Page 29 of Charisma
“Perfect. They’re all absolutely perfect.” I say, admiring the new additions to our family.
Maverick and Paxton, both carting their babies in their arms, walk toward one another and introduce the children to each other. It’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.
“I want one,” Baldwin whispers in my ear.
“Just one?” I interrogate.
“For now,” he remarks.
“Then we’ll start working on that tonight,” I state, patting his hand that’s wrapped across my shoulders.
“Promise, Risma?”
“I swear, snow bear. We’ll start working on the next adventure in our lives the second we make it home.”
“Love you, Vampiress.”
“Love you too, my everything.”
BALDWIN
THREE WEEKS LATER
“So,it’s been verified? There are no doubts whatsoever? We only managed to vanquish the low-level demons, the higher-ranking ones, the most powerful and scary assed motherfuckers are still hovering ready to pounce?” I ask, wanting to clarify the things I just heard come out of Mara and Esmerelda’s mouths.
“That’d be correct,” Mara answers, anger keen in her eyes.
“What do we do now?” Maverick wonders. “Colton was at a complete loss of where to go from here when I called him with an update. If the‘highest supreme witches’known to exist cannot overpower the dead souls with the most potent spell to ever be written and cast, does this mean we’re all doomed?”
“No, it just means our mission has changed,” Esmerelda explains.
“Changed how?” I probe.
“You and Risma will leave with the dragons when they need to go back home, correct?” Esmerelda asks, her brows raised daring me to contradict her way of thinking.
“Yeah, about that,” I say, clearing my throat. I lay my cards on the table, explaining how I’ve duped them into believing that I’m a ditz. How my father said it needed to be this way until my future path revealed itself to me. And how my bear insists that we are the protector of these three dragons, that we were born to watch their backs.
“Wow,” Paxton whistles, “you’ve done a damn good job fooling us into believing that you’re a complete and utter dumb ass.”
“Thank you,” I reply, blowing on my knuckles before rubbing them over my chest cavity. “Y’all were easy to con, I think that says more about y’all than it does about me.” I send a wide, sardonic smile around the men and women sitting at the table; proud of myself for once coming across as an intellectual being instead of an airhead.
“Whatever,” Paxton huffs, crossing his arms over his chest, but I don’t miss the proud smile that crosses his face before he quickly covers it up with a blank look.
“Can we get back to the topic on the table, please?” Maverick blows a frustrated breath before shifting his eyes back and forth between Pax and myself. “Y’all can compare dick sizes later when none of us are around and involuntarily forced to watch the façade.”
“Hey, I resent that remark, Mav. My dick is not a façade. It’s a real, live, breathing part of my body, thank you very much,” I harrumph.
“What he said,” Paxton agrees, nodding his head toward me.
“I swear, not a brain cell between the two of you,” Mav mutters, causing the tension in the room to fracture as we all chuckle at his indignation from our ribbing and bantering. Just because they now know I’m smart doesn't mean I can’t still be a smartass when the situation calls for it. And we’ve all been stressed enough that I don’t mind playing the class clown here and there if it makes them smile.
Beast clears his throat, transferring my attention to him. “You were just gonna leave? Just like that? What about me? Esme? Clementine?”
“I was gonna talk to you, first, Beast. You’re my brother, of course I was gonna tell you first. You can come, you know. Both of you. We’re gonna need numbers to fight these demon assholes,” I coax.
“So, what, we’re splitting up?” Mav asks, not looking pleased by this thought.
“That’s what this conversation was going to be about. The entire reason I called this meeting,” Esmerelda conveys, frustration now evident on her face as we keep deviating from the topic at hand.