“They were on board with my plan,” Renny answered.
“You could’ve opted not to have a cake instead of making a big show of burning it,” Rafe argued.
“It’s an outrage. A massacre of frosting and yumminess,” Dra’Kaedan growled, straightening away from Rafe.
“It felt right to do it like this.”
“I hope you’re getting whatever satisfaction you wanted out of making a big show of lighting the whole darn cake on fire,” Rafe retorted.
“It’s an act of violence and evil,” Dra’Kaedan muttered, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. While he was furious, he never raised his voice.
“Actually, it’s turning out to be a rather disappointing experience,” Renny remarked.
Rafe shrugged. “Well, I have nothing else to say. You want to put the thing out and get on with this barbecue?”
“It needs to burn completely first,” Renny said.
Dra’Kaedan straightened and got in Renny’s face. “Just have to make sure nothing is salvageable, right? What the heck is wrong with you? This morning you were all about how much you love me; then you do this whole cake-burning thing, knowing it’s my favorite food.”
Rorie threw up a hand after releasing his v’airsell nioll and covered Renny in a globe of glittering magic. With a tiny wave of light, he gently pushed Dra’Kaedan back a foot. “Calm down.”
“And this is where I get bitten by a wolf,” Kendrick bemoaned, his body tense and his eyes squeezed shut.
“Do not use your magic against Dra’Kaedan,” Drekkoril ordered Rorie, marching over with a stern look on his face.
Instead of turning on his bemollo, Rorie’s attention went to Renny. “I told you this was a stupid idea.”
“I wanted to see his face if I burned a cake, get some Dra’Kaedan fireworks, and maybe have a reason to do ninja kittens,” Renny replied.
“Hello, I had to agree to behave myself today. Mom would’ve killed me, and I nearly died by not getting to scream in your silly face. You burned the cake for ninja kittens?” Dra’Kaedan yelled.
Noirin clapped loudly. “That’s enough, everyone. It’s not the real cake; that one is in the kitchen forafterdinner. Renny replicated it with a spell, then set it on fire.”
“It’s fake?” Rafe asked. “Well…now I feel like a jerk.”
“Thanks for trying, even if it was fake,” Kendrick responded.
“Renny’s the jerk, and we’re still doing ninja kittens,” Dra’Kaedan retorted.
“Let’s go,” Renny remarked when Rorie dropped the shield protecting him. The familiar marched out into the backyard while D’Vaires scattered to make room for the two sorcerers who preferred to solve their problems in cute, fuzzy visages.
“I suppose it is good that we have found a family odd enough to handle living with the last of the light Fae,” Drekkoril said once the fight between the kittens started.
“I am most happy to be a D’Vaire.”
“Roriethiel, I do not wish to fight you as a furry creature to settle our disagreements.”
Enjoying the spectacle, Rorie smiled up at Drekkoril. “No, you would be a much larger kitten, I fear.”
“I would not use a size advantage,” Drekkoril responded, affronted at the very notion.
“We must think on how to handle our problems in a way that we both enjoy and with humor.”
“That is a sound plan. Have you any ideas?”
“Not as yet.”
Drekkoril grinned. “Then I suppose we will have to refrain from having differences in opinion until we can both agree on how to best resolve issues.”
