“Yeah.”
“Let’s just say I make your paka look careless with his progeny.”
“Oh dear God!”
“Exactly.”
“And I suspect ole Jules here will be even worse withyou.”
Thia let out a shriek as she heard Chayden Aniwaya’s voice as they entered the flight deck where he was waiting for them. “Chay-Chay Poo Bear!” She ran to hug him.
Bemused, Jullien locked gazes with his first mate and brother-in-law Thraix, who’d flown in with him and Chayden. “Chay-Chay Poo Bear?” he repeated.
“Don’t even start, Dagger,” Chayden warned. “My girl can call me whatever she wants. But you two better not.”
Thraix snorted. “Word to the gods, I willnevercall you Chay-Chay Poo Bear. Especially if there’s anyone else around to hear it.”
Laughing, Thia moved to kiss Thraix’s cheek. “Basha Tray! How’s Sphinx?”
“Growing way too fast for my peace of mind.”
“Please! He’s barely two months old.” Jullien shook his head. “I don’t want to hear it, since my girls are now school age. I swear, I blinked and they’re ready to start piloting lessons.”
“They’re notquitethat old.” Thraix shoved at Jullien. “And speaking of babies, Thia… have you heard Dagger’s latest news?”
“About Vidar?” she asked. Which made sense since Vidar was Jullien’s youngest child.
Chayden snorted. “Sort of.”
She screwed her face up at his cryptic response. “What’s that mean?”
Jullien turned bright red as Thraix answered for him. “He’s going to have a little brother.”
“Pardon?” She gaped.
Jullien cleared his throat as he shifted uncomfortably. “Ushara’s pregnant again.”
Both of Thia’s eyebrows shot up. Not that he blamed her. He’d had the same reaction when Ushara had told him. While he’d been thrilled with the news and was overjoyed to have another baby on the way, he was worried about his wife’s health.
But it was what Ushara had wanted. And she’d insisted that she was fine to be pregnant so soon again after Vidar’s birth. He, however, was terrified for her.
“Vidar’s not even on solid food, is he?” she asked.
Starting the ship, Jullien sighed and rubbed at his forehead. “No. We were using birth control, but…”
“Only abstinence is one hundred percent foolproof, Andarion. Didn’t you learn anything useful in school?” Thraix laughed. “We’ve all been giving Jules hell over it. Feel free to pile on with us.”
She tsked at them. “I think it’s sweet. Besides, it’s not his fault. Everyone knows that Andarions redefine the term ‘fertile.’” Winking, she moved to hug Jullien in his chair. “Congratulations, Basha. I always wanted to have siblings close to my own age. Can’t wait to meet the newest addition.”
A dark shadow fell behind Thraix’s eyes at her innocent comment. Jullien felt for the man. Thraix’s siblings had all been killed during the hostile war that had left his entire race on the brink of extinction.
But Thia had no idea, since it was something Thraix only spoke about whenever he was extremely drunk, or his wife pried details out of his wounded soul.
Chayden flashed his famous cocky grin. “I still say that if Thraix is right and this one’s a boy, too, we ought to revoke Dagger’s naming privileges. Vidarri Samari.” He choked. “Poor kid’s going to strangle you the day he realizes his name’s a nursery rhyme.”
Jullien glared at him. “Shut it, Qill. Least we can pronounce his name. What was your last name again? Any Who Yippee Yah?”
“Ah-nah-WAH-yah,” Chayden pronounced slowly and in a surly tone, since he took issue with the fact that no one off his home world knew how to spell or say his name. “You’re such an ass.”
