Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
Ayla
Zasen did make a good pillow. He'd also ended up in the middle of the bed, pinned between me and my dog. I'd reached across his chest to pet her as we'd talked a little more, and had fallen asleep that way. When I woke up the next morning, I found I'd rolled over, but so had he.
Now Zasen was pressed up against my back, holding me like a doll. His tail was twined around my calf loosely, and I liked it. I also really needed to use the facilities, but the twists made it impossible to slip away.
Gently, I tried to unwrap his tail, lifting the relaxed muscles enough to get my leg free. Sadly, I only made it halfway around before the blue tip tensed, then tightened slightly, hanging on.
"Mm, but I like you here," Zasen mumbled against my shoulder.
"I need to potty," I told him, using the same term I did for Holly. "I can't do that with your tail holding on."
And he sighed. "Fine. I'll let Holly out."
The moment I was free from his tail, I slid off the bed and hurried out of the room.
In the hall, I could hear someone working in the kitchen, but I kept going toward the bathroom.
While I was doing my business, the man in the kitchen began to hum softly, proving it was Kanik - which was when Zasen must've entered the kitchen.
"Where's Ayla?" Kanik asked.
"Bathroom." Zasen's answer came out rough because he'd just woken up.
"Where was she last night?" Kanik pressed.
"My room." Zasen laughed once. "No. She slept. I'm good with it. Do not make her feel bad, because she was worried about whether you and Rymar would think it's okay. She's also worried about Callah."
"Gotcha," Kanik said. "And either let that dog out or stir this."
"Dog," Zasen said.
So I finished up, then headed upstairs for clothes. Today was supposed to be a big day. I didn't know how these ceremonies went, although Rymar had assured me there were no vows. Just bragging, he'd said, but I wasn't good at that either, so I decided to worry more about looking good.
Oddly, I didn't want to look proper. I wanted to be beautiful, but the sort Dragons liked, not the type I'd been taught.
That meant no dresses. Instead, I picked a pair of loose pants, a white shirt, and the pair of boots Saveah had convinced me to buy a while back with the last of my bear-hunting money.
I didn't know if this counted as nice enough, but I had a feeling one of the guys would tell me.
I stepped out just as Rymar left his room. A little smile played across his face as he looked me over. "Nice," he said. "You might want to put your hair up, though. Tamin's coming, and you know he'll want to shoot his bow."
"But is this nice enough?" I asked.
He closed the distance between us, catching me by the waist. "Ayla, it's a cookout, just like the last one.
Nothing formal. No expectations except that we're going to point at your neck a lot - to show off the signs you're wearing.
All of our families will be here. People will all want to talk to you, and Saveah is going to make sure you're not overwhelmed. "
"Not you?" I asked.
"Oh, all of us too," he promised. "But your family is more sane than ours." And he looked me over again. "Ayla? Can you clench your stomach for me?"
"Okay?" I asked, but I did it.
Rymar smiled, tugging at the stretchy waist of my shirt to expose the section of skin by my belly button. "I do believe you have abs now." And he hummed in appreciation. "Now, let's get moving."
Together, we made our way downstairs. I was sent out to put a cloth on the table, along with the dishes we'd need. Zasen adjusted the targets, making sure they were in the right place again. Kanik cooked, making something that smelled amazing, and Rymar handled everything else.
It was fun, too! I'd always thought of these things as chores, but when we all did them together, it no longer felt like an obligation. And when Zasen leaned in to kiss my shoulder? It was like permission for the other two.
Kanik slid his hand along my back when he moved around me. Rymar pressed in close when he reached around me. Zasen slipped in a hug, and once, Kanik stole one of those quick kisses. This was better than I'd expected, so by the time the first person knocked at the door, I couldn't stop smiling.
Rymar answered it only to have Tamin rush in. "Aunt Ayla, where's Holly!"
The dog heard her name and came running.
With a squeal, Tamin wrapped his arms around her neck, and I swore my dog would've smiled if she could've.
Saveah? She passed me my niece, then pressed between Zasen and Kanik to help with something they were making.
I was handed a dish and told to take it outside, and Rymar stole the baby so I could.
"Tamin, come help me!" I called. "Bring Holly with you."
"Okay!"
But someone else was already rapping at the front door. One after the other, groups arrived. Naomi, Jeera, Brielle, and the baby were after Saveah. Then came Rymar's family - which included his three fathers and two mothers. They arrived in two groups, but one right after the other.
I was outside, stringing Tamin's bow so he could shoot at the targets when Kanik led a pair of tailed people into the backyard.
"Ayla?" Kanik called.
"One second," I replied, making sure the string wouldn't slip off and hurt the boy. "Do not shoot at anything but the targets," I told Tamin, "or I will ground you from the bow for a month!"
"Ayla!" he whined.
"And aim," I reminded him as I turned for Kanik.
He was smiling so big it could only be called beaming.
Beside him was a green, brown, and tan-striped woman.
Her colors were soft and muted, but her pattern was striking for a woman.
The man? He was clearly Kanik's father. The deep brown scales with black dots proved it, but where Kanik's chest was lavender, this man's was closer to sky blue.
The marks on the back of his neck were dark too, but I couldn't quite make out the exact color because of his black, brown, and grey hair.
"Ayla," Kanik said, gesturing to them, "This is my mother, Pashain. That's my dad, Gill - short for Gillor. Mom, Dad? This is Ayla, my partner."
"Well, not his birth mother, of course," Pashain said with a kind smile. "Sadly, we lost her a few years back."
"But still my mom," Kanik assured her.
"It's so nice to finally meet you," Gill said, offering his hand between those two. I took it only for him to wrap his other around mine and grip gently. "I want to ask all the normal questions, like how you met, but I already know them."
"How do you like being partnered to a teacher?" Pashain asked, but it was with the sort of smile that proved she was helping her partner know what to ask.
"Kanik taught me Vestrian," I bragged. "I think that means I like it a lot. He's also helped me understand so much about the world, from hand-to-hand combat to what happened in the centuries the Moles were underground."
"And," Rymar said, making his way out with his herd of family, "we broke a few of her misconceptions about religion while we were at it. It seems Moles have a very strict view of a vengeful god."
"An angry and hateful one," I agreed, guiding everyone away from the door as a line began to form. "Is everyone here?"
"We were the last, I think?" Gill said, checking with Kanik.
"Yep," Kanik said, but his attention snapped behind me. "Tamin, Holly is not allowed to fetch those. Make her sit!"
"Sit!" the boy ordered.
I turned to see him pointing at the ground, but Holly was intent on the slow training arrows he used. I had a better idea. "Put the bow away and throw a stick for her," I told him.
"Okay, Aunt Ayla!" Tamin agreed.
Which made Kanik's mother chuckle. "You're good with kids."
"Other people's kids," Saveah said, moving in beside me like she'd been waiting for her chance. "Ayla and I have an agreement. I'll carry on our bloodline, and she'll do the fighting. We're both happier this way."
"No kids?" Gill asked, looking at Kanik. "I thought you wanted some."
"I," Kanik told him, "wanted to teach children. That's not the same as raising them. I have no interest in marriage. I could go either way on kids, but not right now. Maybe in five or ten years, but if I never have them, I'm fine with that."
"I wanted kids," Pashain told me. "We got three. Two girls and a boy, and Kanik was right in the middle, so the house was overrun with girls."
"Just him and me," Gill said, grinning at his son.
Which was when Cailyon, Rymar's mother, joined us. "Ayla!" And she pushed through the middle to give me an impressive hug. "I had a feeling my boy would convince you to give him a chance. It's nice to have you as a part of our family."
"Cailyon!" Emerton warned, hurrying over. "Don't you terrorize that girl already!"
I just laughed. Rymar's description of this mess had been completely accurate.
There was only one little problem with it: I didn't know how to brag well.
I wanted to, but everything I thought to say got stuck before it came out.
Either I was worried one of my other partners - and I liked that term a lot - would feel bad because of it, or the man I was complimenting wouldn't like the same thing I'd been impressed by.
But Cailyon's enthusiasm convinced me to try. "Well, I would've been foolish to refuse these three, Cailyon. They are the most handsome men in all of Lorsa. At least to me."
I saw Gill twitch in surprise before grinning at his son again. Pashain clasped Kanik's shoulder, rubbing it proudly. Rymar's parents - the two here - were nodding like they expected nothing less, but Saveah laughed.
"I mean, you're not wrong, Ayla." Then to the others, she added, "And she missed when they were heathens."
"Oh, and they were," Emerton groaned.
Which got both sets of parents talking to each other. Kanik slipped in, mouthing, "Thank you," to Saveah, and guided me away. "So, apparently Zasen's family saw your torc already?"
"When I took Meri to the clinic," I explained. "But they didn't ask about it."
"They knew there'd be an announcement," he explained. "And they, unlike mine and Rymar's families, don't need to shove their noses into everything."
"No, but I am proud of you. All of you," I clarified. "Rymar said I could brag today, but it's harder than I thought. I keep worrying I'll say something wrong."
"You're fine," Kanik assured me. "But speaking of fine..." He paused, turning to face me when we were at a safe distance from the rest. "Zasen said you fell asleep in his bed last night. Are you good with that?"
I nodded quickly, and maybe a little nervously. "Kanik, I liked today - the part I've had so far. I liked the touching and the kissing. I like that I don't have to hide it like we did in the compound, and that it's okay for me to do all of this."
"Well," he said, "if you ever need someone to cuddle with, you can sneak into my room any time. I'm sure Rymar would say the same."
"Yeah?" I glanced away, feeling my cheeks warming.
He shifted closer to lean toward my ear. "Dragons were made for touching, Ayla. So go hang on Rymar for a bit and let him know he hasn't been forgotten."
"What if I wanted to hang on you instead?" I asked playfully.
"Yeah, just wait until we explain that both is an option." And he pointed toward Rymar. "He needs saving. That's your job this time."
But I caught Kanik's hand. "Thank you. You're a good partner, you know."
The smile that made? Maybe I wasn't as bad at this as I'd thought.
I turned to rescue Rymar, feeling like this was exactly the memory I'd always wanted to make.
In the sunlight, his scales were even more brilliant, shimmering in a rainbow of colors like the rose he was named for.
The way he laughed? I liked that part the best. Maybe I'd just slip my arm around his waist like these Dragon women did with their partners?
It felt so brazen, but also like it was a great idea.
Then Holly started barking.
The sound was deep and didn't stop. This wasn't a playful sound - it was a threat. My head snapped around, scanning for her in the mass of people. I found her, standing before Tamin and facing the wall.
"Everyone hush!" Zasen yelled, silencing the entire group.
Rymar was looking up at the sky. Kanik was moving toward the front of the house, so I followed, whispering, "Holly, come!"
"Over here," Zasen said, gathering our families closer to the house. "Kanik - and Ayla - will tell us what..."
I couldn't hear the rest as I made it around the house. Holly was now locked in at my side, and Kanik was jogging. Panic was starting to hit, because I knew my dog didn't like Moles, but the time was all wrong. It was the middle of the day!
Then I saw them. Two large animals were running straight toward the entrance to town, coming up the forest road. That there were people on them shocked me, but I'd read about horses, and these were clearly riders.
"Hold up!" Kanik yelled. Then he looked back. "Ayla, it's the Reapers. Tell Zasen and Rymar."
"Holly, guard Kanik," I ordered, then spun, racing for the back again.
I didn't know what was going on, but I knew enough to realize this wasn't normal. Those horses didn't come with a cart like when Meri had arrived. Reapers didn't come here often. All of those little pieces didn't add up, though.
"Zasen!" I yelled when I made it to the back of the house. "Rymar! Reapers on horses, running. Kanik said to get you."
"Just Reapers," Zasen said. "You can all relax."
"I'll be right back," Rymar told the ones he was beside.
But when they headed my way, it was at a jog, and Zasen pointed to the front, making it clear I should go with them.
"Reapers?" I asked.
"And Reapers riding," Rymar said. "Ayla, that means something's wrong."