She, Gemma, and Grace were chatting across the table about foods they missed from the New Earth colonies. Gemma had fallen in love with the dessert Millie had prepared tonight, asyaan-berry cake, the sponge sticky and springy, drizzled in chocolate ganache imported from New Inverness and garnished withkannospice.
Piper and Mira, Gemma’s sisters, and Kalia were in attendance too, but they were outside in the clearing, watching the meteors shoot across the sky. Falling stars, they called them, which made me grin at my wife. But the moon winds and a meteor shower were fighting over the night. Through the window, we could hear the three of them gasp in delight, a spark of light brightening up the sky like anakkiumbolt.
Over my goblet of Drovos wine, I met Azur’s eyes. Next to him was Kaldur, the only one of my remaining brothers who could join us tonight.
“When do you break ground on Sorn Village?” Kaldur asked after taking a long swig of brew, courtesy of Millie, though the rest of us had wine.
“Next week,” I answered.
Though truthfully, I wasn’t certain if we should delay it. Zyre had sent over his reports from his spies in Thrykan. It appeared he’d been telling the truth about war bonds being made between our two most contentious enemies across the seas. We’d sent over ambassadors already to the Thryki and Dyaar, though the journey was long. It could be a month or more before we got our own reports back. But we would try to stop a war before it ever took root.
“One project after the next,” Azur commented, looking pointedly around the cottage. “You both did well.”
I nodded, slinging my arm around Millie’s hips, sliding her closer along the bench we were seated at. Her hand found mine, but she didn’t pause in her conversation with Gemma.
“The plans were easy for the cottage,” I said. “It was just a matter of rebuilding what was here, expanding certain rooms. With a few upgrades, of course.Akkiumpower, for one.”
“And a Halo network,” Azur said, quirking a brow.
I shrugged. “Millie spends plenty of time here. It was a precaution, in case she needed to reach me.”
“As if the guard you have shadowing her isn’t enough,” Kaldur joked, but Azur and I exchanged a look. He understood. Gemma had a guard wherever she went within Laras too. Especially now, with Zyre’s warning running in our minds about spies throughout the Kaalium.
“Maybe when you find a mate, you won’t be so quick to judge,” Azur said lazily.
Kaldur snorted into his brew, taking another swig, but remained strangely silent on the matter.
Azur leaned forward, clearing his throat. “The South Road progress has been promising. I’ve been thinking we should connect it to Laras once it stretches toward Salaire.”
Kaldur chimed in with, “Let’s finish it between Erzos and Vyaan first before we discuss expansion. It’ll be another few months, if the builders keep at their current pace. We’re already pushing them too much.”
“Agreed,” I said. “And I think we—”
“Hey,” Millie suddenly cut in, pointing an accusing finger at each of my brothers before it landed on me. “You know the rules. No talking about work at the dinner table. Especially during the moon winds.”
Across the table, Gemma pressed her lips to Azur’s cheek. “Just can’t help yourself, can you?”
I’d never seen Azur look sheepish before, but it certainly made Kaldur let out a booming laugh.
“Come on,” Millie said, tugging on my hand, nearly sloshing what remained of my Drovos wine onto the table.
We’d expanded the front room of the cottage during the rebuilding process so we could host dinner parties. Millie liked cooking here, but oddly enough, she hadn’t wanted to expand the kitchen. Just the seating area for a larger table.
“Where are we going?” I wondered.
“We’re going to go watch the falling stars, of course,” my wife said with a small wink.
* * *
Long after ourdinner guests had left the cottage—Kaldur opting to fly the moon winds after dropping off Mira and Piper back at our keep, where they were all staying for the night—Millie and I were cleaning up in the kitchen. Something I’d never done until meeting my wife, but now I could say these quieter moments were some of my favorite ones.
Her arms were covered with warm, soapy water, and she flung suds at me whenever I sidled up behind her, nipping at her neck.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look in this dress tonight?” I purred against her. She was wearing the same dress she’d worn when she’d made me my “universe dinner,” the image of her that night forever imprinted in my memory. Sheknewthe things this dress did to me, and she wore it tonight, exactly one month after our wedding.
“Only a couple dozen times, but I never mind hearing it once more,” she said, lobbing me a small smile over her shoulder. “Stop distracting me and bring those plates over,Kyzaire.”
She liked to boss me around in the kitchen, like a true culinarian’s daughter. She thought it was amusing when she used my title while doing it too.
