Chapter Sixty
Kael swung the door open, expecting maybe the bellboy with a luggage cart. Instead, he found a small army of resort staff lined up in the hallway.
At the front stood a smiling attendant with a gleaming breakfast cart — silver domes hiding the scent of fresh pastries, eggs, and coffee. Behind her, two bellhops stood ready with fully extended luggage carts. A few more staff members lingered just behind them, clearly prepared to sweep in and finish packing and cleaning the suite.
“Uh… morning?” Kael said, blinking.
The breakfast attendant beamed. “Good morning, sir. We have your departure breakfast, your luggage service, and—” She hesitated, glancing at her clipboard. “Also… we wanted to check if everything is alright?”
Kael frowned slightly. “Alright? Why wouldn’t it be?”
One of the bellhops cleared his throat. “We… received a report from another guest that there was, um… ‘brawling’ heard from this room a few minutes ago.”
From the couch, Avery froze for half a second — and then Riven’s shoulders started to shake. She clapped a hand over her mouth, but it was no use. The image of Molly and Lucien’s earlier “packing war” flashed in her mind, and the laugh burst out of her before she could stop it.
Riven lost it completely, his deep laugh rolling out and filling the room. He tipped his head back, eyes squeezed shut, and the sound was so contagious Avery doubled over against him, both of them laughing so hard they could barely breathe.
Molly, halfway through shoving a scarf into Kael’s suitcase, looked up. “What’s so funny?”
Lucien, still holding a perfectly folded shirt like a weapon, narrowed his eyes. “They’ve been awake this whole time, haven’t they?”
Avery tried to answer but was laughing too hard, tears pricking her eyes. Riven managed to choke out, “Apparently… we’ve been brawling.”
Kael turned back to the staff, his mouth twitching. “We’re fine. Just… spirited packing.”
The breakfast attendant’s polite smile didn’t falter, though her eyes sparkled like she was fighting her own laugh. “Very well, sir. We’ll just bring this in, then.”
As the staff wheeled in the breakfast and began loading the luggage carts, Avery and Riven were still catching their breath, leaning into each other like conspirators. Molly shook her head, muttering something about “amateurs”, while Lucien muttered about “folding standards” under his breath.
The scent of fresh coffee and warm croissants filled the air, and for a moment, the earlier tension was gone - replaced by the ridiculous, perfect memory of being accused of “brawling” in a luxury resort suite.
Breakfast was a warm, lingering affair — flaky pastries, fresh fruit, and coffee so rich Avery wanted to bottle the scent and take it home. But beneath the easy conversation and teasing, there was a quiet choreography unfolding.
One by one, they slipped away from the table at staggered intervals. Molly disappeared first, vanishing into the bedroom to change into travel clothes. Ten minutes later, Kael followed, his voice drifting back as he joked with one of the staff about “overpacking.” Lucien went next, his departure timed perfectly so that no two of them were gone at once.
While each of them changed, the rest of the suite hummed with activity. Staff moved with quiet efficiency, finishing the last of the packing, zipping suitcases closed, and loading them onto the waiting luggage carts.
Avery noticed something strange — not all the bags were theirs. Several decoy suitcases, deliberately mismatched and scuffed, were being rolled toward the waiting vehicles outside. Through the window, she caught glimpses of shimmering illusions: them, or at least perfect magical replicas, stepping into separate cars, heading off in different directions.
It was like watching a stage play from behind the curtain — every movement timed, every detail precise. The resort wasn’t just protecting them; they were erasing their trail entirely.
Riven returned from changing, sliding into the seat beside her. She leaned toward him, her voice low. “I want to come back here.”
He glanced at her, brow lifting. “Yeah?”
She nodded, eyes still tracking the staff as they worked. “The service, the care… it’s incredible. This is it. Our annual family vacation spot. Forever.”
His mouth curved into a slow smile. “I’ll hold you to that.”
When the last of the real luggage was discreetly wheeled toward the service elevator — bound for the subbasement where the portal waited — Lucien gave a subtle nod. Time to move.
They gathered without hurry, stepping into the private elevator together. As the doors slid shut, Avery caught one last glimpse of their “other selves” outside — illusions still climbing into cars, still driving away, still scattering in every direction.
The elevator began its smooth descent, carrying them away from the sunlit luxury of the resort and toward the hidden magic below.
Avery’s fingers found Riven’s, and she squeezed once, her heart steady. Whatever waited on the other side, they were leaving together — and they’d be back.