Chapter 7 – Underworld Vibes
Juniper
I yawn, sitting up and lifting my arms above my head, smiling as my muscles stretch deliciously after my little nap.
“How’d it go?” Anton asks, lounging casually by my side in the very fancy suite that we’ve commandeered at the top of the palace. I grin as I take a moment to look at him, loving his pretty blue sparkly face, especially when he smirks at me like that.
“Pretty good, I think,” I say, nodding eagerly and glancing over at Orion, out on the balcony looking into the distance. My eyes move next to Laila, who makes me a coffee at the little lunch buffet we called up. “That sleeping potion really knocked me out, but I think the dream went through.”
“Selkie sleep elixir always works wonders,” Laila says cheerfully, carrying my cup over to me. I take it from her with a big smile, grateful. She sighs happily and sits on the bed with Anton and me. “So, what do we do now?”
“I don’t know,” I murmur, shrugging and taking a long sip of the coffee as I fold my legs beneath me. “Whatever we were doing before? I have no idea if the dream message actually worked with a mother/daughter bond, no matter how hard I pressed. Or maybe mom didn’t believe the dream? Or maybe she won’t send anyone?” I shrug. “I guess we just wait and see.”
“Hopefully not too long,” Anton murmurs, glancing out past Orion at the blackness that swells on the horizon, pressing ever nearer. “I’m not sure how long Orion’s barrier is going to hold out.”
I sigh, squeezing my cup tighter, likewise looking at the barrier that shifts every day slightly closer to the palace. The God of Darkness is…not pleased with the fact that I’ve claimed the throne. And he’s gaining ground.
While we’re safe for now…Anton is right. I’d rather come back to face him when I’m fully prepared.
“Okay!” Laila blurts out, perhaps too cheerful as she jumps up from the bed, trying to distract us from our worries. “Who wants sardines!? Come on, Junie, you’ve got to be hungr-“
But she gives a little shriek as the sound of bubblegum popping sounds in the air and three figures suddenly appear, weapons clutched tight in their hands.
“What’s happening?” Jackson shouts, storming towards the bed. I shriek, vanishing my coffee on instinct and scuttling away from him. I press my back to the pillows and the headboard, totally freaked to see this gigantic Alpha storming towards me, fangs extended.
“Point me at ‘em, rat!” Midnight shouts, brandishing – oh my god, who gave her a knife!? “I will protect you!”
Jesse just spins, looking everywhere, his chest heaving. My eyes go wider when I see that he’s absolutely covered in guns besides having one in each hand.
“Oh my god!” I shout, pressing myself further back. “Would you all chill out!?”
Orion storms back into the room, letting out a mighty roar – I think thinking them the foes –
Laila shrieks and throws herself to the ground, covering her head –
But Anton leaps up and shifts into his gigantic ghost wolf, letting out a huge yowl that draws all eyes to him. Everyone stops for a second and stares – even me. I mean, how often does your boyfriend shift into a huge starlit wolf and stand on your bed, snarling at your friends and family?
When everyone’s completely still, Anton shifts back. “All right!” he says, hands held out to his sides, palms flat. “Everyone is gonna calm down, right!?”
We all stay still for a moment, panting, adjusting. And then Jackson groans, dropping a gun onto the foot of my bed and burying his fingers in his hair. “Are you serious, June!?” he bites out, glaring at me, his chest heaving. “You’re fine!?”
“Yes!” I say, nodding fervently. “I’m fine!”
“I mean,” Jesse murmurs, striding to the balcony door and grimacing at the huge swell of darkness in the distance. “Are you…sure?”
“Well,” I say, shrugging. “I’m fine for now.”
“Then what the fuck was all that!?” Jackson bites out, still livid. “Why – why did you scare the hell out of your mom with that dream!?”
I grimace, shrugging again, deeper this time. “Um, I wasn’t sure it was going to go through? Or how much of it? So…maybe I over-stated the need for assistance…a little bit? In case she only got part of it?”
Jackson groans again, turning away from me and taking a moment, dropping his head into his palm. I smile warmly at my brother-in-law’s turned back, liking very much this new proof of how much he truly cares.
“Why are you on the floor?” Midnight asks, peering down at Laila, who raises her head high enough to peek over the bed at me before turning her eyes up at Midnight.
“Just…nice down here,” Laila murmurs, blushing.
“So, you don’t want to be brought back to Moon Valley?” Jesse asks, turning back to me and striding over to the bed. On his way he nods his hello to Orion and then lifts a passive hand to Anton for a high-five, all while keeping his eyes on me. Anton grins and smacks my cousin’s hand while Orion just shakes his head, clearly not understanding Jesse at all.
“No, we still want to go home,” I say, nodding eagerly to Jesse. I grin and point at Anton. “We’re gonna get him his body back.”
“Sick!” Jesse says, beaming up at Tony, lifting his hand for a fist bump. Anton laughs and gives it, quite pleased to be reunited with his friend.
“Okay,” Midnight says, grasping the funny little charm around her neck. “I’m going to go tell the Blonde and the Not-a-Whore and the Golden One that you’re not dead.” I turn to ask what on earth she’s talking about, but quite suddenly she isn’t there.
I frown, thinking for the thousandth time that she certainly is a strange little creature. “What’s the Golden One?”
“June, you seriously upset a lot of people,” Jackson says with a sigh, turning back to me. Orion steps closer to him and the two briefly shake hands, glad to see each other again now that the panic has subsided.
“I’m sorrryyy,” I say, my shoulders turning in as I pout, feeling genuinely bad about it and wanting everyone to ease up on me a bit. I’m new to this whole infinite power thing, after all. “It was my first time doing that! I’m not good at it yet!”
Anton laughs and I look up to see him grinning down at me, entertained by me even when no one else is. I grin back.
“All right, well,” Jackson says, holding out a hand to Laila and helping her off the floor. “You called. Let’s go. Everyone hold hands so we’re ready when Midnight comes back -”
“Oh, we can’t go yet,” I say, flapping a hand at him as I swing my legs off the edge of the bed and stand up. Tony hops down after me, coming to my side. “I haven’t even packed –“
“Packed!?”
I turn back to Jackson with a frown. “Do you need an explanation of what packing is, Jackson?”
He glares at me. “You called us for an emergency pickup, June. We’re going. Now. You seriously disrupted our lives and our evening –“
“It’s evening at home?” I ask, interrupting with perfect nonchalance, moving to my wardrobe and mentally going through the things I want to bring.
Jesse laughs and Jackson stutters to a stop, mid-harangue. “Uh, yes?”
“See, I never know what time it is here,” I say with a sigh, tossing a hand towards the window before stepping into my huge walk-in closet, looking around at all of my clothes and leaving Jackson’s concerns behind. Anton follows me in, slipping an arm around my waist and tugging me close.
“You need to go easier on them, June,” he murmurs as I hear Laila offering Jackson some fish back in the main bedroom. “I think you scared the shit out of them.”
“I know,” I say with a guilty sigh, wrapping my arms around his waist and leaning against him, looking up at him with big puppy eyes. “And I feel really bad. But yelling at me isn’t making it any better, is it?”
“Brat,” he murmurs, smirking down at me, his other arm going around me too, one hand slipping dangerously low on my back.
I forget all about packing my clothes. “You like me bratty,” I say, throaty and low.
“No, I like it when you’re nice. And good. Like a proper Princess.” His smirk deepens, betraying him.
“Liessss,” I hiss, grinning up at my ghost boy. He just snarls, baring his teeth, playful and sexy and –
Pop!
Both of our heads spin towards the sound out in the main room.
“Hi!” Ariel’s voice rings out, laughing. “Hi, hi!”
Anton and I move together, smiles on both of our faces as we come back into the bedroom to see Midnight moving over to Orion as Ariel stands in the center of the room, beaming around at everyone. Marigold is perched on Ariel’s hip, sniffing and reaching for Jackson already. The redheaded girl from Midwinter is there too – Daphne, I think? She looks around in wonder at my suite and the sight beyond the balcony.
“Hi!” I say, striding over to my sister. Anton follows. “Welcome!”
“Oh my god, Ariel,” Jackson says with a sigh, reaching for Marigold, who cries out for him. “What on earth are you doing here!?”
Ariel’s eyebrows go up as she turns to her mate in surprise.