Page 3 of Immortal Bonds

And despite them being in a room that was very clearly for age regression — a thought that sent Thalric spiraling — he didn't care about that part so much right now.

He was with family and he was happy.

Hadrian tipped his head to the side, then waved his hand towards where Thalric was still shooting sparks. Eden had moved closer, his face nearly getting hit by the tiny bolts. "You don't have to put on a show here with us."

The sparks died instantly, and Eden scowled over at his brother. "Excuse me, I was busy with something," he said.

Hadrian grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him over, tucking Eden to his side in a hug. "Hush now, I need to talk to our uncle."

When his gaze came back to Thalric's, he could see Hadrian was different than Eden in a lot of ways. His boldness, one of them. If he suspected correctly, the boldness was a bit of an act, much like his own.

Eden had been carefree and every bit as bratty as Mira had shared with him through the years. Hadrian had always been more reserved, a bit of a jock who liked to work out, much like Thalric, and he kept to himself in a way that made people think he was dumb.

Thalric knew better. No one in their bloodline was dumb. Not all may be gifted with magic, but they were not dumb. Silas's side was brilliant too.

"I'll drop my act if you drop yours," he said, his gaze a challenge.

Eden poked his head out from where Hadrian had tucked him to his side. "Deal," he stuck out his hand quickly before Hadrian could stop him, and Thalric shook it, a smirk building. He forced it back down because he had just agreed not to play a role.

Hadrian smiled, then released Eden and stepped forward to hug Thalric. "It's good to see you, Uncle T."

Thalric choked out a laugh that was damn near a sob at the nickname his nephew had used when they were younger. Anytime they spoke, he would only ever use initials of his aunts and uncles because their names were hard for his little mouth. It had been ages since he'd heard it, though.

Their communication dropped the older the boys got and the more active they were doing other things. They had roles to play, and he hated himself a bit for letting it go so long.

"It's good to see you, too, Hady."

Hadrian's body shook against him as he chuckled. They weren't the only ones who had nicknames. Hady was short for Hadrian, but also for Hades — because when he was little, Hadrian could get into trouble and be a little devil if he wanted. Usually it was led by Eden, who was sometimes called Lucy, short for Lucifer.

Aside from all of that, it was good to hold his nephew. When Eden joined, it felt right. Mira and Silas stood in the corner of the room, Mira dabbing at her eyes as Silas held her close. His brother-in-law's smile was out of this world. He was absolutely pleased to have Thalric there, and with the offer hovering over him, he knew that if he just chose to stay, it would be fine.

"But would it?" his inner voice asked.

His dragon chuffed, as if to tell him, "Yes, you idiot, it would be fine."

When the boys pulled away, Mira came over and dragged Thalric from the room. They promised to see him later at dinner. Mira kept going through the castle, talking endlessly about the changes since the last time he was there, and also about the developments with Romilly and his human mate, Archer.

"You'll get to meet them later," she said. "They work together during the day and then have some time alone. It keeps them balanced, and Romilly's dragon basically demands it. It's much, much easier to just go along with whatever he wants. Happy dragon mate, happy horde, as we say."

A part of Thalric ached at that. He had a happy horde, but he wasn't happy. Not authentically so. If he left, and they could remain happy and functional, maybe he could find a bit of happiness in San Noctis. He had missed this place. The magic within the castle alone was fueling him. He could feel his body humming as it soaked in the history of his family. Mira had done a good job of keeping things steady and alive.

They rounded a corner, and Thalric froze. A figure stood in an open doorway. Immediately, Thalric knew who it was.

"Soren," he called out.

Soren raised their head. A slow smile formed as they shut the book they were holding and strode forward. Thalric was pulled into a jarring hug, as Soren was more affectionate than Hadrian and Eden had been, at least initially. It made sense, given they were one of the older ones. They probably had better memories, longer memories of Thalric being around — the few visits he did manage when they were young being the case.

When Soren pulled back, they clapped Thalric's shoulder. "I'm so happy to see you, Uncle. It has been too long." They turned to Mira and Silas. "You have offered to let him stay, yes? That we can put someone else in that town of his? I don't want him to leave. In fact, I demand he doesn't. I could use his help with the Fae."

Thalric's interest tingled at that. "You're still having issues," he drawled slowly.

Soren nodded, their brow dipping for a moment before straightening out. "Yes, and I could use outside assistance. I know Father and Hadrian have done their best to make connections, but maybe someone with your ability to mask would be better."

Thalric jerked. "My ability to mask?"

"Yes, you have a gift for charming people left and right. Anyone and everyone believes you’re the perfect specimen of a dragon, and I think we could use that in our talks with the Fae. I might have the ability to help with emotions, but natural charm in discussions is better. The Fae won't feel any magic happening. They've made sure to tell me I cannot manipulate anyone, and I haven't so far. I've been damned tempted, but I haven't."

Thalric wanted to laugh. He should have laughed at the exasperation in Soren's tone. What he did instead was blink wildly and give a slow nod. "If I stay, I could help… I guess."