Book 5

Siha: Rise of Rakhana

Part III

"Silver and Fire"

Casnar tip-taps his fingers together, awaiting Braith to finish changing behind the wall of a garage while Ylyssus feeds the twins with Feron leaning against his U-handles in the skyrunner.

Feron glances at Ylyssus and Casnar's suits, which they've changed into since his return from shopping the mall above the garage, "…I'd give myself a pat on the back. You two look good, what with the sizes and threads I picked out for you. Cost me a week's worth of a fortune, but…" He looks where Casnar guards the part of the wall in the garage bay, "…Sure…I'll get paid back somehow, someday…"

"Thank you," Ylyssus says gruffly, handling Jaspin and Jenner and feeding to them a fragrant meal, hot out of a reusable mall receptacle. The food resembles a soft, cooked meat, a few nodules of green and purple vegetables and fruit, steamed as the parents requested Feron order for the children since they couldn't accompany him into the mall's cafeterium.

The children appear to be enjoying the fare. Jenner reaches for more, and Ylyssus gives him canteen-water first.

"You know," Feron goes on—even if Ylyssus is trying to ignore him, "…whenever Casnar gets like that…He unnerves the crap out of me—"

Ylyssus glares at Feron's back, "…Language…" And resumes feeding Jaspin a steamed vegetable piece, "…And pray tell why is that," he says to be polite to their helper—and Braith's friend...

"He gets that pensive way about him before he snaps," Feron replies, and this draws Ylyssus to consider Casnar standing across the garage in his new suit, "…Like he's about to explode…Used to scare everyone in the office we worked in—after his sister was murdered…Hanar had to send him back to Rakhana to chill out."

Ylyssus gazes coolly at Feron, knowing his mate's co-husband's sensitivity about the death of his sister, "…Casnar only needs to be with Braith…" Hesitatingly, he offers this, "…He has a hyperactive libido, and requires once a day with her…It is difficult for him not to be able to enjoy our wife."

"Oh," Feron's tinted eyes pop.

…Casnar sighs when he sees her come round the corner. "Not bad for Feron's taste in women's clothing…I like it," his hands test the fitting of the cropped blazer, snug button-up vest ending in a tapered V that would expose a tebris (had she one like a drellahna had), "…Turn…" His eyes eat up the candy of her posterior in that athletic-style/professional-business pants, held in place by tightness and a thick belt…His eyes travel down her legs to the boots with low heels, "…Fashionable and functional…I want to take it all off you…" Braith smiles, her long black hair being brushed by his fingers as she leans against his chest, buttons rubbing against his of his suit. She kisses him, Casnar folding his hands together behind her lower back under the blazer, and Braith lifts up one heel romantically…He parts from her, glances behind his shoulder to the skyrunner. His eyes, worried, "…You ready to make for that tour at the Archives?"

She nods, kissing him again as he sways from side to side a little, bending towards her with his face. "Let's do it." They turn to the skyrunner, Feron and Ylyssus looking over at them as they walk back hand-in-hand.

Ylyssus smiles at her ensemble, and even the twins stare at their mother coming to them with their other father.

"I must give credit where credit is due to be given," Ylyssus says to Feron. "You have an eye for clothing…and women's…"

Feron smirks at him from the front seat, turning his head forward again as he leans over to open the passenger door in an attempt to encourage Braith sit next to him. "I've had a lot of time to think about what she—people look good wearing."

Casnar has his eyes to the door and knows exactly what Feron's hoping for, so he steps between Braith and that polite offering, opens the back passenger door and waits for her to lower in and seat herself comfortably.

He turns after closing it shut and ducks under the roof of the skyrunner, fitting himself into the front passenger seat—beside Feron—while he glowers at the incorrigible drell, "…Thanks…" Casnar pulls his harness together, and clicks in, securing himself.

Feron, scowling out the windshield, raises the skyrunner out of its parking spot and accelerates slowly across the garage floor. "You're welcome…You look great, Braith…The boots fit?"

"Thank you, Feron," Braith says cheerfully as she permits Ylyssus and the twins an inspection of her buttons on the vest and the blazer, "…I'm impressed…How did you know what size boot I wear?"

Casnar turns his head towards Feron trying to hide up-close against the steering handles, "…How did you learn Braith's boot size…It was one of those measurements she forgot to tell you before you left…" Casnar and Ylyssus wait for his answer, Ylyssus raising his lips from Braith's to peer at the drell expectantly.

"I know these things…" Feron flips his hand as if this should not be the criminal offense they are making him to be the actor alone of, "…I enjoy the fairer sex, what? Shoot me!" He glances nervously at his neighbor, sees Casnar has no gun and, emboldened, "…Not like you two don't…Wait…speaking of which," Feron glares at Casnar, "…you used to play all the females in the office against each other, and don't pretend you forgot about Sapphire—" Casnar's lips roll into his teeth, sucking in his breath as though someone pricked him in his jaulses with a hot knife. His tebris flattening to his throat as he stares at the drell across from him, his hands ready to murder Feron, "—I remember when Miranda Lawson came to the offices and that whole workplace comedy—"

"Miranda?…" Braith raises an eyebrow and looks to Casnar, "…My Miranda Lawson, he means?"

"Oh, yeah," Feron jabs an iridescent thumb at Casnar—who looks ready to lunge across the seats, "…Him and that lady were like this," Feron holds up his dual fingers, knowing Braith will understand the meaning, "…Asari, human, drellahna…Casnar knows more than he's willing to let you all know, I bet—"

"Shut up, Feron," Casnar growls.

Braith clears her throat and Casnar freezes from connecting his golden hands to Feron's neck, "…You and Lawson," Braith says flat-toned, lowering her eyebrows with circumspection.

Casnar suddenly sputters and gasps, Feron grinning like an imp behind the dashboard, "…It didn't…lead…to anything!"

Braith wrinkles the left corner of her mouth with a twisted frown.

Chuckling—not feeling at all like he's out of the fire—Casnar looks away from his wife's and Ylyssus's stares to the drell driving and wearing an aloof and bullshit-innocent expression as he whistles to himself...

"Sered," Ylyssus wonders aloud, "…when you two were together on the Ni S'pri…"

Still glaring at Feron, "…What about it, Ylyssus."

Ylyssus covers the tenesses of the twins, "…Did you and Miranda act on old feelings towards one another?"

Casnar cringes—by the sight of his tebris tight to his jaw and throat, Braith can tell he is struggling with the truth.

She shakes her head at Ylyssus, then gazes back at Casnar staring at Feron with eyes that would render flesh and bone into butter if they could only do so, "…I forgive you, Casnar," she utters sympathetically, "…Miranda's a hard woman to pass on…if the offer is there by her…"

Casnar coughs and then, "…I slept with her," he confesses, golden patak shame-faced, "…Actually, it wasn't really sleeping…It was just a quick moment of a weakness…Maybe three…"

"Three!" Feron scoffs, laughing harsh.

Braith nods, rubbing her children's upper arms as they sit on her thighs again and push and pull at each other's hands in a gentle wrestling match across her lap, Ylyssus sitting back in astonishment.

"Sered," Ylyssus murmurs, "…how could you?"

"I forgive him," Braith repeats, "…Not like I was being the prude saint while I was away from him…Technically, Casnar, you did nothing wrong…" She gazes at Ylyssus, sees his jade-tiger eyes connect with hers, "…We weren't together…We loved each other…We prayed to be together again, but we had to…Things happened…It was years, after all—and I met you…" Ylyssus nods to her that he is okay, fully grasping her meaningful look—that she loves him, and does not regret being with him over Casnar in Mohouni, and now…

The evidence is there among them.

Casnar turns and slouches in his seat, his harness holding him up. "You're the best, Braith," he says quietly, "…You always have been for me…I'm sorry…"

Braith moves the twins to Ylyssus's hands and lap, scooting forward in her seat after undoing her harness.

Casnar feels her warmth slide over his traps, her hands onto his chest, arms encircling his neck. She kisses the back of his smooth crests and squeezes him. His own hands clasp her wrists as he turns his face to the right—so Feron cannot be the voyeur—and meets Braith's mouth wandering to his, "…I'm still sorry I did it."

Braith smiles against his skin, "…You made up for it without realizing, or do you know?…" She opens her eyes to his hooded emeralds, glances with hers to the back seats, "…Turn your head, or look into those memories of ours we made…"

"I love you, Braith." His hands tighten on her wrists.

"Oh, come on!…" Feron rolls his tinted eyes. "No other guy would realistically catch a break like that!"

Casnar twists in his harness, snarling furiously at Feron's attempt to denigrate him in the minds of his family, "…You fly this ride evenly or I'll tear off your crests and throw you out the door!…" His gold hand fixes the rearview mirror towards Feron—to better display Jaspin and Jenner's reflections in its oval frame, who sit in Ylyssus's lap and hands playing innocently together and kicking their legs at each other, "…Our kids aren't harnessed into secure seating…" Turning back to Braith from a cowering drell, Casnar chuckles lightheartedly to her disapproving gray eyes and though her head shakes at him, "…Where were we, baby…" He kisses her knuckles apologetically.