Jaygen bet Ozni’s suitcases were half full of books and art supplies. Whatever made the quiet daywalker happy and willing to go, Jaygen was all for it. He'd been sure when Arden had tasked him with getting his men out that he'd have to sit Ozni down for a long talk. But ever since he and Porter shared a night together, there was less of a hassle when pulling Ozni into things with them.
The phone rang again and Jaygen answered it that time. The car he'd ordered was downstairs waiting on them. Jaygen checked for the third time to make sure that once they were at the lake house, the car he’d rented for the vacation would be there. It never hurt to triple check.
"Come on, the car is here to take us out of the city." Supernaturals mainly stayed within the cities that were created for them but with all of them having more of a human appearance, it made it easier to move around. They were less likely to be picked out as being different as long as they kept from shifting in front of others.
Jaygen grabbed his own bags and rushed them all downstairs and to the car.
"Don't do anything stupid while you're on vacation," Arden said.
"We won't," Cyrus chuckled and scooted closer to Porter in the car. "Right?"
Porter didn't look all that convinced but he nodded his head. Jaygen shook his head as Foi jumped in and dropped himself over their laps.
"Everything will be fine," Jyagen said. He'd make sure of it.
Arden nodded and handed Ozni a cooler. "I know you guys have your own system and what not, but you can't afford to hunt outside of the city limits."
Ozni nodded and took the offered container. Jaygen inhaled and instantly picked up the scent of bloody meat. He knew Ozni was feeding more on Cyrus and that was fine. The incubus could heal a lot faster and it seemed to be helping Ozni learn some type of control over his blood lust. But Jaygen was sure Foi and himself were going to need to share the flesh and blood supplies.
Jaygen got in the car last and they drove off. He sat up rigidly as they left Silvercross City. He hadn't ventured outside the city in years since he was a cub. Just remembering that time made his skin crawl and his stomach twist with discomfort. He shoved those memories away and instead focused on the present that he could control.
Foi happily lounged on Cyrus and Porter receiving pets as the other two talked about the latest hire to replace Jane and Philip. Micha had been the talk of many at Paranormal Guilty Delights. He was birdie, or as some humans have mistakenly named them, the angel race. There were even texts dating to ancient times referring to them as Nephilim. They mainly appeared human except they had huge feathered wings sprouting from their back.
"Did you see how Arden was following him around?" Porter asked.
Cyrus sported a huge smile. "Yes, he didn't even send him to train with one of us."
Foi sat up. "Arden said he wanted to train him himself."
"Jaygen, what do you think?" Porter asked.
Jaygen allowed himself to relax once they passed the last remnants of the city. "About Micha or about the three of you and your choice of gossip?"
Porter blushed but Cyrus, the little nymph, wasn't one to be deterred. "About Micha and Arden's obvious interest." Cyrus glanced over to Ozni who sat next to Jaygen. "Oz, you see it too right?"
Ozni nodded his head, but said nothing else on the matter.
Jaygen shook his head. "If you give in to them, they will get spoiled."
Ozni only smiled at him as if to say: was that such a bad thing? Jaygen relaxed even more, he'd never been one to allow himself to get so engrossed with others, and yet there he was, unable to disentangle himself from the men that surrounded him.
"Yes, I've seen the way Arden is with Micha but there have been plenty of hosts that come and go and none of them have been able to pull Arden's interest."
"But Arden can't keep his eyes off of him," Porter pointed out.
That was true. It was strange behavior from the older dragon but Jaygen still wasn't convinced it was anything more than a light curiosity. Birdies were hard to come by. They were worshiped by some humans and held in higher regard, but then again, some humans hunted them down for sport and stole their wings. Either way, Birdies were rare to see even amongst supernatural cities.
"Maybe there is something there, but either way you two are to stay out of it," Jaygen said.
"Ahh, come on Just a little nudge and bam, Papa Arden is married," Cyrus whined.
Jaygen shook his head and was happy to see Ozni was doing the same. The last thing anyone needed was an incubus and human meddling in their love life.
The drive went on about the same with them talking about mundane subjects but nothing felt forced. Jaygen could tell each of them were relaxing in their own way the longer the drive went on. It might have been under false pretenses but it was clear to see they'd really needed a vacation.
Jaygen had renteda huge private lake house for them to stay at. The place had the best reviews and Jaygen had even requested a virtual walk-through. Everything needed to be somewhat perfect if he was to make it a truly enjoyable vacation.
They walked into the four-bedroom house that was equipped with two living rooms, one with an eighty-inch television and the other with bookshelves stacked full of books. The kitchen was fully stocked with the latest up-to-date, stainless steel appliances. There was a hint of fresh lemon in the air and Jaygen was pleased that the owner had followed through with the request for an additional professional clean before their arrival.
