Chapter 1495: The Dragon’s Indulgence: The Flying Car

The other great attraction of the evening had been perhaps the flying car aside from Melissa’s twins pregnancy and Phei’s singing with Evy. It was not exactly been flying, although explaining that distinction to anyone who watched a Rolls-Royce ascend to the highest rooftop of Infinity Chaos Hotel would probably have been a waste of breath.

Phei had decided that if he was giving his pregnant wife one of the rarest cars in existence, he might as well present it properly.

While his family gathered beneath the evening heavens, the Rolls-Royce Droptail rose from the ground upon an invisible current of Void. Phei had spread his Essence beneath and around it, drawing upon the hidden hollows of space to bear its weight.

Higher it climbed, passing floor after floor of the colossal tower until broad ribbons of amber sunlight washed over its finish. Against the distant island, the car hung between heaven and earth, all those patient years of mortal craftsmanship borne aloft by a power older than mankind’s first dream of a wheeled carriage.

Those watching from above saw the long bonnet emerge beyond the rooftop’s edge, followed by the low cabin and sweeping rear, before Phei lowered it toward the polished stone.

Phei was rather pleased with himself, although the car deserved much of the admiration!

It was the Rolls-Royce Droptail #0001, which he’d bought to become Melissa’s gift even before he knew she was pregnant with his child— children. Even among Rolls-Royce’s rarest creations, this one had long remained beyond the reach of ordinary wealth, its distinction as much a part of its allure as the craftsmanship itself.

Jade had also made several alterations per his request before handing it over, indulging a taste.

The elegant proportions remained unmistakably those of a Droptail. Its long, sculpted bonnet flowed toward the low cabin, while the rear fell away in sweeping lines that gave the body a lovely sense of movement even at rest. Each curve led naturally into the next, preserving the restraint that distinguished it from cars whose owners needed everyone within sight to know precisely how much money they had spent.

Jade’s chosen finish gave those familiar lines a depth Phei had never seen upon the original. Gold and amber gathered beneath its lustre, with faint traces of crimson appearing where the evening light touched it obliquely. As he moved around the car, the colors traveled over the bodywork in liquid gleams, darkening along one curve before brightening upon another.

Even the smaller details had been refined with a care that rewarded a closer look, though the car had hardly lacked attention before Jade got her hands on it.

The cabin carried the same extravagance inward.

The upholstery, polished surfaces and delicate fittings had been chosen to complement one another, their richness softened by an intimacy that made Phei think of a private sanctuary.

Fine workmanship lay beneath every touch, from the supple covering of the seats to the smooth finishes surrounding them, and nothing crowded the graceful arrangement. It was a space made for someone who could settle into all that luxury and enjoy it without having to admire each expense separately.

He wondered how much she had spent improving something that already cost a fortune, although he suspected he would enjoy the gift far more if he remained ignorant.

Melissa had been speechless when the Droptail settled before her.

Disbelief softened into an almost childlike wonder as she approached, her fingertips moving carefully across the gleaming bodywork. She kept looking between the car and Phei, scarcely able to believe he had arranged all this to celebrate the news of their children.

When he smiled and opened his arms, she abandoned her inspection and went straight into them.

Gods, how he loved this woman!

Her kisses made it rather difficult to stand quietly, however.

Maddie began commenting almost immediately, several of the women laughed, and the boys accused him of making every other man in the family look terrible.

Phei accepted the accusations with considerable satisfaction while keeping Melissa in his arms.

If those magnificent bastards wanted to compete, they were more than welcome to try.

Yet when his wife returned to admiring her gift, he found himself wondering what else he could give her.

The Droptail pleased her, and he was glad of that, but even its extravagance felt small beside everything Melissa had given him. She had loved him through some of the hardest years of his life, stood beside him even when he hated her.

There were hurts her embrace could soothe that all his strength had never managed to quiet.

Now she was carrying their twins, two little lives whose heartbeats had nearly brought him to tears that morning. He could still hear them when he looked at her. How was he supposed to put his gratitude into a gift when he could barely contain it within himself?

He doubted he would have found an answer even with every hidden treasure of the Realms laid at his feet.

Still, the Droptail was a beginning, and he had plenty more planned.

Phei finally possessed the means to indulge Melissa as freely as he wished, and she would have to get used to having a wealthy, powerful and ridiculously devoted Dragon for a husband.

Phei grinned as she admired another detail of the car.

He intended to spoil her until she begged him to stop, and even then she would probably have trouble persuading him.

Good luck with that, Mels.

When everyone had finished admiring the Droptail, he raised his hand and gathered the Void around it again. The wheels lifted from the stone, and the car rose several meters before turning toward the open air with the unhurried grace of a vessel upon calm water. Guests hurried to the edge as it began its descent along the immense height of Infinity Chaos Hotel.

From the surrounding heights, anyone watching would have seen a priceless Rolls-Royce making its leisurely way down from the heavens, its weight supported by something their eyes could never find. Phei watched the guests’ astonishment with barely concealed amusement.

He had enjoyed bringing the car up, but sending it back down gave everyone a much better view.

The task required little effort compared with what he had demanded of the Void in battle.

A Void Pocket though would have held the Droptail safely, and a portal could have returned it directly to the ground.

Either would have spared him the trouble of lowering it past every floor, but he doubted his family would have enjoyed it half as much.

Besides, every use of the Void offered a mastery to the Void!

Eira had explained that mastery demanded more than greater Essence or the awakening of stronger abilities. He needed familiarity gained through use, an understanding of his Element’s countless possibilities until the finest movements came as naturally as those of his fingers.

Imagination helped him find those possibilities.

An ordinary task could invite a different approach, and trying it might teach him something he would never discover by repeating the same techniques upon a battlefield.

He hardly expected a levitating Rolls-Royce to progress him out of the Baby Steps Phase, he did, however, expect the care he put into wielding his Essence to amount to something over time, and he rather liked learning without risking his handsome head.

If he could entertain his family while doing so, why the hell wouldn’t he?

As for the people below who might look up and find a car descending from the sky, Phei gave them little thought. They lived upon Hell’s Paradise Island; surely this ranked rather low among the strangest sights available to them.

He settled the Droptail safely upon the ground and returned his attention to the celebration above.

More gifts found their way into Melissa’s hands as evening deepened. Congratulations accompanied keepsakes, exquisite ornaments and presents extravagant enough to make Phei wonder whether the women had secretly begun competing. Some had been chosen for their sentimental meaning, others for the beauty of their craftsmanship, and a few could probably have paid for an ordinary family’s comfortable retirement.

Melissa thanked each person warmly, laughing at the more amusing explanations for their choices. Her hand often returned to the gentle curve of her belly while she listened, a small gesture Phei found himself watching whenever he glanced her way.

It was becoming a habit of hers and his he would never grow tired of seeing it.

Laughter and affectionate commotion filled the rooftop as he moved among the guests. His brothers had more teasing for him, his women had complaints they delivered with far too much fondness to sound convincing, and someone always seemed ready to drag him into another conversation. The supposedly urgent matters ranged from gossip to grievances against somebody standing a few steps away.

Occasionally, to Phei’s genuine astonishment, one even deserved his attention.

Adriana certainly received it.