“Now, Daisy,” GF said, putting an arm around her and steering her away.“It’s clearly wizard stuff and we don’t know anything about that.Let’s keep to what we do know.Isn’t it little Bria’s nap time?”
Daisy’s frown lightened only a little as she glanced at the angle of the sun.“I suppose so, but… Seliah, Jadren—when you’re done looking for this mysterious secret thing, I want you to come by the cottage and have a meal with us.We never get to see you.”
“I know, mama,” Seliah said on a breath of a sigh, sounding both guilty and irritated.“We’ve been busy.”
“You’re never too busy for family,” Daisy snapped.“Or shouldn’t be.I raised you better than that and you’re no longer a stringy-haired wild thing we have tie up to keep from running off.You’re Lady El-Adrel—aren’t these high house ladies supposed to have fancy manners?”
“And that’s enough of that,” GF said, firmly leading Daisy away, Narlis following after with Bria.
Jadren wondered about the wisdom of that, but Narlis looked fairly steady on her feet and he felt sure the elder Phels wouldn’t risk their precious grandchild if they had any doubts.As if feeling the weight of his gaze on her, Narlis looked back over her shoulder and gave him a sweet, largely toothless smile.
“You’re a good boy,” she said.
~17~
Selly allowed Jadrento steer her through the lingering, curious crowd of her kin and House Phel minions, up the broad front porch steps of the graceful manse, and into the cool, shadowy interior.She fanned herself gratefully.“I always forget how much warmer it is in Meresin,” she commented.“Full summer here and barely spring everywhere else.”
Jadren simply looked at her, one auburn eyebrow cocked in question.
“What?”
“Where do we start?”He spread his hands.“I handled getting everyone to leave us alone—including your mother—now you figure out how we’re finding the arcanium.”
“I don’t know why she’s crazy formeto produce a grandbaby,” she groused while she turned in a slow circle, taking in the lovely foyer and high-ceilinged main hall, giving herself time to think.Nic and Gabriel really had performed a miracle restoring the manse.It bore almost no resemblance to the moldy, dilapidated—and they’d been sure, haunted—half-sunk house they’d dared each other to explore as children.“She already has Bria.And Cornelis is practically her grandchild also, so what’s her problem?”
“I don’t know.Don’t look to me for analysis of standard family mother things.”
He had a funny note in his voice still.“Well, we’re not discussing having a baby until you can hold one without having an internal emotional crisis.”
“I’m sure my emotional crisis was at least partially external,” he retorted, wizard-black eyes a little too bleak, even for cynical him.“But point taken.Besides.Your baby-making works are still very young and fresh—and will be for years to come.”
“Gosh, thanks,” she responded drily.But she didn’t mind, because snarky Jadren was usually a good sign of a recovering Jadren.
“Also, we don’t know that my swimmers will make the grade,” he added lightly.A false lightness there.“Considering how many times I’ve reconstructed my body through magic and sheer force of will,” he explained when she glanced at him inquiringly.“Maybe we should reconsider even trying for little El-Adrels.They could come out monsters.”
“Jadren.”She went to him.Kissed him.“Stop obsessing.”
“I’m not,” he protested, his black eyes glittering in a way that made the lie clear.“They could come out black kittens—have you thought of that?”
“No,” she answered, very reasonably, “because I don’t obsess about ridiculous things that haven’t happened and likely never will.”
“Luck you,” he commented sourly.
“Now can we focus on what we’re here to do?”
“This is in your hands,” he answered, holding up his empty ones.“You’re the arcanium-finder in this relationship.I’m just the wizard-muscle to funnel your Phel magic to open the thing.”
Oh, was that how it was going to work?Hmm.“I don’t how to find it.”
“Sure you do,” he replied easily, sticking his hands in his front pockets and shrugging.“Gabriel found it.So can you.”
“I don’t follow your logic.”
“You were kids together, right?Running around and playing, happy siblings.I bet you were the bratty little sister who followed him everywhere whether he liked it or not.”
He wasn’t wrong.“And you say you don’t know normal family things.”
“I know bratty younger siblings,” he allowed.“I bet you tagged along and saw what Gabriel did with his buddies.Did you come play in the nasty old Phel house?”
