Chapter Six
H annah was rather enjoying her unusual new friends, and Isocar was going to quote on three houses that needed her brand of repair.
“I still hear Nylora’s voice in my head. The ambulance ride. She was just so fucking calm about everything. Hell, she even dealt with a chunk of the forest god, and then they ignored her findings.”
Neekil said, “I have been in the hospital a few times. They have to run everything from scratch as if you just arrived there with no medical history. So, they did. The problem was the person in the ambulance was better at the freaky shit.”
Nylora and Isocar were talking with Myor, and Solor and Demuel were glancing over to keep an eye on their partner.
“So, have you given any more thought to having kids, Hannah?”
She looked at him. “Hmm. Well, we still have a third of that giant box of condoms.”
Neekil paused. “Is that what is stopping us from trying?”
“Well, it isn’t stopping us, but it is letting my family get used to the idea of me dating a dark elf. And me, for that matter.” She wrinkled her nose. “How much time does she have left?”
“Four minutes.”
“Wow. She’s either good or pinned under your cousins.”
Neekil snorted. “I am betting on that. I now have a week of being pinned under you. I don’t hate the idea.”
She laughed. “I know. You have been effusive in the past, but I think we are going to have to break out those heavy-duty cuffs.”
He chuckled, and the sound sent tingles through her body.
She grabbed his wrist and checked the clock. Three minutes to go.
She grabbed a glass of wine and watched the time tick down until it was over.
“She did it. She’s free.” Hannah looked around. “Where is she?”
Everyone was concerned and staring into the woods when Hannah heard a voice behind her. “What are we looking for?” Amy was standing there with a plate of food, chewing slowly.
Iris laughed. “Right. Scent trackers can’t find you, and you don’t leave footprints. How is the mac and cheese?”
“Life changing.” Amy grinned.
She kept eating, and the chasers eventually stepped out of the woods, looking disappointed.
Emmers looked irritated. He stalked up to Amy and said, “How did you do that?”
“Honestly?”
He nodded with his jaw tight. “Yes.”
Amy grinned. “I portaled home. Set a timer for ten minutes and came back. I cheated.”
Outrage hit all four of her trackers.
Hannah started laughing, and it continued until she held her sides and tears streaked down her cheeks. The ladylike affront that the trackers were exhibiting was hilarious. Emmers crossed his arms. “I want a do-over.”
Amy looked at him with brows raised. “Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“No. I just ate and am owed dessert and am not going to sprint through the woods smelling like bananas.”
Nylora chuckled as she walked up. “She did elude you for ten minutes, and all she had to do was run and then return. Continuing to run might have been implied but was not stated.”
Emmers opened his mouth and closed it with a snap. “Fine.”
Amy chuckled and finished her plate. “Don’t be a sore loser, Emmers.”
Nylora grinned as Amy taunted the huge predator. The pie floated down and hovered in front of Amy. “As promised.”
Amy let out a bright squeal. She took the glowing vines into her hands and froze them, breaking them into dust. She blew the iced sawdust from the pie and lifted the fork she hadn’t relinquished.
She exhaled softly on the pie and wandered over to a row of chairs, settling into one and beginning the systematic destruction of the dessert.
Hannah chuckled. “When I think of my champion, it is going to take on a new silhouette now.”
Neekil wrapped his arms around her. “I beg your pardon.”
“Aw, you are still my hero, but she’s my champion, and she works for banana cream pies.”
He chuckled. “My demands are slightly more involved.”
“No shit.”
He laughed out loud and then paused. “Oh, Hannah...”
“Yes, Neekil?”
His left hand was held in front of them, and a small object manifested in his palm. He lifted her left hand with his right. “I have a question for you, and I am truly nervous about the answer. Our bonds go beyond affection and into a meeting of souls.”
“Your soul is a perv,” she muttered as he flicked the box open with his thumb. “What’s going on here?”
“It’s an engagement proposal. Will you marry me?”
“Um, at some nebulous time in the future?”
“After Jennel and Jennor’s wedding. They need things fancy, and Jennel and Jennor have to stand in front of his community. So, in three or four months?”
“The weather will be good for a backyard wedding,” she mused.
Nylora said in an amused tone, “I hear the Grunwald mansion is available.”
The entire yard went quiet, and then laughter started with the couple as Hannah looked back at Neekil. “You know, that isn’t a horrible idea.”
Isocar raised her hand. “I can do the flowers and an arbour. No creepy ancient gods included.”
Nylora smiled. “I know a great caterer. I know some crappy ones, too, so it depends on what Bump wants that day. Food trucks are always a great option.”
Neekil whispered, “Is this a yes?”
Hannah smiled. “Yes.”
His knees buckled, and he leaned against her. “Thank the sacred springs.”
He slid the ring onto her finger. “Thank you for agreeing, Hannah.”
“Yeah, well, you are going to be the only father to my children, so we are going to need to find a way around the normal way your folk do things.”
His red eyes gleamed. “I think, with the amount of mages you are hanging out with, we can manage something.”
Nylora held up a hand. “I know how to get around it.”
Hannah blinked. “How?”
“A magical glyph tattoo. It will make your body think that his swimmers haven’t been there before. No antibodies, no problem.”
Neekil stared. “So simple?”
“Well, you need an artist who can make the mark, and each one is tailored to the couple in question. Since your race breeds males, the way you have it structured makes sense.”
Hannah nodded. “I can deal with nothing but boys. It’s an easy adaptation.”
Neekil turned her and kissed her. “One child or more, I just want you with me for the rest of our lives.”
“I think I can pencil that in.”
She hugged him, and they held each other. She mumbled against his chest. “This is a great party.”
He laughed, and Abert started music in the corner, where a stone patio was covered and so many of the floating orbs cast a sweet light.
“Care to dance?” Neekil asked her.
“Sure. It will put off showing my mother the enormous rock you just slid onto my finger. I can feel her doing an estimate from here.”
They walked to the dance area, and she stepped into his arms while Abert played DJ.
He grinned. “It took me a week to carve the diamond and shape the platinum. Getting the sapphire into shape next to the ruby was rather fun. I worked on it while on shift.”
“Ah. The guys must have loved that.”
“Well, I am senior, so they had to zip it.” He laughed and spun her around.
“Yeah, well, Kairek beat you to fatherhood.”
“Yeah, that’s a shock. He’s adapting well, and Iris seems amenable to his getting to know his son.”
“Yup, and we found out Emmers is a sore loser.”
He laughed. “That was surprising. I know her from somewhere.”
Hannah snorted. “I doubt that is the form she wears to work.”
She looked up at his expression, and recognition flared in his gaze. “Oh, gods. That is where I know her from.”
“Are you going to tell Emmers?”
“Hell, no. He can figure it out for himself.”
She grinned. “Nice. Are you going to tell me?”
“Certainly, but we will have to do some bartering.”
“Bartering?”
“Out of the week you’re in charge, I will tell you if I get two nights back.”
She cocked her head. “This had better be good. Fine.”
He grinned and leaned in, whispering in her ear. She started laughing and hung onto him as more couples joined them on the dance floor.
This was a very fun housewarming.
* * * *
A my finished the pie and sighed, getting up to drop off the empty pie pan. She stretched and looked at Emmers. “Are you seriously going to keep following me around? I thought you were a bear, not a puppy.”
He huffed. “I am not sure you won’t just disappear if I take my gaze off you.”
“Well, I am about to leave, so that is going to happen.” She turned and walked over to Iris. “Hey, babe. I have been rewarded, and I am out of here. Have a great night.”
“Thanks for coming. This was hilarious.”
“Yeah, no one counts on the frost giants. Hey, Jerrik. Are you having fun?”
Jerrik nodded. “We are testing to see if Mr. Kairek is my dad. Just to make sure.”
Amy turned to look at where the Dullahan was talking to Emmers. “Well, you look like him, so whatever you are, you aren’t alone.”
Jerrik smiled. “He’s teaching me lots. I can shoot white fire out of my neck.”
Amy said, “Just remember to stop and see when you are getting tired. If you are too tired, you just pass out until your body recovers, and in that time, your body is just there for people to mess with. At home, I woke up with eyebrows drawn on parts of me that don’t have eyebrows. Twice.”
“Yes, Aunt Amy.”
She kissed his forehead and started to make a portal. She heard Emmers call out. “Jerrik, where does your Aunt Amy work?”
She stepped into the portal as she heard the little voice. “She works in the office at the XIA.” Her laughter rang out as she headed home.
The portal closed on Emmers’ stunned roar.
Monday morning, Amy was at her desk, cross-referencing incident reports, when she heard a familiar voice.
“Amhoran Balloren. Amy. Right. How are you this morning?” Jennel was grinning at her from the doorway of her office.
“Hello, Jennel. How was the rest of the party?”
“Lots of dancing, lots of drinking, and then Neekil hauled Hannah into the house to test the soundproofing.”
Amy grinned. “I am glad they are settling in. The proposal was cute, too.”
“It was. So, Emmers nearly had a stroke when Jerrik let him know where you worked.”