Tristan sat up and smiled at Lily, a wistful look on his face.
“Breakfast and I have been talking,” Una said. She paused and wrinkled her nose. “Well, not actually talking. Mindspeaking? Anyway, we’ve decided that we want you to claim us, too, Lily.” Una looked down, grimacing bashfully. “I feel like I just asked you to the frigging prom.”
Lily laughed. “It is a big deal. Bigger than prom, even. But don’t worry, Una. I’ve gotten really good at giving my claimed their space.”
“And how many have you claimed?” Juliet asked, her expression troubled.
“Over ten thousand,” Rowan answered. He’d silently joined the group from the kitchen, and everyone turned to face him. “Lily has an army in my world.”
“Not by choice. It was a do-or-die situation, and out of that ten thousand only seven thousand survived the battle,” Lily said solemnly. “I have a lot to tell you all about what happened while I was gone. The easiest way would be for me to show you some of my memories.”
Una and Breakfast exchanged a look, obviously engaged in mindspeak.
“I want a willstone,” Juliet said suddenly. “I want a willstone and I want you to claim me, Lily. I know I probably won’t be much use to you—”
“You’ll be very useful, Juliet,” Rowan said firmly. “But why don’t we eat first?”
Samantha joined them, declaring that she felt clearheaded enough to work on her old potter’s wheel. While Samantha tried to get the feel of throwing clay again, Juliet bonded with a willstone and allowed herself to be claimed by Lily. Bonding was easy for Juliet because she would never connect with her willstone the way someone with magic would, but Rowan assured her that there were many things that she could still do with her willstone.
Juliet’s memories were all familiar, even dear to Lily, and she decided to give back to her sister and share a few of her own memories. The two sisters suddenly burst out laughing over the time they decided to dig a swimming pool in the backyard.
“We got halfway to China before Dad got home from work and caught us!” Lily roared with laughter.
“Ooh, he was so mad,” Juliet said, wiping at her streaming eyes.
“The backyard was trashed!” Lily had to put her hands on her knees, she was laughing so hard. “And there’s still a donut-shaped ditch back there.”
“Good times,” Juliet said, winding down. Everyone stared at them, perplexed. “You had to be there,” she said.
The moment of levity seemed to lighten everyone else’s mood. Breakfast grinned and said he wanted to be next, and understanding dawned on Lily.
You did that to put Breakfast and Una at ease didn’t you, Juliet?
Juliet smiled and shrugged impishly, refusing to admit anything in mindspeak.
“Ready, Breakfast?” Lily asked, still smiling at her sister.
“Let’s do this thing,” he replied, pumped up, like he was about to jump out of an airplane.
Lily lightly touched his willstone and was swarmed with memories. They came so quickly that she could barely discern them, almost as if the floodgates had opened and Breakfast was completely spilling his guts. Lily could see how he had hidden behind his class-clown persona his whole life, never letting anyone get to know him. But ironically, the only thing he’d ever wanted was to be understood and loved for who he was, not who he pretended to be. His parents paid little attention to him. They didn’t care when he didn’t come home or even notice. Breakfast had always wanted someone to notice him. He wanted to belong.
You will always belong now, Stuart. Tristan, Rowan, and Una are your family.
Why aren’t you my family?
Because I’m your home.
Breakfast opened his eyes and grinned at Lily. She could feel the giddy playfulness of his nature like a burst of sweetness in her heart.
“That wasn’t so bad,” he said cheerfully, and stepped aside for Una.