Chapter Eight #3
“They have. Now they are all silver lines. I don’t mind. They give me a certain presence.” Calypso touched her cheek. “So how goes courtship?”
Harper blushed. “Uh, it’s fine. Piper is further along than I am.”
“Yes. Can you let me go for a moment? I have to ask Dorian something.”
Harper paused and then nodded.
Calypso grinned. “You know, I live in a small house on Blackridge’s main island. I have a boat, and I travel when I like between the islands. As you are moving your studio to Wonder, we will see each other often.”
“How do you know that?”
“Ah, I attend a lot of women around here, and they and their mates are looking forward to another business locally.” Calypso smiled.
“The ones with enhanced alphas and betas are going to want a lot of new and unique enamels to hand down to their children. Because now on Wonder, there will be children.” She eased away from Harper and went to speak to Dorian.
The sacred waterfall in human form nodded slowly. “Can you manage to get up there?”
“Yes. Piper’s mates can give us a lift if necessary.”
“Okay. I am good with it.”
“You are going to be taking on a lot, and we are going to supercharge the source.”
“Right. Do you need anything else?”
“Well, if you guys have any cameras and want to record this, I would charge the buggers now.”
He blinked and went to talk to Orc.
She went to talk to Piper and Harper, explaining what they needed to do. Both of them grinned and scattered to assemble what was needed.
They got the outfits together and got changed. Calypso checked on the family once more and stuffed some fruit in her mouth, and they hiked toward the waterfall.
Wind picked them up and carried them to the top of the falls. From that vantage point, they looked around, and Calypso turned to see the yacht in the harbour. Sohar’s yacht. Aeryn was one of her clients.
She looked at the others as the drones sprang up in a halo around them. “They are quick.”
Harper nodded. “That is what Thera says.”
Piper asked, “So why are we up here?”
“We are here to give a blessing. Sort of. We are mages. You know that, right?”
The others nodded.
“Well, we all have different applications. But what this moment comes down to is that we are past, present, and future of the same blood. The moon is high and willing to participate. So listen to the rhythm and start to move. The rest is going to make sense when we are in motion, and the beat gets stronger.”
Calypso swayed to the sounds of wind, water, and trees. When she took her first steps, her skin began to glow.
Harper and Piper began the same steps that went beyond learning and into ancient blood.
* * * *
Serin felt the power rising. “Deno, help me up so I can see the waterfall.”
Deno nodded, and the trees bent out of their way to give them a clear view of the cliff face of the falls. Serin couldn’t see the figures, but when they started glowing, the dancing stars formed a beam that united and then spread across the sky.
The light coursed in a wave toward Emerald and spread toward Breakridge and Blackridge.
The light spread across the sky, and then it faded.
Yeskin’s phone started ringing. He answered it on speaker. “Yes, maiden?”
“Uh, Yeskin, can you get us down? We didn’t have any climbing gear, and we aren’t dressed for repelling.”
There was a laugh, and Serin watched Yeskin move to an open area on the path. He transformed into a water dragon, and another dark elf grew golden eagle wings. He raced the dragon to the top of the cliff.
Serin grinned. “I am really loving life in the islands, Deno. Our little girl is going to have fascinating friends. A lot of them are already on the way.”
Deno chuckled. “Kekoa is already working to set aside land for new family homes.”
“Good. We are going to need them. Now that the ceremony grounds are finished, bonding tourism is going to pick up.” She smiled. “And a charter boat for the participants and a separate vessel if they want to hold to beta customs and not see the bride before the event.”
The baby snuffled, and Serin looked down. “So, little one, you just saw something that I can’t describe. I do know that I am hoping the drones caught it all.”
Deno looked toward Orc, and he turned back to her. “They caught it all.”
She smiled. “I wonder if they would be able to do the ceremonies.”
The dragon and eagle man were returning.
Deno said, “I think she is busy with all the babies.”
She smoothed a finger down the baby’s cheek. “You are right. Maybe she knows someone. This is above the standard beta pay grade. Kekoa can’t do it. He’s in charge.”
Deno nodded. “Maybe in a week or so, we should bring the baby to the palace for a play date.”
“You say that like Haravin isn’t going to be down here tomorrow morning.” She grinned tiredly.
Yeskin set down, and Piper and Calypso dismounted from his thick neck.
“Calypso? I have a quick question.”
Calypso wore a black, gauzy outfit, and the scars on her body glowed silver in the light of the full moon. “What do you want to know?”
“Why did she come so fast?”
Calypso laughed. “You have been in labour since yesterday. You are just so used to discomfort that you took it for granted. All those little twinges? That’s when it started.”
Serin blinked. “Well, fuck.”
“Watch out. Little ears hear everything.”
Serin looked at the little lips pursing softly. “Not yet. Oh, I have to run it past Kekoa, but do you know anyone who would be a good candidate for an officiant for the bonding ceremonies?”
“Do you want presence or power?”
“Genuine enjoyment of the process.”
“Oh. Let me know about the details. She would need a place to live near the grounds, whatever wardrobe you want to set up for it. Have someone design something. She has a day job, so she can be here in two weeks from when you say go.”
Serin nodded. “Fair. Compensation?”
“Room, clothing, food, and possibly some sport instruction. She isn’t very sporty.”
Serin laughed. “I think we can get her surfing.”
“You will have to get someone to teach her to swim first.”
“Oh. Shit.”
“Yeah. She works indoors, works with numbers, but is an amazingly powerful speaker, and she has a presence that would be exactly what you need. Serious earth mother vibes.”
“Nice. I think that is what we need.”
“She also doesn’t have any active hormones that anyone has been able to find, and a lot of alphas have gone looking. There is something about her that draws them in.”
“Noted. The alphas around here have a lot of self-control. I don’t see it being an issue.”
“Oh, it won’t be an issue. She stops it cold. She says that’s how she knows she hasn’t met the right one. She doesn’t pursue men. She has other shit to do.”
Serin laughed softly. “I think I will enjoy meeting her.”
“I hope she gets the job then.”
“If not, invite her for a vacation.”
“She won’t come unless she has something to do. Since she can’t swim, that would leave walking around. Sightseeing is very nice but not really her thing.”
Serin sighed. “Well, I hope Kekoa accepts her for the position.”
“Yup. She’s fun. Well, not really fun. You just feel better for having touched her hand or sitting across from her having tea.”
“As I said, I hope that Kekoa will make the right decision. She may have to come here for an interview.” Serin looked at her daughter. “Do you want to meet the nice lady? Do you?”
There was a scrunching of the little face, and Calypso laughed. “She’s hungry. Get settled, and we will make sure you and she can work together.”
The next few minutes were spent getting comfortable, and then the little one began her first meal.
Calypso ate some meat pies while giving Deno tips on putting Vaseline on the princess’s butt so that the first solid movement wouldn’t become embedded on the little skin.
He took notes, and Serin grinned.
* * * *
When the new family retired for the night, Calypso headed for the room she had been given. Harper and Piper were off with their courting partners and mates, respectively.
Calypso made sure her phones were charged and set to full volume, and then she got some rest. Tomorrow, she was going to brace for more travel.
Breakfast was good, shockingly, everyone was up and having a nice visit in the common area.
Deno sighed. “We are out of cream, and Serin is going to need more coffee today.”
Calypso nodded. “I will head to the hotel and wheedle some out of them. I need the exercise anyway. I am not used to being sedentary.”
“Half and half.”