“We were just watching a movie and there it appeared.” Aunt Kimmy shrugged. “Poof.”

“It has your name on it?” Cooper stood and leaned over the table to look. “Is that not weird?”

I sat it down and stared at it. “I don’t like that.”

Royce snapped his fingers. ‘That’s my line,’ he mouthed.

“Son of a bitch stick.” I exhaled roughly. “This is sus, right?”

“So sus.”

“What if it’s a bomb?”

“What if it’s one of those smoke-dragon things that called the Unseelie?”

“Wrapped in a pretty pink bow? That’d be a lot of thought for those guys.”

“Hey, it’s not impossible.”

“King Lucy sent me a present once.”

“Maybe it’s a threat or a warning.”

“It’s safe,” Myrtle finally said softly, interrupting everyone’s hypothesizing and panic. “No harm will come from opening this.”

“Oh, is that fried chicken?” Uncle Kyle bounced over to the kitchen. “May I invite myself over?”

“Can you invite me over too?” Aunt Kimmy chuckled behind him, her hazel gaze locked on the food. “Smells divine.”

“Come on over, kids,” Myrtle said with a wink. She slid two clean plates out and started serving. “How many?”

“Until I can’t breathe right, please.” Uncle Kyle grinned. “An old friend of mine used to put this special hot sauce on them—hey that’s the one! Yo, hit me, dragon boy.”

Koth chuckled and tossed the bottle down to my uncle who caught it effortlessly. He immediately drenched his food in it with a huge grin.

“HEY. How come he got to try it?” Easton whined.

“Go ahead. But you’re not bringing your tongue anywhere near me after.” Lily batted her eyelashes at him. “Your choice.”

“Dirty game, sunshine. Dirty game.” Easton eyed the hot sauce longingly but made no move to grab it. “One day. I’ll get it. That’s how I got you: patience.”

“Okay, but this present?” I bit my bottom lip. “Myrtle, you’re sure it’s safe? We don’t even know who it’s from⁠—”

“I do.” She laughed. “Go ahead.”

Everyone else froze and just watched. I took a deep breath, then slowly pulled the pink bow off. The second it was off, the white box vanished . . . leaving a small wooden puzzle box sitting in front of me. A glittery golden bow was wrapped around it.

“Oh, that’s snazzy.” Uncle Kyle snapped his fingers. “A secret admirer perhaps? Bet there’s a present inside.”

“Careful, her soulmate tends to behead those,” Cooper whispered.

“Soulmate?” My aunt asked with wide eyes. “Frankie, you have a soulmate and didn’t tell us?”

My jaw dropped. I blinked, then swallowed roughly. “Um . . . yes . . . but I only found out last night. And he’s not here⁠—”

“Who is it?”

“Everest,” I said softly, trying to ignore the roughness in my voice when I said his name out loud.