Chapter Five
The hostess saw Keska and smiled. “This way, miss. He’s waiting.”
Keska nodded to Jienne and gestured for her to go first after the hostess.
The man they walked toward was in a very large booth with a turntable in the centre of the booth. Sorooth got to his feet and shook Jienne’s hand. “So, you are the little wren who is hatching.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
Keska sighed. “New activation, Jienne. He means you need instruction.”
Jienne blinked. “Oh. Right. I suppose I do.”
He eased her into the booth and turned to face Keska. He took both of her hands in his and rubbed her knuckles with his thumbs. “I have missed you.”
“I have been busy. I was setting up some gadgets for the new occupants of Daycross.”
He smiled. “Daycross, you say?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I have been asked to return to our polo club for bouts against Daycross.”
“Does your horse complain a lot?” She looked into his black eyes with gold pupils.
He smiled. “I am a much better rider than I was.”
“Everyone improves with time if they practice.”
“I just took classes.” He smiled wryly.
That surprised Keska. “Oh. Well, what was your final score?”
He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “Top of the class all the way.”
She shivered, and he smiled. She sighed. “Right. Did Salat call you?”
“Yes. He’s bringing a few people with him if you want to get started.”
Jienne was looking at them with a big grin. Keska sighed. “It isn’t what you think.”
“I think he was a patron in the early days.”
Sorooth nodded. “It is exactly what you think.”
“And because he’s a psychic, he knew me again when we bumped into each other.”
He took his seat and moved over to pull Keska next to him. She was on the outside, which meant she was going to be greeting people.
“Who is Salat bringing?” Keska looked at the menu and circled her favourites.
“Khytten and a few others.” He chuckled, and his thigh pressed to hers.
“Delightful.”
He marked a few items and slid the sheet over to Jienne.
Jienne said, “I don’t know what most of this is.”
Keska chuckled. “What are your favourite things to eat?”
“Honestly? Burgers and fries.”
Keska snagged the page and ordered a few more items.
The server smiled at Sorooth and took the page. She said to him softly, “She really wants to come out.”
Keska froze. “She’s here?”
Sorooth nodded. “She’s here. She heard you were coming, and I could only keep her in the back for so long.”
Keska got to her feet and heard the patter of feet. “Mama!”
The ten-year old wrapped her arms around Keska, and she stroked her daughter’s hair. “Hey, Kessie.”
“Mama. When Daddy told me you were here, I had to see you.” Kessie looked up at her and smiled. “You don’t mind.”
“No, baby. I don’t mind.”
“Can I visit you today?”
“Yes, your dad will have to bring you to the house because I have my fancy car, and I didn’t know you were here. Daddy didn’t mention it.”
Jienne was staring at them. “You have a daughter?”
“We have a daughter, but Sorooth was in a far better position to raise her. And this is why the male patrons go to the doctor.”
Jienne blinked and laughed.
Kessie looked at her. “Who is that?”
“That is Jienne. She’s an active who had a very bad night last night, so Ava brought her home, and I took her to the live range behind the scenes so she could see what other actives do during the day.”
“And she wanted to goad me into pushing her.”
Keska smiled. “And it did work. What did we learn?”
“I am lucky you don’t have Nelith’s adaptation.”
Keska chuckled. She looked at Sorooth. “Scoot over. Kessie, between us.”
Kessie grinned and squished between her parents. Sorooth grimaced, and Keska laughed.
She looked at Jienne. “Sorooth is an excellent mind instructor. He can tell how much you need to learn and help with a plan.”
Kessie whispered, “Can I see Nigel?”
“Yes, you can. I will send your aunts and Nigel a note that we are going to be popping by for a visit.” She tapped it out on her com.
Jienne looked at them and said, “Why don’t you live together?”
Kessie smiled. “When I was born, the stronghold made lady actives wear power restrictors all the time, and their job was to have more babies. Mom didn’t want that.
Dad didn’t want that. So, I live with him and see my grandparents a lot, but now, he is being asked to teach psychic moral courses at the Aksallan university so I can see Mom more. ”
Keska looked at Sorooth. “You have a professorship?”
He nodded. “It starts in a few weeks. Just time enough to get Kessie into school.”
Keska hugged and kissed the top of her daughter’s head. “Do you need anything for school?”
Sorooth smiled. “She’s about to hit puberty, so if you could take her and give her the briefing, that would be helpful.”
Kessie whispered, “They explained it in school, but I don’t object to a refresher.”
Keska laughed, and the tea was brought for them. A few of the dishes arrived, and Sorooth distributed the chopsticks. They took small bowls, and Jienne watched them as they got started. Keska passed Sorooth her bowl, and he put in rice and covered it with a sigh and a lot of chilli sauce.
Keska grinned. “Aw, you remembered.”
He laughed, and everyone had their bowl to start, so the picking out of the bamboo steamers commenced.
They were already halfway through when Salat, Khytten, and two other familiar figures arrived. Sorooth sighed. “I have to greet them.”
Keska stood up, and Kessie pressed against her, holding her around the waist.
Khytten was shocked, and Salat was stunned. “I didn’t know she was with you today.”
Keska stroked Kessie’s arm. “Neither did I. Ah, Dmitri. That’s why he had to greet him.”
Nelith was standing and looking at her and her daughter. “You are one of the lab-born?”
“Yes. One of a set of three. My sisters are Caska and Avagail. This is my daughter, Kessie.”
Nelith looked at the girl with her features. “Hello, Kessie, I am your grandmother.”
Kessie hid behind Keska, but she slowly stuck her hand out.
Nelith grinned and took the little hand in hers.
Kessie whispered, “I’m hungry.”
“Okay, sweetie. Back into the booth, and you can help Jienne with her chopsticks.”
Kessie scooted over, and Khytten and Salat were still staring at her daughter. “Mom, why are they staring?”
“I don’t think they believed you were real.”
Kessie snorted, looked at them, and said, “Boo!” before stuffing dumplings in her face.
Keska grinned. “So very proud.”
Salat looked from her to Nelith to Kessie. “Holy shit. Those are some strong genes.”
Kessie had chipmunk cheeks as she grinned and mumbled, “And we are snappy dancers.”
Nelith laughed, bright and loud. Salat and Khytten scooted in, and then Nelith, and when Dmitri sat, Sorooth scooted in with his thigh warm against Keska’s. The server came with another menu, and the other half of the table made their choices. Dmitri did a lot of the ordering.
Nelith asked, “How long have you been out?”
“Twenty-seven years. We escaped when we were five.” She looked at Sorooth. “Yes, I know you are a year younger.”
She smiled, and he grinned, using his utensils left-handed as he slid the right along her thigh.
Dmitri chuckled. “Family trait.”
“What?”
“Younger men.”
Nelith sighed and kept eating.
Food came, and empty containers were removed as a table full of actives went through dish after dish.
Sorooth smiled. “Still eat the chicken palms?”
Keska held it up. “It’s called a foot.” She jammed the whole thing into her mouth and pulled it out as bones.
Jienne blinked. “I have never seen people eat those.”
Sorooth murmured, “That’s why Kessie doesn’t have any brothers or sisters.”
Keska grinned and ate another one while Salat and Dmitri laughed. She disposed of the second foot and continued with her dumplings and hot sauce.
Jienne said, “So, uh, does that mean you still have a relationship?”
Sorooth grinned. “Of course. We just couldn’t live in the same country until now. So, now she is a full citizen, and Kessie has dual citizenship with Aksalla and the Sethir. For the first time since Kessie was born, we can all be in the same city at the same time.”
Kessie nodded. “So we don’t have to meet in Daycross all the time, but we can because Daddy’s going to be playing horse golf again.”
Sorooth sighed. “Polo.”
Keska and Kessie shrugged at the same time. “Whatever.”
Jienne laughed along with everyone else.
Keska looked at Sorooth, and he looked very pleased with himself. “We still have to talk to Caska and Ava, you know.”
“I know, but I am extremely happy right now.” His hand squeezed her thigh.
“Not on your lap, so I will take your word for it.”
His hand froze and then moved up her thigh.
She laughed and passed Jienne another spring roll. She put her hand over his and patted it. “Finish your lunch, sweetie. You are in for a long day.”
He grinned. “I look forward to it.”
“Yeah, well, when I left earlier, Caska and Ava were tearing a hole in Zera after we all finished chewing on the Elf Star Consortium.”
Jienne blinked. “We can talk about that?”
Khytten nodded. “Yup. All involved in the BDC here. I am guessing Sorooth is going to teach you how to keep barriers up no matter the situation.”
Jienne blinked. “Oh. Right.”
“We all have training issues that we need to get through, and it just makes you a better active.” Khytten smiled. “Survival is a helluva drug.”
Nelith nodded. “She isn’t wrong. I would really like to meet the other two.”
Kessie looked at her seriously. “Not until mango pudding.”
Sorooth glanced at Keska. “I blame you for that.”
“I accept the blame.” She patted his hand.
Sorooth looked around. “Anyone else aside from the dessert addicts?”
Nelith raised her hand, and Khytten as well. Jienne hesitated, and then her hand went up.
The desserts were ordered, and Keska smiled. When they came out, she got two, and Dmitri and Salat stared at her. Salat said, “Hungry?”
Kessie giggled. “Watch.”