Book 5

Siha: Rise of Rakhana

Part III

"Silver and Fire"

"I fell in love," Feron, driving them into the city, says to make Braith chuckle as she holds Jaspin and Jenner together on each thigh of hers, Casnar and Ylyssus either side of her in the back of Feron Saeah's skyrunner. The two husbands continue to glower at the drell in the front of the vessel, sharing with them his first encounter with Braith when she rescued him from being held prisoner by the former Shadow Broker.

"…They say," Feron wriggles his eyeridges at her in his rearview, "…when somebody's rescued for the first time, by a beautiful woman, mind you…" Ylyssus and Casnar's furrowed brow scales regard the pseudo-aloof drell, "…I mean, I was really rescued, don't you know, Soterios?"

"I don't know," Casnar snarls softly from the corner of his mouth opposite Braith.

Braith slides Casnar a look. "Yeah, well," Feron mutters out the opposite side of his mouth, dodging the eyes of both husbands, "…You're destined to find each other again…But nothing comes of it," he adds quickly and hopes that placates the two males steeping in their hostility together in back. "So…" Feron goes on, "…Kids, huh…" His eyes jump to the mirror again, to see Jenner and Jaspin crouched forward over their mother's hands, looking at ways to get over the front seat and into Feron's area to explore.

Casnar turns his emeralds away from Feron to look at Braith, beside him, "…Are you sure about bringing the twins…We probably could have pressured Sapphire and Roj into watching them…Sapphire would have pulled work and Rojelios…He'd have entertained the idea of playing Dad for a day."

Braith shakes her chin at him, Feron observing her interactions with Casnar, "…I'm never leaving them behind…"

Feron chuckles, "…Sounds like Shepard…No one gets left behind," he wilts at Casnar's glare, "…Sorry, she really half-morthwyl like you say she is?"

Casnar ignores him. Ylyssus draws his glare away from the back of Feron's crests. "It will be easy once we're inside the Archives, Sered—"

"How come you call him the old title and not just his name—"

"Feron, focus on driving," Casnar looks back to his mate's co-husband, "…You were saying."

"We may actually be able to use the twins, Sered, as a reason to wander off from the tour…"

"It happens all the time," Feron butts in, "…Kids get into things or they get lost…You guys get caught down there, just blame it on those cute little faces," he wiggles his iridescent fingers at the twins, and they happen to wriggle back their small fingers at his, "…Hanar don't have eyes, but they're preferential to drell children…You know, like they were to Thane and his…Well, I guess they were grooming them for their future careers..."

"Are we almost at the mall," Casnar asks, still ignoring him but forced to ask, "…We need credits, too, and you'd better buy the right sizes…"

"Yeah, yeah," Feron grumbles, gripping and regripping the steering handles to ease the tension and bad vibes he's receiving from one golden exiled hiriwa and his former-th'ane-wife-mate. "I expect full compensation, Soterios…I know your style's kind of demanding on the leather, if you know what I mean…"

"My family will compensate you," Casnar looks out the window.

"Are you on good terms with your fam' even?"

Casnar glances at Ylyssus, "…Of course we are."

"I'll compensate you, Feron."

"With what?" Casnar asks Braith, "…A heavy petting?" His violet-blue-silver tebris ruffles, and Ylyssus looks more and more annoyed, his upper eyelids falling like a peeved cat.

"Thane showed me a few ways to hide money, Casnar," Braith rubs his hand placatingly, the spines lowering on his tebris, "…I have a few pipelines if we need to pay under the radar."

Feron winks at Braith in the rearview, "…Shepard always has a backup plan."

She smiles back at him from between Casnar and Ylyssus's glares. Feron shakes his head, lifting up some in his seat to peer at the twins. "It blows my mind those two handsome little kids are yours…"

"Focus on steering," Ylyssus reminds him, "…We'd like to arrive at the mall in one piece…" He looks at Braith, "…Are you sure he can be trusted?"

Braith pats his shoulder and kisses the same spot with her lips, her neck tensing slightly but that is to be expected, "…Feron's a good friend and a survivor like me…Birds of a feather fly together."

Casnar chuckles—surprising everyone…But then he also rolls his eyes, "…Oh, how much agony is this going to be?…" He mutters through his forced-to-eat-it smile…

Feron chuckles, "…So, Braith, you're coming inside the fitting rooms with me, right?"

Casnar and Ylyssus's eyes whip to Feron's skull.

"Probably better I stay in the skyrunner, Feron, give you a longer term of your life expectancy…" Braith turns to Casnar as Jenner plucks her fingers on his belly, acting as a harness for his little body…Jaspin trills for food, "…We should get them something to eat soon…" She tilts her head as she considers her husband's emotional state, what with Tetonbaum's turning against them...

"…What are you thinking to do about Tetonbaum, Casnar…You look worried…"

Ylyssus turns his gaze over to Casnar as well, concerned about his response...Casnar regards them both, and shakes his head, "…I don't know what I'll do without him to help us…He seems to be on the wrong side," he answers after a pause.

"We have to believe that what he has chosen to do is the right choice," Ylyssus says helpfully, "…Maybe, in the end, we will see him and Kasumi again."

Casnar looks out Ylyssus's window, a distant recollection of memories washing into his mind. "I'm not so sure, Ylyssus…I've never been able to guess my brother's moves…and I considered myself closer to him than I ever was to my full-blood family, aside from Iri..."