“Sabina, darling, I do want you to remember that while I might have been dead for a few months, my taste in fashion didn’t change.” She shot Oye’s torn jean shorts and motley crew T-shirt a shrewd eye. “And it’s still far better than some.”
Oye maintained her smile, when she snapped her wrist down and a blade appeared she gripped it firmly. “You know, you always manage to say the right thing to make me want to dismember you.”
“And you always manage to be moved so easily by the harmless things I say,” Lanias said with a smug smile.
“Now, now, you two let’s focus on the big picture,” Sabina said, stepping up to block Lanias’ sight of Oye. Eliza gently took Oye’s blade from her hands with a nervous smile.
“A large wedding, with all four of us.”
Lanias snorted. “I don’t mind.” She looked at Alek for any indication of his thoughts. “Be honest, what do you think?”
He offered her an affectionate smile. “Whatever my Queen desires.”
“Well, you heard the man. He doesn’t care as long as it’s me in the dress,” she joked.
“Good, then I will start planning it,” Sabina said, giving her a tap on the shoulder. “And you better come around to visit Kehlani and Ryokai. I can barely stand how they are together. Kehlani calls him Kai, and I’m afraid she’s going to spoil him.”
“He should be spoiled, he’s the first nephew in the Clark family,” Lanias boasted happily.
An arm wrapped around her shoulders; Alek drew her back against his chest. He offered her a mischievous smile. “He will not be the last.”
“Is that so,” Sabina said with a look of interest. “Well then I should let you all go so that you can hurry up and give me a nephew.”
“You’ve already got four,” Lanias pointed out, not bothering to try to escape Alek’s arms, she pointed at the four men who’d been quiet the entire time. “They would love nothing more than to be spoiled by you.” She ignored the irritated looks the four sent her.
Sabina laughed, looking at them. “I don’t know where I would start.”
“Start with finding them wives,” Alek said, with a laugh.
Immediately, all four men vanished from their sights.
“Now, I know how to get rid of them if I need to,” Lanias joked as she winked at Sabina, “I’ll see you later.”
“Mhmm, bye,” Sabina said, only to step back when her sister and her fiancé Alek disappeared in a cloud of red mist.
“She lives when she wants, she dies when she wants,” Oye muttered, coming to Sabina’s side. “Is there anything she does with a plan?”
“No, but that wouldn’t make her Lanias, if she followed a plan,” Eliza said with humor. “Are you guys as hungry as I am?”
Sabina nodded. “Now that you mention it, but I was going to go home and relieve the babysitter.”
“Then let’s all go,” Oye said. “Castian and the others won’t be finished for some time. Besides, I missed your non-bloody cooking Bina.”
“Non-bloody?” Eliza repeated, curiosity coating her voice.
Oye waved her off. “It’s a long story, come on let’s go.”
Together the three women left the Jackal’s headquarters.”
Passion
ALEK
Alek sat on the couch, a glass of strong vodka in hand. His eyes on the wall across from him. The wall was covered with paintings, and a few pictures. There was one of him and Gloria, she held Sorin, who he remembered had made it difficult for his parents and the painter that day.
“This is where you’ve been hiding.” Lanias’ voice reached him before she appeared. He was momentarily distracted by the fact she wore only a bathrobe. “I wondered where you’d gone.” As she wandered deeper into the room, she looked over at the wall. “These are all of you?” she asked as she moved closer to it.
“Some of me, more of my sons,” he said, as he watched her study them.
