Chapter 8
CHAPTER
EIGHT
STACY
I give Tash a jiggle as he lays his head on my shoulder. "Want to join your brother?"
Tash sighs. "No. Joden talks too much and he ignores me."
Aw. Poor kiddo. Right now the oldest boys are going through a weird phase where they're getting competitive with the younger ones, and my sweet Tash isn't confrontational. If anything, he's shy. His best friend is Rollan, who is also quiet, but who is currently at Icehome Beach. I stroke his hair while Pashov stacks the bowls in the corner. "Maybe...could you do something for Mama? Go ask Grandma Kemli if she has any extra seeds for me?"
"I guess." He heaves a big, gusty sigh and then gamely trots away to find his grandmother.
As he does, Pashov and I share a look.
"He is fine," my husband says with a shrug, still picking caramel out of his teeth. "You worry too much."
Pursing my lips, I watch my son retreat, his little back strong and proud. "I know Kemli will spoil him for a bit, but it doesn't make up for the fact that Tash needs more friends. Everyone's Pacy's age, but there's a gap for Tash and I don't like it." It's like the children have chosen to be either Pacy's friend or Tash's friend, and they've chosen my more gregarious Pacy. Normally it doesn't bother me because Tash has Rollan…but Rollan isn’t here.
Pashov licks his finger as he regards me. "He will find his way. I fought with my brothers when I was younger."
It's different, though. I can't imagine quiet, self-assured Salukh picking a fight with Pashov. And Zennek is an even quieter sweetheart. If anything, Tash is far more like them than his father Pashov. Who else can Tash play with that's the same age? Vekka? She plays dolls with the girls. Maybe Zalene, but she's got a sharp little tongue and has been using it on the boys lately. Tash is sensitive and sweet and I don't want anyone to crush his fragile spirit. "Maybe we should get him a pet. Like Holvek."
"A quill-beast, then?" My mate asks, voice dry. "A snow cat? Or perhaps a dirtbeak?"
I shudder at the thought. Maddie has horror stories of where she's found Millicent nesting. Given that Millicent's a dirtbeak, and dirtbeaks make their nests out of dung, well...I'd be hosing the entire hut down on a regular basis. "Actually, never mind. I guess we'll just wait for Rollan to come back."
"Perhaps you could make our smaller son a very good costume. Have him impress the other boys."
Scraping the last dried bits of hraku caramel off my spoon, I consider this. "I'm not much of a seamstress, but that's not a bad idea. Maybe I'll ask Tiffany for help. You know she's making costumes for their entire family? Do you want to dress up with the boys?"
Pashov grins up at me. "I can. Should I be a unicorn?"
I'm utterly flummoxed by his suggestion. "How do you know what a unicorn is?"
"Harrec suggested it. He said Kate mentioned it is a creature with one horn. Is it insulting?" He touches the nub of his broken horn, where we've been so happy to see some growth again. Not enough to be a visible change, but it's there.
I can't decide if I'm annoyed or not. Kate obviously mentioned unicorns and Pashov in the same sentence to her mate. Unicorns aren't a bad thing, and Kate isn't a cruel sort. She's just awkward at times. I get to my feet and put aside the pan before making a decision. "Unicorns are special magical creatures. I'm going to say it's a good thing."
"Then make me one for your celebration," he says, and jumps up after me. He wraps his arms around me, one sliding to my butt. "No tail here. Maybe you should get one for your costume."
Even when his memories disappeared, Pashov's love for grabbing my butt remained. I grin at him. "You wouldn't know what to do with me if I had a tail."
"I would flip it aside and do the same things I always do." His eyes heat and he pulls me toward him.
I'm suddenly very glad I sent the kids out.