Shade's POV

I lie on my cot, staring at the top of my tent. Even though I'm sweating, I can't muster up the energy to move from underneath my blanket. Other than when using the bathroom or eating, I have stayed here ever since I finished my training yesterday. The exertion wasn't enough to fog my brain even though I was about to collapse.

My head has been pounding relentlessly, and it feels like everything that I eat is going to come right back up and onto the floor. Beneath my nose is dry and flaky from the snot that I've had to wipe off, and the same goes for my cheeks from my tears.

To say I was blindsided by Nya is an understatement. I understand that she had no clue that Jay was still alive, but she knew the whole time that I would still be waiting for her. In my mind, a break is just time apart, not a pause in the commitment. She clearly didn't feel the same way.

Nya and I are by no means the perfect couple. We argue over little things and get sucked into our individual worlds. We're defensive and use attacks to shield ourselves. Even with that, she's never landed a harder blow on me than yesterday.
Twelve times, they had sex twelve times. One can be an accident, even maybe two if they're on the same night or if you're drinking, but twelve? That's very deliberate, especially since it's been over a year since Nya and I did it.

It's not as though I'm not attracted to Nya. She is objectively one of the most gorgeous women I have ever seen. Even though I'm not big on touching others, it's not as though I don't want to do that type of stuff with her. Things are just always so hectic in the army, and when I'm not working, I usually don't have the energy to initiate things.

Did he seduce her into doing it with him? That has to be it because if she ever wanted to do it, she could have just done it with me. Plus, if she wanted to do it with him, she surely wanted to do it with me. He was just an easy break from reality. He had to have been.

It doesn't even matter anymore. At this point, I should consider myself broken up with. It is sickening what happened (my nausea can attest to that), but I shouldn't have lost my temper like that. Not only did I throw the ring into the water, but I cussed Nya out, and I love Nya. She was 100% in the wrong, but I should have kept myself in check, and now, she's probably made it thirteen times.

I lost my companion of over three hundred years, and now my bones feel hollow. A tear rolls down my cheek as I continue to look at the same beige cover for who knows how long.

"I know you probably don't want to see me, but can we talk?" her voice halts all of my thoughts.

I shoot up, hinging at my hips so that I'm now sitting. My blanket falls off of my torso, but when her deep brown eyes scan over me, I pull it back up to cover myself. She has seen me naked over 100 times, and I never felt the urge to hide myself. But now? Jay isn't Cole by any means, but my pasty, lean frame has nothing on him. Considering my girlfriend has been in his arms as of late, I don't want any comparisons to be made.

"Yes, of course," I let out a cough, quickly reaching up to dry my cheeks. "Let me find some clothes..."

I roll out of bed in my black boxers. I pick the first two items off of my clothes stack and slip them on even though they're technically dirty. "Can we just sit on my cot?"

"Sure," the two of us reach the stretched piece of fabric and take a seat on opposite sides.

She digs around her pocket before reaching over and dropping something in my lap. "There's the ring. I used my powers to get it out once you left."

I can't even move to grab it. I just stare at the little trinket that I was so excited to give to her. "If you're going to break up with me, just do it," I state, keeping my face neutral.

"I could say the same to you," she responds in the same tone.

This neutrality in the air makes my skin crawl since usually the anger and heat overpowers everything else. "I am sorry for losing my temper." I make the first move to try to lessen the tension.

"I don't blame you, and I'm sorry too, for everything," neither of us make eye contact. "It's a lot to take in, especially in front of an audience. I probably would have done the same thing. We've always been similar in our reactions."

"Why did you do it?" I finally glance over at her, but she is looking at a stain on the wall.

"It's a mix of a lot of things," she responds slowly, "There's history there, of course, and... I guess he makes me feel safe. Not in a 'he's going to protect me from a bad guy' type of safe, but more of an 'I can be vulnerable' type..."

"You can be vulnerable around me," I cut her off.

"Can I though?" she shakes her head back and forth. "My needs have been trampled by yours for as long as I've known you. You take my ideas into account when they line up with yours, but when they don't, like me wanting to talk first yesterday, you just disregard me or treat me like a nuisance. How can I share anything with you when I'm worried that you'll make me feel like a fool because of it."

My chest flares up, and I open my mouth to defend myself before I can't myself and snap it back shut. "Nya..." I stick my hand out and place it atop of hers. She glances at them, but she doesn't make a move to flip hers so our fingers can intertwine. "I am sorry that I've done that. I will work on it, I really will, if you give me the chance."

A heavy silence overtakes us for twenty seconds before I talk again. "Do I even have a chance, Nya?"

"Yes, I haven't given you a fair one, after all," now, she turns her hand, and I lace my fingers with hers.

"Let me meet your brother," I insist even though the thought heightens my nausea.

Now, her eyes finally meet mine as her eyebrows are slightly drawn together. "Why would you want that?"

"You love him. It's obvious, and I'm sure you enjoy that he and Jay get along so well. I want to show you that I can too," I squeeze onto her hand a bit tighter.

"Skylor would have to come too, of course..."
"She's okay now?" I ask, too busy focusing on the weight of her hand in mine to have any big reaction.

"Yeah, apparently she remembered everything last night. I haven't seen hair nor hide of either of them since it happened, but I certainly have heard them," she shivers. "I'm seeing them tonight though."

"Does that mean they can have dinner with us in two days?" I suggest.

The corners of her lips tug upwards. "Yeah, most likely." She stands up, disconnecting our hands. "I'm glad we could work through this. I told Aspen that I would help her try to speed up getting back her powers. Is it alright if I go," she points behind her shoulder to the slit that leads out of my tent, "or do you have anything else you want to say?"

"Can I...have a hug?" I stand up and stick my arms out.

She walks into them, and I pull her tightly against me. One hand is on her waist while the other travels up and down her back. I feel her boobs pressed against my chest, making my face go a bit red. It's not something that I typically notice, but now it's all that I can think about.

I lean my face down to the crook of her neck, initially just resting there before I bring my lips to it. It starts as a quick peck before I make my kisses longer and harder in a way that's sure to draw her in. My heart races as I lightly suck on her neck while running my tongue across her skin. Maybe if I can get her into bed with me like Jay did, then I can...

"Haha," she lets out a halfhearted laugh as she takes a step back. "I have to go, but I'm sure we'll meet up later, yeah?"

---

Kai's POV

"I can't wait for you to meet Nya," I say before placing a kiss on Skylor's cheek. My arm is wrapped around her shoulder, and I pull her closer to me as we walk to the common space where everyone is meeting up tonight.

"Well I have met Nya," she corrects me with a little smirk on her face. "Just not when she could talk, walk, or do anything, really. She's still a baby in my head."

"My bad, your highness," I joke along with her, my whole body feeling lighter. "You'll also be meeting Cole's soulmate, Seliel. I haven't actually met her yet since I've been so busy watching over you, but apparently she's a princess who despises the patriarchy too, so you should get along just fine."

"How will anyone ever tell us apart?" she dramatically huffs.

"Well I know my girl is the redhead with the killer ass," I remark.

Skylor's jaw slightly drops as her eyebrows raise and she backhands me in the chest.

"We're no longer in the castle, Babe. I can compliment you however and whenever I want," I place a kiss on her parted lips and get a fuzzy chest. "We're here, by the way." I open the door and shuffle out of the way to hold it for her.

"And they claim that chivalry is dead," she walks through and gives me a peck that sends fire across my whole body.

"I try my best," I shoot her a wink that makes her roll her eyes.

Seeing as we are the last ones to arrive, Skylor is bombarded by hugs from PIXAL (who she already had a long talk with earlier today) and the guys. Rumi (not the hugger) gives her a brief wave while Nya and who I'd guess is Seliel stand shifting from side to side behind everyone.

"Skylooor, I'm so glad to see you again. I know I saw you on the night we brought you here and that day on the mountain, but it wasn't really you you, you know?" Jay gives her a squeeze while balancing his drink.

"I see you haven't changed a bit, Jay," my soulmate laughs before turning to the other one of us she hadn't yet seen. "Cole! How is it that you've gotten even bigger than before?"

"I have no idea," he laughs as they hug. "You look the same, but you didn't technically age, right?"

"Nope, it's as if I was still living back then," she flashes him a smile.

"Princess, come over," he says, and the girl with the wavy brown hair comes walking over with a matching drink to Jay's in her hand. "Princess, this is Kai, the master of fire, and Princess Skylor." He gestures to each of us.

My girlfriend gives her a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes as she curtsies (or at least attempts to) in the fitted orange dress she is wearing. "It is a pleasure to meet you, your royal highness." Her tone completely shifts to her formal one, and it would give me whiplash if I wasn't so used to it back in the day.

"Oh, there's no need for formalities. We're all friends here, and besides, if we were to call every princess in the room 'your royal highness', we would be saying nothing else all night," Jay insists before rushing over to a side table and coming back with two drinks that he sticks out for Skylor and me. "Take these."

"What are they?" I inspect the weird drink that has some sort of grainy white substance on the rim of the cup.

"Margaritas, Nya's been making them. Apparently, they're super popular nowadays," he explains as he hands them over to us.

"I can't believe you didn't know about them," Harumi shakes her head.

"Hey, PIX, Kai, and Skylor didn't either. Not all of us are as immersed in society as you," Jay lets out a drawn out sigh.

I stifle a chuckle. "You're already drunk, aren't you?"

"Nuh uh... only a little bit. I've only had like two and a half," as we've been talking, people started to disperse around the room, so now it's only the three of us.

"Nya, come over here," I call her over from where she's standing alone and swirling the drink in her cup. She's wearing the same outfit she wore to the bar, a fitted crimson dress, and Jay is also wearing his, a tight blue shirt with black pants, and considering how Jay is already semi wasted and has shown no intention of slowing down, I can guess where they're both going to end the night. I take a long, big sip of my drink which (in Jay's defense) is really good.

"Skylor, it's so nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you from everyone," Nya smiles and offers up her hand. Skylor takes it and shakes it with deliberate and gentle movements.

"Same here. Last time I saw you, you were so tiny but now you're a whole woman. You look so much like your mother," Skylor tilts her head. "It's a bit frightening, actually."

Nya laughs with a smile on her lips. "Yep, I get that one a lot. We don't look that similar anymore, but there was a period of time where people would ask if we were twins. Kai and Dad were the same way. Kai's saving grace was that he got a different hair color than Dad."

"The universe knew I was special, so they gifted me brown hair," I run a hand through said hair while making sure not to mess it up.

"If it helps you sleep at night," my sister gives me a reassuring smile while patting me on the shoulder.

"I like her. I like her a lot."

---

"I remember that! Kai reeeeeked like dragon pee for weeks afterwards," Jay holds his stomach, laughing as he points towards Cole who is telling the sadly accurate story of when a dragon did its business on me.

We've been recounting the past for who knows how long. At this point, we are all wasted (minus the robots), and we're owning it. We've all pounded several of those drinks (Nya should quit the elemental army to be a bartender), and now our minds are all fuzzy.

"You can't bring up that story without talking about when Zane slipped into the sewers," I throw him under the bus before pressing a kiss on my girl's neck. She hums in response and continues to run her hand through the back of my hair which makes me tingle.

"Zane fell in a sewer?" Lloyd covers his mouth to stifle his amusement.

"I am under the impression that it was a trap," Zane shakes his head with a smile as he rests a hand on PIXAL's thigh.

"It's alright to admit defeat, Zane. We'll support you," Jay tells him seriously, nodding his head a little as he talks before he takes another sip.

"Thank you, Jay. I appreciate it," Zane fights the smile trying to peek through.

"Like two hundred years ago," Lloyd hiccups. "Rumi and I almost got crushed by a tree when we were moving houses. It was huuuuuge. Like bigger than this," he sticks his arms as wide as possible.

"No way," I shake my head back and forth. "Don't believe you."

"It was," Rumi defends him, patting him on the knee. "I thought I was gonna die."

"What happened next?" Nya leans forward from between Jay and me.

"I blasted it to pieces. It never saw it coming," Lloyd shares with a corner of his lips drawn upwards.

"You know what I never saw coming?" Cole sighs while twirling a strand of Seliel's hair around his finger. She's sitting on his lap, her head tilted back to rest against his shoulder. "Aaany of this. I thought...one...two...three of the people in this room were dead."

"Tell me about it," Jay slumps backwards before taking a long sip of his drink. "and Aria too. She gives me a headache."

"What is she even trying to do at this point?" my sister huffs while rolling her eyes.

"Usurp the throne and elope with Jay," PIXAL answers immediately.

"Yeah but... she wanted Seliel's blood sooooo badly as if it was the final piece of the puzzle..."

"Is it not?" Seliel interrupts her with a raised eyebrow.

Nya shakes her head. "I have never given up my blood to anyone."

"Well she thinks she's Jay's soulmate, so it didn't occur to her to look for you, I guess," Lloyd shrugs.

"But then her plan is gonna fail, right? Her weird blood mixing will fail."

"Not totally," Skylor sits up to look at her. "I watched her inject someone with Cole's blood, and they got his powers for a while before they passed out."

"So if she aims to do immediate damage, she will still be successful," Zane strokes his chin, making me chuckle a bit. "She would want to guarantee safety in her enhanced state, so she would postpone her attack until she would be certain that she could maintain it..."

"Can we postpone this talk for another time? I reeaaally don't want to puke right now," Jay squeezes his eyes shut.

"Good idea. PIXAL and I must charge now anyways," Zane stands up and sticks out his hand for her.

"How could you sense I had a low battery?" She takes his hand with curiosity.

"We were constructed out of similar schematics, so our battery life is approximately the same."

"Cole and I have to go too," Seliel half giggles and sets her drink down.

"We do?"

"Mmmmmhmmmm," she (somehow) pulls him up off of the couch, grips onto his arm, and leads him out the door.

"Yeah Lloyd and I have some... stuff to do too, right Lloyd?" Rumi looks over at him as she stands and adjusts her dress.

"Yep, yep," just like the others, the two of them are practically a blur before they're gone.

"Hmmm, what's this?" Jay pokes Nya on her neck.

"There's something there?" she reaches the spot where he poked and rubs it.

"A bruise, I think."

"Oh, Shade wanted to give me a hug and ended up trying to give me a hickey. I didn't think he did it," she groans, shutting her eyes.

"He did a weeeaak job."

"I did stop him before he could do much," she opens up one eye. "You'd still do better, though."

I jerk my head away as shivers overtake me. "Skylor, baby, let's go back to our room."

A/N: I thought that it was only fair to post this chapter as soon as I was done since the last one took so long to post.

Only 10 chapters left (including the epilogue)! I hope you're all ready so see how eveyrhting goes down!

Thoughts on the chapter?

Thank you all so much! Don't forget to vote, comment, and share!