Neomi blushed at Myrri’s words for pointing it out again. Janus and she had been going really slow. It put a stop to how fast Janus had been going with other girls. There were a few reasons why Neomi was being like this. The first was that she was worried Janus was going to get what he wanted and be done with her, she wanted to build a relationship first with him. Two was that Lila had told her not to give in to Janus for a while. All the warnings from Lila made Neomi smart about how to handle Janus.

Excusing herself from the table Neomi took Janus’s hand as he showed her the expansive castle. “Wow… This castle is huge. It doesn’t look this big on the outside.”

“Oh… That’s because Dad used spatial magic on it. They are always finding kids and bringing them home,” Janus answered her easily enough. “Amazing isn’t it?”

“Yeah… Your parents are amazing too… So what is their story anyways? Your dad downplayed it but they seem like such amazing people.”

Sooo… How much can I tell Neomi?

How far do you want your relationship with Neomi to go? You’ll have to tell her eventually. Trust and all that.

You make a very valid point.

“You’re talking with Lila aren’t you?” Neomi was watching Janus’s face. “It’s not just a normal twin thing you guys do, is it? It’s something much more than that.”

Janus hesitated for a moment. He would have to tell her a lot of it, but he wondered how to. “Well…it’s not easy to explain, and I’ll be honest…a lot of this goes over my head. Even Lila can’t always wrap her head around it. You’ve seen the marks on my back, right?” He paused. Well, it was now or never.

“Lila and I share…well, technically we share everything. Thoughts, emotions, pain, pleasure, all of it. If one of us is happy, the other can feel it. If I cut my hand, Lila will wince.” He wondered if that made any sense to Neomi. “How this bond happened, well…we got it from Mom and Dad. Though, from what we understand, our bond is different. Lila and I can turn it off whenever we want. Mom and Dad, from what I gather, can’t.” He crossed his arms.

“This is where it gets complicated. From what Lila and I can surmise, Dad used to be a famous assassin, and Mom was rescued by him. All I know is that whatever he saved her from formed that bond. And…from that bond, Mom and Dad took a backseat to assassin work, and started a family here. Uncle Xeik says that Lila and I were born from magic, but I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean. Remy and Damond were born with magic too, but they don’t have the same bond that Lila and I have so…” he shrugged.

“I bet Mom and Dad are keeping a lot from us to keep us safe, but I wager that there’s a lot even they don’t know. Uncle Xeik doesn’t do a good job at hiding it, but he’s been studying Mom and Dad, and us too to figure out what makes our bonds so special.”

Neomi listened to him and took a big breath. “And that bond has to do with why my grandma hangs around them so much. And you all.” She thought about it a bit. “I would wager she’s the direct reason for the bond between your mother and father. She’s not a people person. She wouldn’t go out of her way without something in it for her. My grandma isn’t a saint, she’s a scientist. And I know that’s hard to think about when you think of my grandma but it’s true. She’s married to her work more than her husband.”

Neomi gripped Janus’s hand. “I get it,” she smiled a bit at him. “That’s why she used to burst out laughing. You did something that made her laugh. It’s probably why all your classes are split up for the most part, isn’t it? So you don’t cheat off of each other?” She tilted her head.

Taking a deep breath she moved the topic back to his parents. “So your parents do have a romantic story they aren’t telling. It must be quite the tale if you don’t even know.” It sounded mesmerizing. Once they got to Janus’s room she looked around and put down her bags. “Somehow this wasn’t what I was expecting of your room.”

It was basic which surprised Neomi. She walked over to the desk and picked up the picture. Of course, it was his mother. “You really love your mom don’t you?” She smiled up at Janus. “I’m so happy you have someone you learned to love like that. It’s really a special kind of love.”

The fact that Neomi was taking it so well was good, but when she started to add to the theory, his eyes lit up and he smiled. “You’re brilliant. That might be a big part of it,” he said, passing the information to Lila for later use. When they got to his room, her comments made him smirk. “It’s not really something anyone expects. For the most part, I really didn’t have much that I really liked doing. I helped Lila with chess every so often, but it got kind of boring when Uncle Xeik gave up. It was a lot of exploring the island and getting into trouble…I really didn’t have much I wanted to keep in the room.” He smiled when Neomi picked up the picture of Simone.

“She’s amazing. I’ve never really been able to describe it to anyone…” Though, the fact that she caught on to the resonance so quickly made his heart jump. “When we were younger, she’d tell me all these stories by the fire until I fell asleep. I can remember it clear as day, falling asleep in her lap while she stroked my hair. I miss it most days…it’s hard to find time to ask for stories by the fire when there are twenty-six other siblings to handle. Not that I’m jealous or anything, but I do think being one of her own blood would catch me-”

Janus was surprised when he was interrupted.

Neomi put a finger to his lips and got really close to him. “Shhh.” She was chuckling. “It’s a major turn-off when you start rambling about your mom.” She was willing to forgive him where others weren’t. “Lila told me to say that when you start.”

She brought her finger down and kissed him softly. “Because and this might come as a shock to you. There are moments when I want to be the only one you think of. Sometimes. Not all the time. I’m mostly understanding.” She whispered it up to him.

They were in his room alone with nothing but time and the very first chance he got, he rambled. Lila was right… He was a mama's boy but it was also kind of endearing.

Meanwhile,

Myrri was doing his best to keep up with Lila as they explored the island. He thought he knew all of the secrets, but evidently the twins had kept several secret from him. Of them, was one of Lila’s favorite spots. Evidently it was still a secret as she outright refused to tell him where they were going. All he knew was that it would be worth it in the end.

“So…is this like a part of your super secret plan to kidnap me or something? Or maybe you’ve finally grown tired of me, and are leading me to my final resting place?” He was being intentionally dramatic. “Or is this something dark and dangerous? Another portal to the fae?” He really did wonder if that might be the case. The twins had a habit of running into fae in the weirdest of places. “No hints at all?” he begged. “You know I like knowledge…this is killing me.”

Lila had Myrri’s hand and she was chuckling at him. “No. No. No. No.” She kept answering all of his questions. She stopped short and kissed him hard. Putting her forehead against his she chuckled up at him. “Shhh… Enjoy the journey.”

Lila took him through several bushes until they got to a cliff. It had wildflowers everywhere but a clear path where she had been coming through for years. “This is one of my favorite spots on the whole island.” She pulled him through the field of wildflowers. There was a small bench for children. “I’ve been coming here for a long time. Dad even built me this bench. Though these days I don’t need it anymore.”

She took him up to the cliff and sat down on the edge. “The sunset is the most perfect here.” She patted the ground. “I want you to sit here with me and watch it.”

“Oh? Is that all?” he asked with a big smile on his face as he sat down next to her. “I expect nothing but the best, then,” he jokingly demanded as he stared out on the horizon. “So it really was always me, then?” he wondered, giving her a side eye. Sure, she had tortured her brothers for their betrayal, but the secret was out now. “I know you’ve said it before, but now I have proof.” He put his arm around her and smiled. “I think that’s kind of cool. I’m glad it was always you too. I can’t imagine anyone else. I don’t even want to.”

“I love you, Lila Terrowin. I always will.” It wasn’t some dramatic moment with life or death, nor was it some romantic book with high stakes. This was the reality that had been built for them by their parents, where the peace allowed them to flourish without a life and death struggle to survive.

And it was perfect.

Lila was blushing again and she was really quiet. “Always Myrri…” She sighed with a loving look towards him. “Forever.” Her father hadn’t been happy about her crush on Myrri but he got distracted by Alshaya getting married.

She was ten when she announced to her family that she loved Myrri. Janus had some inkling but he didn’t know how far gone his sister was. He laughed at her for three days straight in person and in resonance.

Her father just looked at her and told her that she wasn’t allowed to be in a relationship with the furball. Furball was the nickname Lewis had chosen from the moment he first held Myrri when he was born.

Of course, Myrri was a better choice than Llonan in Lewis’s eyes. No one really knew why he had it out for the elvish prince but at least Alshaya would always be taken care of.

This peaceful life they were allowed meant a lot to both Myrri and Lila. “I love you too Myrri Eraphim.” She snuggled into him and kissed him once again. “It’s always going to be you. I’ll love you like my dad loves my mom. A love that is forever.” Of course, they could never begin to understand resonance love the way her parents had but… what they had was close enough.

“The sunset here is the prettiest on the whole island.” She directed him to the sky. “I told Janus he should bring Neomi out here but he’s too busy mourning the fact she still won’t have sex with him.”