Chapter 12 #2
“Right, and the award for worst mother of the year goes to Lila Adams,” I mutter, and they chuckle.
“Give yourself a break, Lila. It takes some adjustment, and you have had a lot to deal with over the last couple of months.” Eric tries to reassure me, but I still feel guilty.
“Eric and I won’t be joining you on Rilu either. We want to return to Celestia and check on John. They’ve been giving us daily updates, but we feel like we’ve been gone too long. Now that you are all sorted and the babies have shifted, we feel comfortable returning.”
I reach out and grab his hand. “Fuck, I’ve been selfish. I’m so sorry. Of course you want to return to your brother.”
“Nonsense. We’ve loved every minute of it, but Will is right, I need to see John with my own two eyes to feel reassured, and we know you and whoever you take with you are going to be able to get the plant.”
I scoff. “Hopefully Xavier and I will be able to convince whoever we need to, to allow us access. I’m pretty sure his power of persuasion is on point.”
Eric and William exchange a glance. “I’m not sure how much use he will be to you. Rilu is a fairly isolated planet, and they don’t take kindly to strangers.”
“But don’t we have a performer from Rilu in the circus? Aren’t the larnuks native to Rilu?” I’m confused.
Eric sighs. “Yes, Zala is the larnuk mistress, and we do have a good relationship with the tribes, but it took a long time for them to warm up to us, and they don’t like strangers butting in. Not to mention their gem trade means they get a lot of dishonest people trying to home in on it.”
“But aren’t they only the gatekeepers of the plant? Isn’t it a Celestian plant?” I argue, feeling a small spike of panic.
“Nobody owns the plant. They hold a reciprocal agreement to protect it. The Celestians have advised the elder who holds the knowledge of its whereabouts that they are allowing you to use it. The cavern it is in is reported to be haunted, and people avoid it like the plague.” William looks worried, or even more worried than his normal worried.
“Also, the environment is harsh. It takes a special person to survive on Rilu. Zala has agreed to help, and Cas has arranged for Silac to accompany you.”
“Silac?” I can’t hide the surprise in my voice as I think about the naga shifter.
“Yes, his snake will be perfect in that harsh climate, as well as an asset to you underground. Allowing yourself to mimic both him and Zala should give you an advantage others don’t have.”
“How is his big snake ass going to get around underground?” I remember how large he was during the show, and I can’t see him slithering easily through tunnels.
“He can change size, especially when he fully shifts. He will be fine, and Cas assures us he is more than capable of protecting you,” William argues.
“Okay, but Xavier is just as capable.”
Eric grimaces. “I’m afraid Xavier’s arrogance may upset the Rilunese, but you never know, he may learn to rein it in.” The three of us pause for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“Yeah, good thing you got me Silac, otherwise I may be doing this on my own.” My heartbeat speeds up at the thought of what’s to come, but so far I’ve survived five matings, being changed into a shifter, Vilaxian, and lightning cat, and endured a death match for a mate. I’ve got this shit.
“Also, we have been talking, and depending on how John recovers, we may need you to step up into your leadership role quicker than we planned.” William becomes serious again.
“So let’s have a little chat about the future.
Cas has elected to semi-retire from his act because of the children, but his brother will be joining us, and they will alternate shows. ”
“Yes, that’s awesome. I can’t wait to introduce Malik to Magenta.”
Eric rolls his eyes playfully. “Matchmaker.”
“Hey, I can’t help it if I want my friend to experience the fun of a tentacled lover.” He grimaces, and it’s my turn to chuckle.
“Which means with the return of the lightning cats and hopefully the mer show, so nothing should change.”
“Are we not sure about the Aquilians yet?” I ask, experiencing a mixture of feelings when I think about that stupid can of tuna.
“No, there has been radio silence from them. I know that apart from Nikos and Nixie, the others weren’t returning. Their family pod was expecting, so they are choosing to stay home. Unless they find another couple of Aquilians to join the show, we will need to find a replacement act.”
“How do we do that?” I ask, ignoring my own feelings of disappointment. It’s because I really liked Nixie, no other reason.
“We have a list of applications a mile long, so it won’t be too hard. It’s just about finding the right fit. I’ll forward all the information to your tablet, and you can screen them.”
I swallow a lump of nerves in my throat. “Me?” I ask, and William nods.
“Yes, this will be part of your job as owner. You will need to make those decisions, and there is no time like the present.”
“Okay, good, sure. I can do that,” I stammer, and they just smile warmly at me without a bit of doubt on their faces, which truly does help.
Suddenly, there are screams and shouts, and I jump to my feet, looking for my children.
I can’t see them anywhere, but I find three little baby krakens hanging from the monkey bars and roll my eyes.
Of course we couldn’t go anywhere without bringing any drama, though if you ask me, their children are weenies.