The night was short but for Kairo it lasted an eternity. Turning and shifting in his bed, he waited and pleaded with the day to rise. The Island of Card Fossils was behind them. However, after Sam left, it reminded him of just what he could have lost on the island. Of just how dangerous his job as card mage was.
The gentle hand of his partner slipped over his torso. There was no word exchanged, there was no need for that. As if the arm was saying, "We have chosen this life and now must live with it." Kairo reminded himself, and forced himself to stop fidgeting in the sheets.
The next day, Kairo and Nyx dined at the counter when he saw a message from his mother. "Did I see things right, Nyx?" Kairo blinked twice, the phone almost slipping off his hand. Nyx leaned over his shoulder, confused by his sudden reaction, as she read through the short message. Her expression took the same drastic turn. "I can't believe this has happened," she said, hands over her lips.
"Father invited Mother to a dinner tonight," Kairo repeated the words once more, a hint of suspicion in his own tone. It sounded so far-fetched he had a hard time accepting it. With Mirelle and Nyx, they were supposed to visit the festival of card paradise together, but the plans had changed. There was no way she would have refused such an invitation, not after years of hating each other.
"Can they reconcile?" Kairo asked, taking his spoon to his lips. The silence between them spoke volumes of what both thought. "No, no, Kairo. I can already read the description in your eyes. Don't tell me you want to spy on them. How could you be thinking exactly like I do?"
"I learned from the best," Kairo smirked. Eager for the evening to catch up with them. Even if Kairo could not push them back together, he had hoped for them to at least stop hating each other after so many years. Could it be what his father intended to do? Knowing how Magnus was, it was hard to guess what he had in mind doing so.
The day in the card mage police went on as usual. Kairo and Nyx went through their usual job, getting ready while Kaili did the investigations with Danzan. In essence, they had very little interesting to do on that day. By the time night fell, the duo escaped to the intel department.
In the chamber full of floating screens, Leli was currently causing a stir around all the card mages around. "You two! Why is the left quarter not monitored? What about the cells? We must watch Selis Variant 24 on 7. Whether she blinks or breathes, we must know," Leli said, pushing through the screen of her tablet.
"Kairo, Nyx, what brings you here?"
"I need to know where my father and mother are currently," Kairo asked casually. The card mages around cast a subtle glance in his direction, wondering who dared to talk like that, only to notice it was him. Then quickly shuffled back to their occupation, their ears as sharp as those of rabbits.
"I would have bet you would ask something like this. I have the locations. Let's go," Leli threw off her tablet to an unprepared assistant who hastily caught it before it fell.
Kairo wasn't the least bit surprised by her reaction. It wouldn't have been strange for someone like her not to know. The trio hopped into their car and traveled to the dinner restaurant. Among one of the most prestigious restaurants in town, the entire establishment was closed with a single car parked at the entrance.
"How do we get in?" Kairo asked in a low voice. "Easy, we sneak in," Leli rubbed her hands dangerously. "Reminds me of my childhood. This was our favorite game." Nyx agreed almost instantly.
"What haven't I done with these two already?" Kairo said inwardly. Breaking the rules was their pastime in some sense. The Kairo of months earlier would have never dared to follow after his father, let alone peep at him. But certain things were contagious. And Nyx and Leli's curiosity at the moment was.
The trio slipped into the establishment, going through the waiters moving along the corridors. They went through the ceiling and into the dining rooms. Then managed to get closer to the dinner hall. Leaning along the walls, the three popped their heads one on top of each other, trying their best to hear what was happening.
In the dimly lit room, Mirelle sat back straight on her chair. Dressed in a fitting gown and high heels. She played with the fleeting thumbs of her fingers while waiting. On the table was a vase in which a single rose could be seen. The rose was clearly tilted in the opposite direction of Mirelle, as if waiting.
"Please, please reconcile," Kairo said in his heart, almost biting his lips. Moments later, the long-awaited person arrived. Magnus's arrival was marked by his sharp edges drawn in the little light cast over the area. Wearing his usual casual suit, he pulled the chair without dragging it on the floor. Manner as impeccable was his expression. Although he wasn't smiling, he wasn't frowning at her like in the past.
Then Magnus sat opposite Mirelle and picked up the menu. In what felt like an eternity, he didn't say a single word, just browsing through the menu. Mirelle could only stay confused and slightly frowning at his attitude.
"This is about to go south again," Kairo could already see the anger rising in his mother's expression. Although she had confessed to Kairo she hoped for him to forgive her, she had no intention of begging for it. Just as Mirelle placed her hands on the table as if about to stand up.
Kairo and the group had their necks hurt from stretching their ears.
"You haven't changed," Magnus said.
Kairo, Mirelle, and all the others were frozen by his words. At this point, Mirelle stood up and leaning on the table she said, "I think this was a mistake."
"Impatient as ever," Magnus gently waved at her. "Please, sit." Only then did Mirelle resume her seat, albeit with a frown.
"It's nothing new. I hate you, and perhaps deep down I still do," Magnus said. "However, you have proven more than once to be a capable shoulder I can rely on."
The moment those words left his mouth, the frown in Mirelle's expression softened. Magnus then stood up and rearranged his chair once more as if about to leave. Then he walked over to the seating Mirelle and leaned forward.
Because of their position, Kairo, Nyx, and Leli could not see what was happening. But it looked like Magnus was leaning towards Mirelle's face. "Are they going to kiss?" Leli gasped in shock. Kairo squinted his eyes, trying his best to see past Magnus's figure.
However, their fidgeting finally became too loud and they all fell off their hiding spot with a loud thud.
Magnus then stood up and turned to leave. In the opposite direction, as he passed through the pile on the floor, he gazed at them with his usual detachment. "Work on your filtration, son. You're pathetic in this state." Then he went over them like nothing had happened.
Kairo didn't take his words to heart. Magnus wasn't the type of father one could understand just with a few words. He stood up and rushed to his mother. Now that their presence had been revealed, there was no need to hide. And when he reached her level, he saw the rose in her hand and a tender smile on her lips.
"What did he say or do, Mother?" Kairo asked. "Yes, Mirelle, what happened?" Leli and Nyx joined in.
"Nothing," Mirelle said, almost as if she was satisfied with the outcome. Then she stood up and left. "Nothing?" Kairo almost fell on the ground. "He did nothing. Because it's too early for him to forgive. But he will," Mirelle said.
Kairo could not piece what had really happened in that moment between the two. But the relief in his mother's face was enough for him. His family wasn't back, but at least he had his father and his mother.