Page 154 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

It’s almost full circle… It was my eighteenth birthday when Jayce made love to me for the first time, and tonight, on his twenty-first, we’re coming together again.

“I have a wish,” Renji says, smiling slightly. “But I won’t be sharing it.”

“Can’t fault that,” Azura says, drinking her wine.

“Why are you still here?” Allie asks her.

“I’m waiting to wish my boys a happy birthday,” Azura replies, sticking her tongue out at her.

I look over at Heaven, who is sitting between Allie and Charlotte; despite her normal expression, I’m sure she’s missing Theo right now. I wish he were here. What is he doing out there?

I look between Jayce’s siblings and remember what Theo had warned Heaven of before he left. Something I know he told Jayce as well, but he didn’t believe it, or, more like, is struggling to accept.

Seeing them all seated around the table, I hope Theo was wrong… but I believe he isn’t. And I know that truth is going to devastate so many people. Heaven’s working on something to reveal what happened the night Ares was attacked, to find the answers we need. I’ve seen her pouring over grimoires in all her free time.

“This is going to be the first birthday without Mom, though,” Carter remarks as he downs his drink, a small frown on his face.

The table falls silent until Azura reaches over and gives his hand a squeeze. “It is, but she’d want you to have a blast and would be so proud of you all.”

“Yeah, sure,” Carter mutters before he stands up and walks off. Asher watches him walk off, a small frown on his face, before he looks down at his glass, lost in thought.

“Well, I know for a fact she’d not like the gloomy atmosphere,” Skyla says lightly. “Just two minutes and it’s your birthday, guys! There’s a cake Mama baked.”

“Which I am bringing out now,” Aunty Kiara says with a small laugh before she disappears inside.

“And there are presents!” Skyla says as she gets up. “But we’re leaving those for tomorrow, apparently.”

“What the hell is this fucking merging into, a birthday party? How old are we?” Ares grumbles.

“I think it’s sweet,” Shahira offers with a smile. Ares opens his mouth before settling for a frown.

I nod in agreement. I had gotten all the quints something, but Jayce had been the hardest. I didn’t know we’d be together before his birthday, and I didn’t want him to throw it away either.

The cake is brought out, a five-tier cake with each layer made from the quint’s favourite flavour. Theo’s is the second layer; Aunty Kiara still included him even if he isn’t present.

Each one is covered in blue fondant, Jayce’s layer being the darkest and Renji’s the lightest. Each tier has one of the quints’ names on the side with a ‘Happy Birthday’ on the top.

“The cake is pretty; Renji’s is itty bitty at the top,” Asher says with amusement.

“I’m not sharing it with you now,” Renji promises him.

“It’s lemon flavoured; I’d not want it anyway,” Asher replies, making a few of the elders laugh.

“Alright, it’s almost midnight!” Mama says, looking at the time as we all begin counting down.

“Seven… six… five…”

I glance up at Jayce as we surround the cake; his eyes meet mine, and he leans down, kissing my lips softly.

“Two… ONE!”

Fireworks explode above us courtesy of Mama and Aunty Ri as everyone shouts, ‘Happy birthday’.

“If anyone dares fucking sing, I swear I’m walking out,” Ares says.

“If I didn’t detest singing, I would definitely sing it then,” Allie says as Katara and Corrado begin singing just to annoy him.

“Come on, boys, cut the cake together,” Aunty Kiara says as she holds out the knife to Renji.