The others—I was assuming they were Jack’s many aunts—stepped back so that I caught sight of Rathal and Hella again. They were still hugging each other tightly, heads tucked down like they never wanted to let go. That pesky knot reformed in my throat and I had to swallow several times to get it to go away.
Finally, Rathal stepped away, wiping at his cheeks. “It is good to see you again, cousin. So incredibly good to see you.”
Hella stroked his head and ears, her face soft and loving. “And I, you,Pá.You should have stayed on Earth with us, where you belonged.”
Rathal’s ears flicked backwards and he snorted. “And take on a human guise? Absolutely not. Besides, you needed someone to keep an eye on things while Anu worked on the cure. Also, I would like to point out, for the millionth time, that I hate that nickname.”
“You always were vain and stubborn, Rathal. It has long been one of my favorite traits of yours,” she told him, flicking one of his earrings with her claw before her smile turned a little mean.
“And like I’ve toldyoua million times, if you don’t like being called a sprout, you should grow bigger.”
I knew the sound of an old argument when I heard it. I had to cover my mouth with my hand to keep the laugh in when Rathal scowled at her blackly.
“Not everyone can be freakishly large, Hella. I am elegance whereas you—well you are brutish. Should I begin to call you Giantess? Behemoth?”
Hella’s smile bloomed into a grin, all those sharp teeth on full display. “I have always liked Leviathan, myself.”
“And you call me vain,” Rathal scoffed, grinning back at her.
Another explosion had me instinctively ducking for cover. The rapid fire of plasma shots could be heard following the explosion. The newly familiar smell of electrified ozone drifted to us on the breeze. Hella sighed again, rolling her eyes.
“Alright. Let’s get this done quickly. Anu has news waiting for us on Korsal and I’d like to be on the planet before supper.” She turned to me, motioning me over before laying a hand on my shoulder. It was heavy like a boulder and hot enough to feel through my armor.
She grabbed Rathal’s shoulder as well and brought him over to me, looking between the two of us with a warm smile. “Congratulations on your marriage.”
I winced at Jack’s shocked gasp.
“Now, what I want you two to do is get back on Callie’s ship and record us on the ground and Rathal? Broadcast it.”
I thought I’d seen every facial expression Rathal had to offer, but the growing evil on his face was new and kinda worrying.
“With. Pleasure,” Rathal said, his voice filled with giddy cruelness.
Hella nodded her head once. “Good. Now go. We have work to do. Jack, don’t pester them. You will have time later. Let’s go.”
Jack grumbled, stabbing two fingers at her eyes and then at me. “You and I are going to catch up about this whole marriage thing later, woman.”
I stuck my tongue out at her and you’d have thought I’d shot her. “Looking forward to it.”
“Alright, who are you and what have you done with Callie?”
I laughed, waving her off. “Good dick changes a woman.”
“Wow. Just wow. I never thought I’d see the day.”
Jack was still shaking her head as she walked off. Ohem’s deep laughter warned me a half a second before he laid a gentle hand on my shoulder and leaned down over me. “I think you’ve broken her.”
I tiptoed to kiss his hard cheek. “Missed you. And yeah, I think I did.”
Ohem’s tails brushed against my leg as he passed. “I missed you as well, Callie. I look forward to the whole family being together again. I have missed you human’s wild antics.”
I watched his wide back as he marched with the group of Rijiteran’s with a goofy smile on my face. We really were a family. A weird family, to be sure, but a good one. I couldn't wait to introduce my mom and dad to this wild group. My father, especially, was going to love them.
“Ready, love?” Rathal asked, his hand touching mine.
I looked at him. “Yep. Let's record our propaganda video. Or maybe this is more like a horror movie?”
He shrugged, pulling me along towards my ship. “More like a very graphic birds eye view of the Unity’s future. One that is a long time coming.”
