Chapter 20
We’d taken our time with our cocomochos, and then we’d walked slowly along the college’s footpaths in the late August sun. Fellisse was fine with that, given that I still had the ballcap with the crescent moon and cherries Charles had loaned me.
The Buttery was a fancy-looking building with a wide staircase leading up to the wooden doors, but before we marched in there, I gaped at the lawn to our left.
A low chain fence had rusted, and weeds were growing between the links. Someone had locked their bike there, next to the statue of some guy atop whose head a crow sat while another perched on one of the black trash cans and stared at us.
None of that was unusual, but the explosion of flowers that had outgrown the weeds sure was.
I stared at all the color. “Wow. That’s something.”
For the children, the land whispered, then happily withdrew to wherever it went when it wasn’t occupying my mind.
“Vergis said this isn’t what it would have been supposed to look like before.” Lissir put his hands on his hips. “He says the dull humans preferred dull green lawns shorn short. Seeing this, I cannot understand that.”
I nodded. “Yeah, that’s right. Plain green used to be the preferred look.”
Sonyo jogged toward the lawn. The crow on the trash can cawed, but Sonyo clicked. The crow was either confused or calmed by that, and it let Sonyo pick a blue cornflower whose head was hanging over the chain.
He jogged back over and held it out to me. “Flower.”
I took it from him. “Thank you, Sonyo.”
“You’re welcome.” His intonation was off, and he spoke slowly. I was pretty sure he’d only learned to say that today.
Fellisse crossed his arms. “Maybe he can learn about Earth flowers. There are a lot of books here. They and the knowledge in them need care.”
Nokim shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Oh, the libraries are so exciting. Have you seen them, Rory? I don’t understand how even those humans who remain haven’t come back here to guard them and use them.”
“Good riddance.” Vergis ran one of his claws over the smooth cobblestones.
Inkiri put an arm around my middle. “Maybe we should not talk about such things. Hove wanted to feed us, no?”
My stomach growled on cue.
Vergis rolled his eyes. “You’re so needy.”
Nokim swept in. “You must be hungry as well, Vergis. After all, you did a lot of magic too. Come on, let’s all go eat.”
I caught Lissir’s sly grin as he gave Vergis a little push on the shoulder. We headed up the staircase and went into the very angular building with its rectangular windows.
The doors opened into a spacious room with marble floors. There were more wooden doors to either side, but the one ahead was open. It was framed by two fireplaces, and light streamed in through tall windows.
The dining hall itself was long and marble-floored, with crown molding on the high ceilings and gold-framed paintings of old white dudes hung above the dark wainscoting.
Raikengana sat at the long tables and shared a meal. They were chatting and laughing. At the table to the left, I spotted Kinnek and Hove. The platter of food there was still covered, and the two of them were talking quietly.
Vergis gestured at the interior. “What’d I tell you? Ostentatious as fuck.”
“Okay, you were right. But at least they added fireplaces.” I pointed at the one on the left-hand wall of the long hall. “That’s nice, right?”
“Your standards make no sense.” Vergis headed for the table on the left.
Down the hall, I spotted Gesango looking over. He wasn’t laughing with the other Raikengana, just watching, his expression thoughtful.
Kinnek waved when he saw Vergis and us. “There’s our human koa! Butter cookie, come sit next to me. Muffin, you too. Don’t you dare not give me a hug.”
Vergis rolled his eyes, but he pushed the chair he’d been pulling out for himself on the opposite side of the table right back and went around to hug his dad.
Like Kinnek had asked, Vergis and I sat on either side of him, with Inkiri on my other side and Hove and the rest of the guys sitting opposite. Inkiri clicked and licked my neck for all to see, pulling the scarf Sonyo had given me aside.
Hove gave us a moment before he spoke. “You recovered well?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m well.”
Kinnek put his head on his hand and looked at me.
“I’d like to know what you did, snickerdoodle.
That was not your normal magic last night.
Lightning bolts do seem rather extreme. Charlie agrees with me, even if he normally doesn’t have an opinion about magic.
You seem to have handled it well, regardless. ”
I shrugged. “I guess so.”
Hove started uncovering the food, and Fellisse helped, Inkiri and Nokim too, and before I knew what was what, my mate was filling my plate.
Kinnek tilted his head, his piercing eyes looking right at me without letting up. My stomach growled again.
“We’ll talk about the magic some other time. What’s important is that we accomplished what we set out to do,” he finally said.
“Agreed.” Vergis snatched a roasted sweet potato from one of the serving dishes. “When did you guys start cooking human food?” he asked Hove.
“We are on Earth. It be right we eat human food.” He bowed toward where my guys were sitting next to him. “Nokim is helpful with that.”
Nokim nodded. “Human food is interesting.”
That was about as much talking about food instead of eating it as I could stand. Inkiri had filled my plate with lots of roasted potatoes, which he knew I liked. That was more of a dinner or lunch thing usually, but then, breakfast time was long past, and no wonder after our late-night mission.
There were also roasted apples, which was new and interesting in combination with the potatoes, but not bad, as well as carrots and something like cornbread.
All of the food tasted different from what I expected, but I was used to that with Nokim’s cooking.
Like with my bagu family, different wasn’t necessarily bad.
Finally, Kinnek put down his fork and turned to me once more. “If you’re done stuffing your face, chocolate bar, we should talk about where you’ll be living.”
“This new Raiken warmly welcome you,” Hove said right away, indicating the assembled Raikengana at the other tables.
“Uhm.” I looked up at Inkiri, who seemed to be absorbed by the roasted apples more than anything. In fact, he was ignoring me.
“Aww, you two.” Kinnek patted my arm. “Muffin, aren’t they cute, all lost in translation.”
Lissir speared a piece of food off his plate and gave me a pointed look. “I think these sweet potatoes grew better in Canada.”
Was I supposed to pick up on something? My guys knew I didn’t do subtlety, didn’t they?
“About that.” Kinnek took my hand. “You and your sentenmen are very welcome to stay with me and Charlie. Our House can be your House, if you want.”
“You two are just shamelessly trying to get me to move back in,” Vergis grumbled from Kinnek’s other side. “It’s all a fucking scheme, is what this is.”
Kinnek nodded. “Yes, that’s one reason. Your daddy’s main reason, I think. It’s because you never call, Muffin.”
Vergis rolled his eyes and rammed his fork into the last sweet potato on the serving plate.
“Uhm, but…I mean, Ink really likes being in the Raiken. Don’t you?”
Inkiri looked at me and tilted his head. “The Raiken would not be far.”
Hove clicked. “Kinnek has explained some. About the human ko of the land.” He gestured at me.
“I understand it is important to protect Rory. The Raiken is to protect.” Next to Hove, Fellisse nodded, and Nokim started fidgeting on his other side.
Lissir just smiled. “We would wish protectors to guard the human koa who power has so great which we saw on yesterday’s night.
And a sentenmen is close. A sentenmen is the first I want ordered to protect. ”
“Of course we would follow the dena’s orders.” Lissir bowed. “Wouldn’t we, Inkiri?”
Inkiri nodded and clicked. “Of course. We are duty-bound.”
I was not getting it, but thankfully, Kinnek saw that.
“There’s a bit of influence play to consider, you see, sweet pea.”
“It’s why it’s better to have the Raiken pay you than to be part of the Raiken,” Vergis said. “No offense to the Raiken. You and yours fought well last night, Hove.”
Hove inclined his head. “I thank the koa. And we glad pay the koa for his magic.”
I sighed. “I don’t understand.”
Kinnek leaned forward. “Well, Hove and I had a bit of time to discuss it. My House is much like any of the Houses back on Aer. You may choose to live on Aer, of course.” He shrugged, which was odd, because the bagua didn’t seem to do that much, apart from Vergis.
“My House has no ties and no responsibilities to the Raiken though, because there has been no cause for it, given the distance.
“At the same time, the Raiken will expand to here. The high counselor has decided as much. With expansion, the land must be taken into consideration, and you are our koa of the land, or special magic dispenser thanks to whom the veils from Earth to Aer connected in the first place. The Raiken sees the need to protect you.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Wait. What you guys are saying is we can all stay in Canada and Ink and the others don’t have to quit the Raiken?”
Vergis ate a delicate bite of his sweet potato. “I’m glad he’s just a magical twink and not a genius twink. Makes it easier to be around him.”
I cleared my throat. “Apologies to everyone. Vergis did not bring his earplugs, and my mate and I were quite loud earlier today.”
Inkiri growl-purred and put a warm hand on my knee. Vergis leaned forward while he used that fork of his to downright torture the skin off that sweet potato.
Kinnek chuckled. “Muffin is so human. Like his daddy used to be.”
I put my hand on Inkiri’s, then looked at the rest of my guys. “You’d all be okay with this? Moving to Canada?”
Fellisse and Nokim did the head tilt thing, but Lissir nodded. “It’s nice there. Charles has been promising a pumpkin carving competition come October.” He glanced over at Fellisse and Nokim. “We’ll all be happy there.”
“And…what about Sonyo?”
Sonyo looked up from his food. Nokim leaned over to him and spoke in quick Lugarra.
The kid tilted his head and said something back.
“He says he’s hanmen and will go where the sentenmen goes, sadir.” Inkiri squeezed my knee. “He knew that when he applied.” Inkiri leaned in close. “I hope you don’t think I speak out of turn, but I remember you saying you liked Aer and how you wanted to live there.”
Lissir nodded. “Zeddira would like that too. In fact, Inkiri, your poor brother must loathe being laid up and healing without a chance to push his influence on your mate.”
Vergis groaned. “This is painful. You’re all making this too difficult for the princess. Princess, if you want the quiet homesteading lifestyle instead of being coddled on Aer or seduced by your in-laws—and I can’t believe I’m saying this—but if that’s what you want, we gotta move in with my dads.”
Kinnek turned toward Vergis. “Aaaw! My baby. Come on, Vergis, say it. You missed home, didn’t you? You were homesick all this time, weren’t you? Come here, Muffin.”
Kinnek pulled his son in to kiss his cheek and ruffle Vergis’s short hair, and Vergis…tolerated it with much eye-rolling.
After Kinnek was done, Vergis leaned over. “Your fault, Princess.”
I grinned at him. “We’ll be hammock buddies again.”
“No, we will not.”
“You want to do it, don’t you?” Inkiri’s breath was warm against my cheek. “Live in Kinnek’s House?”
He sounded happy, and that was all it took to make me nod.
“Yes!” Nokim clapped his hands. “Charles’s workshop is wonderful, and I still have so much to learn about solar panels!”
“You decide, yes?” Hove too looked happy.
“I’ll have to visit Dublin a lot,” Fellisse said. “For medical supplies.”
He and Hove exchanged one of those heated gazes they did with each other.
“Ice cream!” Nokim jumped to his feet, pulling Sonyo up with him. “I taught the cooks how to make ice cream!”
And he and Sonyo were off.
Kinnek clapped. “I believe we’re celebrating.”
Vergis groaned. “Some of us are.”
“All of us,” I said.
Vergis tried to give me a murderous look, but he failed so very, very much, and anyway, across the table, Fellisse and Hove were licking each other’s throats, and Inkiri was pulling my scarf aside to do the same, and I just knew that this was good.
This was the start of our future together, for all of us.
Only that wasn’t quite right. My future had started a while ago, when this weirdo guy with three swords had strolled into the women’s clothing section to drop a monster head at my feet and get me my cat socks.
I’d found more than a mate that day. I looked around at all the smiling faces. That day, I’d found a family.