chest. “I'm going to be a brother!” I wrap Mom and Dad big hugs. “This is great news.”

And speaking of karmic payback, Mom and dad deserve some of the positive variety. My parents got a major shaft when I was abducted. This time around, maybe they can have a typical parenting experience. Well, as typical as you get when you're supernatural thrax royalty.

“Glad to see that you're excited, son.”

“I should've guessed this would happen,” I say. “The igni worship Mom.” I shoot her a sly wink. “When they got in my head, half of what they said was about you.”

“And what was that, exactly?” she asks.

“Hell if I know. It was a lot of nonsense with your name thrown in every so often.”

Mom all-out laughs, which is one of my favorite sounds in the world. “That's the igni, all right. They have lots of opinions on the baby, too.”

My brows lift with interest. “Like what?”

“Her name,” explains Dad. “They want her to be called Portia.”

At this moment, my grandfather Xavier leans over my shoulder to pop his head into the group. “Hello, everyone!”

“Pops!” Now, Dad's not the only one smiling from ear to ear. I'm beaming, too. “I thought you and Grandma Cam couldn't make it.”

“One advantage of being an archangel,” says Pops with his toothy grin. “You can tell the other angels to reschedule conventions and they go along with it, no problem.”

Grandma Cam bursts into the group and kisses my cheek. “Your grandfather cancels things and then I have to reschedule them. We have our system down to a science.”

No surprise, there.
The pair of them have been running Purgatory for years.

“I've been thinking,” says a still-smiley Pops. “The after-realms need monarkki for Fire and Earth.”

Not sure where this is going. Knowing my grandfather, it's a short list of places.

“Yeah, Pops?”

“Well, the easiest way to create new monarkki is for you and Lianna to start a family.”

And that would be one of his favorite places. Grandkid-ville.

“Don't push it, Pops. Lianna and I haven't known each other for veryâ¦”

I freeze mid-sentence. There's more for me to say here. Really, there is. Still, I can't get another word out. That's because Lianna's finally shown up and damn, she looks gorgeous.

My family says a bunch of stuff about her, but I don't hear them. There are people around Lianna, complimenting her blue gown and long blonde hair. I don't see them, either.

There's only her.

I march up to my woman, wrap my arms around her, and kiss her with everything I've got.

“And hello to you, too,” she says with a smile.

“You know how to dance?” I ask.

“Wasn't part of classic monarkki training.”

“Damn.” I lean into her ear and speak in a growling-whisper, which I know drives her crazy. “I need my hands on you.” I nuzzle into her neck and her hair smells fucking awesome. How does she do that? Take a bath in strawberries or something?

A smile sounds in her voice. “I'm supposed to meet the thrax nobility. Your grandmother was most specific.”

I scrub my hands down my face and admit the truth to myself. Yeah, G is right on this one. The thrax are taking my change in status pretty well, considering I'm technically no longer thrax. This night is about getting them used to Lianna and me as elemental rulers.

And about my surprise for Lianna, too. But that'll have to wait.

I steel my shoulders and slap on a half-hearted smile. This is what G calls the âroyal expression' and it's what we're supposed to use at formal stuff.

“Let's do this,” I say.

Lianna stares at me for a long minute. “Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that you have something else up your sleeve?”

“Because I do.”

Her mouth opens, ready to ask a slew of questions, so I whisk her off to meet the Earl of Striga.

And this is the first rule of Furor seduction: Anticipation makes everything better.

Lianna meets all the earls and nobles. The guys come by too, and we gab it up. They all look great, fully recovered after the battle with Zephyr. The night passes pretty quickly. As formal balls go, it's one of the best. It may have something to do with Lianna being at my side, too. Actually, it has everything to do with her. I could hang around watching paint dry and it would be fun if she were with me. Before I know it, the herald announces the end of the evening.

Lianna scans the room while worrying her lower lip with her teeth. Not sure I like that look. “What's wrong, beautiful?”

“Walker never showed up.”

“Oh, that.”

“You know where he is?”

“Yup.” I pull Lianna close to me again. “You ready for your surprise?”

He gives me one of her dazzling smiles. “Absolutely.”

We head off to one of my hidden Pulpitum and take a quick ride up to the Earth's surface. For sentimental reasons, I pick the station near Charybdis. We step outside into the darkened desert, and Walker's waiting for us, his long black ghoul robes fluttering in the breeze. When he spies Lianna in her crown, his face glows with happiness.

“Lianna,” says Walker. “You're the monarkki at last.”

“Thanks to you.” She wraps him in a big hug. “Wish you could've been at my crowning.”

“Me, too,” he replies. “However, I understand why it was a closed event. The Valta had enough to adjust to, what with it being a double coronation and all. Allowing outsiders in would've put everyone on edge.”

“You were there in my heart,” she whispers.

Now, I don't want to be a jealous little bitch here, but I can't help it. The hug and happy chatter are lasting way too long, so I step closer and rest my hand on Lianna's shoulder.

“That's enough of a hello, don't you think?”

Walker backs off, a sly look in his all-black eyes. “Why, you jealous?”

“Hell, yeah. Besides, you're here for another reason.”

Lianna playfully swats at Walker's shoulder. “This better be good. I can't believe that you missed my ball.”

“Oh, it's good,” says Walker as he opens a portal behind him. After linking hands, we all step into the darkness. Seconds later, we reappear at the top of a black volcano in Hawaiian islands. Portal travel is sweet.

I cup Lianna's cheek. “You okay, beautiful?” Although I like portals, some people get dizzy. Plus, any excuse to touch Lianna is a good one.

“No, I'm good.”

Lianna steps around, taking in the view. It's nighttime here too, with a sea of stars wheeling over our heads. Far below, the ocean rolls over a beach of black sand. Nearby, the red mouth of the volcano lights up the night sky. I set my hands on my hips, thinking the same thought as when I first found this place.

It's perfect.

“So this is what you've been up to?” asks Lianna. “Hanging out by volcanoes?”

Walker winks. “Something like that.”

I slip my arm about her waist. “Ready for your surprise, beautiful?”

Lianna bobs a little on the balls of her feet. “Sure.”

Walker snaps his fingers and a crystal palace appears above our heads. Starlight glistens through the milky-white stone. It's three stories high with lots of spires and towers. Walker said women like stuff like that. Lianna stares at it for a long minute, her mouth falling open.

“You don't like it?” I ask.

Lianna tries to talk, but she starts crying instead. Fuck, I did something wrong. This was supposed to be perfect.

I exchange a defeated look with Walker. We've been working on this for months.

“Sorry, beautiful.”

She speaks through sobs. “No, Maxon. Theseâ¦ Areâ¦ Happyâ¦ Tears.”

“So, you're crying because you're so
happy
?”

More sobs. “Yes.”

I smile my face off. “That's good news, beautiful.”

That's as far as I get before Lianna's mouth is on mine and we're a tangle of limbs on the warm green grass. When I come up for air, I wave Walker off and he has the good sense to portal away.

Lianna finally comes up for air, too. “It's so lovely. Is it for me?”

“It's for us, actually. This is what Walker's been working on. This place is the perfect mix of earth, sky, fire, and water. It's our joint castle.”

I don't want to scare her off, but I made sure there was lots of room for kids, too. Pops was right about the Monarkki for Fire and Earth. Lianna and I really need to do our bit there, eventually. Of course, there's lots of time for that.

Lianna gives me another teary smile, and this time, I know exactly what it means. She's happy. Time to go for the close.

Before I lose my nerve, I fall onto one knee and pull out the royal betrothal jewels. They've been burning a hole in my tunic all night. I meet Lianna's semi-stunned gaze.

“What do you say, marry me?”

Lianna tilts her head, confused, and I realize I may have jumped the gun. Lianna's lived her life in a cabin. Plus, I have no idea what elemental traditions are for this. Who knows if I made the right move?

“Is that what elementals do?” I ask quickly. “They get married?”

Shit, I should know this stuff.

The confusion drops away from her face. “Yes.”

I raise my brows. “So, which question were you answering?”

Her smile turns so bright, it's dazzling. “Both of them.”

Lianna's body literally beams with joy. Gray light shimmers across my skin too.

She said yes.

“All right.” I set the necklace, earrings, and rings on her. “I didn't think it could happen, but you look even more beautiful now.”

She slips her hands in mine. “So, is the palace ready for inspection?”

“It's built out in some parts.”

“Is there a bedroom yet?” Her skin starts to glow a different shade of blue, and I'm definitely liking where she's going with this.

I act all cool. No need for her to know how much I want to tear everything off her right now. “The bedroom's just a floorboard and some tarps.”

“Never too early to test it out, though.”

“Yeah.”

Acting in unison, Lianna and I change into our mist and smoke forms. Together we rise up to the palace gate. Happiness radiates through my soul. This has been a crazy long journey, one that started with torture in Hell and it ended with a castle in the sky. It wasn't an easy road, but it brought me to Lianna.

And given the choice, I'd do it all again.

She's worth it.

The story continues with
Portia.
Out on October 27, 2015