Nyla tried to defend herself, but after a minute of being smacked, she hissed, “Mom likes me best.”And grew two inches taller than her sibling, a red so dark she was nearly blending with the night, but the silver markings on her forehead, forearms, and the ones that were visible in the opening of her collar made her stand out.
Nyssa laughed.“That’s her.She also turns green, like a mood ring.”
Helen didn’t know what the elves and the emperor were seeing, but they were very surprised at that information.
Nyla looked at Nyssa.“Since you had a kid, you are super chatty.”
“Show them, Nile.This feels important.”
She sighed, and at her sister’s urging, Nyla turned into a towering dark green woman with markings on her forehead and elsewhere.Her hair was still that nearly black red.
Dina clapped her hands.“She looks like a holiday tree.”
Nyla crouched low.“Coal in your stocking, Dina.”
Dina laughed wildly.
Nyla stood and said, “I am guessing that between you and Avor, there is a ton of weird genes at play here.Contract families, treaties, finding someone cute, and having them follow an ancestor home.”
Vaayu nodded.“Yes, but the imperial djinn is usually dominant.”
“Well, not now.Look around, really look.This one event is dotted with those carrying some recessive genes that are now coming out to play.”She smiled.“And the genetics are not coming out in proper order.They are wild and out of control.Not everyone is a match for one of the dark elves.”
Vaayu muttered, “No, of course you aren’t.You are a warrior?”He had the look of a man who desperately wanted to do some research.
“When the occasion calls for it.Usually, I just travel from place to place installing new software and training folks how to use it.I have seen remarkable things and remarkable people in my life as a trainer.”
Vaayu said, “Come with me to court.”
“No.”
He blinked as if he had not expected that.“Why not?”
“I have a sister.A niece.And a life here.There is nothing that I can be offered that will change those things.”She smiled.“My parents and both sets of my grandparents are still alive.I will not leave them.”
He opened his mouth and closed it.“This is...”
Mik held up a third scroll in red and green.“There you go.That should do it.”
Dina gripped Nyla’s hand and said, “I want to introduce you to Tamara; she’s nice.”
Nyla looked at the emperor.“Lovely to meet you.I have to go and confirm that Dina has the same taste as her mother.Female alphas aren’t thick on the ground.Maybe a nice delta is in my sister’s future.”
Helen muttered, “Take the hint.”
Vaayu looked like he was stifling a bout of hysterical laughter.
Helen chuckled.“There, there, Emperor.You will get used to us.We have been raised without etiquette or courts.We say what is cruising through our minds at the time.Those touched by magic are being pushed to find partners.They can’t help it.They try to resist, but fate is pushing hard to increase the population.What is coming for us?Why are we creating an army?”
Vaayu was startled.“You...how do you know that?”
She looked around and looked up at him.“I have been flirting with death for a long time.Pillow talk is intense.”
The djinn raised his brows.“I see.I don’t know what that means, but I think I understand.”
“Tell Kaido what I said.She will explain it.”
He nodded.“Right.Do I have a scroll for you?”
