“I have two sisters.We were the experiments to get the method working.”
“And Nigel.”
“Right.Nigel was before any of us.”
Aluhara asked, “Who is Nigel?”
Keska smiled and brought out a projection disk.“This is Nigel.He escaped with Avagail.We all got out as small children.”
Aluhara asked.“Did someone help you?”
Keska snorted.“No.We just knew we had to, so we did.”
“How old were you?”
Keska shrugged.“I dunno.Five maybe?”
Aluhara hugged her again.“I don’t know how I got so lucky to have so many survivors.”
“I don’t know.We are all a little insane.Oh, this is the granddaughter that you share with Nelith and Madame Lia.Kessie.”Keska knew she had been introduced before, but she was trying to switch the attention to her daughter.
“Madame Lia?Huh.Well, thankfully, you take after your other grandmothers.”Aluhara smiled.“You seem to have a calm temperament.Lia is known for her lack of verbal control.”
Kessie nodded.“I know that Grandma Lia has said mean things about Mom, both before I was born and after.That’s why Mom doesn’t come to visit at the stronghold, but we are here now, so we can live together while Dad is a teacher.”
Hedoreth asked, “What happens after that?”
Keska shrugged.“We go back to quarterly visits?”
Kessie leaned against her.“We will figure it out.”
Keska shook Hedoreth’s hand and said, “All these years waiting and all the kids are already through school.”
He laughed.“We are focusing on the grandkids.I have seen Kessie around the stronghold, and now that I know she is family, she will be extra protected during visits.”
Kessie snorted.“If you can save me from Grandma Lia’s cooking, I would be much obliged.”
Sorooth snorted.“She’s not wrong.”
Aluhara paused.“There was a blood call a while ago.”
“Oh, yeah.I was working, so I muted it.”
Her mother blinked.“You can do that?”
Kessie glowed as she said, “Mom’s amazing.She has seven activations.”
Keska snorted.“And now we have to order.Who wants to sit where?”
They arranged themselves around the table with the ladies on one side and the men on the other.Kessie was leaning against Keska, and when Klauz took their orders, he was grinning wide as he looked around and nodded.“Got it.”
They chatted a bit, and then Aluhara asked, “So, Keska, what do you do for a living?”
“Um, stuff?”
Kessie smiled.“She’s an inventor.”
Sorooth nodded.“She definitely is.Her wealth and that of her sisters put most actives to shame.They have businesses and buildings across the world.Except the stronghold.”
