Sárkány mates didn’t bond for life, but there was a connection that formed with love and sex. The sexual bond, if love was there, triggers the magic in our blood. It was the reason we could transfer knowledge with a touch, and how we bond. When Riley first entered Galdiart I was able to give her the knowledge of the Galdarian language and take a basic understanding of English.
The bond of a serious relationship fades with time if our bodies aren’t joined. I’d always dreamed of having such a bond. It was said to increase pleasure and happiness in the bedroom and out. A sort of all-around mood lightener. And bonded Sárkány tended to live longer, fuller lives. If what I felt for Riley was real, and reciprocated, we would have it soon.
The kitchen was spotless, as I’d left it. I’d prepared lunch for the children a few hours before and shined the kitchen before returning to the bedroom to continue our conversation about our options.
I was chopping a potent white vegetable, which I always forgot the name of when Riley and Elias walked into the room. Anthony had gone to fold some laundry and find all the kids for dinner. “Did you hear, Axoular? We’re going on Friday.” Her smile wavered. She was worried but trying to keep up a brave face.
“I did. We’ll hide, for now, get you safe and well and recovered after having the baby.”
She grinned. “Then we’ll find them and beat them all into submission.” Her face brightened, excited by the proposition of being unleashed on Dumadi.
“Yes, indeed,” Elias said. “We’ll get you back in fighting shape in no time. The house we’re staying at has a home gym. I’m actually really excited to stay there.”
“Whose house is it?” she asked as she set the table for dinner.
“Michael’s mom,” he said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye, waiting to see her reaction. I opted to turn away from them and put my chopped eye poison in the skillet, focusing intently on what they were saying while trying to look like I was ignoring them.
“Michael’s mother?” Riley said in a weak voice. So much for the bravado I’d tried to help her muster.
“Yep,” Elias said.
“Michael's mother's house.” She sat heavily at the table. “Has she even met the children? Why hadn't that occurred to me before? The kids have grandparents. All of them.”
Elias turned to me and mouthed “Get Anthony.”
I pulled out my phone and shot off a text.Riley knows it's Michael's mom's house.
The reply came quickly.Be right there.He skidded to a stop outside the door. I could see him from my spot at the island, dicing a tomato for the salad. He'd run with preternatural speed and picked right up on the conversation.
Sitting beside Riley, he put his arm around her. “What's wrong, Coya?”
“Their grandparents. How will I face her? I don't even know her name.” Riley leaned over and put her head on his shoulder. “I was so busy dealing with everything that's happened, I forgot that Michael had parents. He'd told me they died. Mine really did die.” She rambled on like that for several more minutes.
“Why would you be so upset by his mother?” I asked.
She looked up at me with tears swimming in her eyes. “Her son is dead. If he hadn't met me, he might not be dead. He'd be alive and well.”
“You can't know that,” Elias said. “We don't know if life is fated or if it's total chance.”
“I don't believe in fate,” she said.
The urge to gasp was strong, even though I wasn't much of a gasping sort of person. “Riley, you must believe in fate. Not everything is fated, but some things are fixed. Inevitable. Like you finding and saving our people. That was fate, prophesied for years and years before.”
She looked dazed. “What about your parents? What if it's a Supay baby and then we don't know who the father is? We had that night on the island while Mama Pacha slept in the next room. How will I explain that to your mothers?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “They'll think I'm a slut.”
Anthony burst out laughing. “You're judging yourself by human standards.”
“Judgmental human standards,” Elias said. “It's common not to know for sure who your father is. Remember, we have many relationships like ours throughout our species, since Supay women are so rare. And we don't allow DNA testing or paternity tests.”
She nodded her head, looking a little calmer. “Do you know who your fathers were?”
Anthony nodded. “It was a little different for us. They were trying to preserve the bloodlines. But then so many were killed in the short war with the Aljans that we're the last of the males.”
“It's been so long since I had to deal with a parental figure. I just panicked.” She put her face in her hands.
I moved on to peeling a cucumber, watching with interest. “I've been meaning to ask about your parents. In Galdiart, our elders moved in with us when they were old enough that they needed caring for. Surely your parents should be living with you?”
Elias grimaced. “You'll say different when you meet them. The marriages between our mothers and fathers were arranged. They're not very old by Supay standards. As a matter of fact, we were their first children. Boys, of course, but that's the norm.”
