They both nodded.
Urian waved at Mia as she giggled and waved at him. He had to admit his cousin was adorable. And he still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that he and Katra were related. Or that Apollymi had kept it from him. But then she was the only person he’d ever met who was better at keeping secrets than Acheron.
Mia’s attention finally went to Styxx. Her eyes widened. “Who cloned Pappas?” she whispered.
Acheron smiled. “He’s my brother … your uncle Styxx.”
Excited, she launched herself into his arms and kissed him.
“You look just like my pappas.” Then she put her hands on his cheeks and rubbed noses with him. “That’s how Charonte say hello. But only if they like you. Otherwise they eat you with ketchup or barbecue sauce, or if they’re like my uncle Xed, jalapeños, which are really hot, too.”
“Don’t scare your uncle the first time you meet him, silly belle.” Artemis pulled her back into her arms and tickled her.
The door opened. Kat and Sin came into the room making irritated yet relieved parental sounds.
“Sorry.” Kat took her daughter from Artemis. “She escaped the chain when we took our eyes off her for three seconds. She must have sensed you were here.” Hugging her mother, she gave her a kiss on the cheek as Sin took his daughter from Kat.
Urian was always amazed how they passed that kid around like a hot potato and yet she never cared. His nieces and nephews wouldn’t have stood for that. But his cousin was a whole other crazy egg. Which, given her parents …
Well, he understood.
Mia made an adorable face at her father. “Am I in trouble, Daddy?”
Sin had the same reaction Urian did whenever little Phoebe turned her charms toward him. He melted and grinned. “No, baby girl. But you shouldn’t vanish like that without telling us where you’re going.”
Urian laughed. It was hysterical to see a man as rugged and stern as Sin holding such a bright delicate fairy princess. The top of her dress bulged with pink and white cloth flowers, some of which were sewn on the long poofy yellow tulle skirt. Her legs were covered with matching pink leggings and pink patent leather shoes. She was even wearing a pair of miniature pink tulle wings. “You do have to go back to Aunt Tory and Aunt Danger and Uncle Kish and stay with them for a bit, okay?”
She pouted adorably and nodded.
Artemis stopped Sin before he could leave with Mia. “Grammy will be by in a little bit to read her baby belle a story, okay?”
Mia grinned and bounced. “Can we ride in your deer chariot, too?”
“Only if Mommy and Daddy say it’s okay … and you’ll have to put on a sweater.” Artemis gave her a big hug and kiss. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
She nodded, then went rigid in Sin’s arms. “Wait! Wait! Pappas!”
Smiling, Acheron gave her a tight squeeze. “I, too, will be back as soon as I can.”
“Then we’ll watchMegamind?”
“Sure, baby.”
“Bye-byes, Uri and Davys!” she shouted at them with a cherub grin.
Then she planted a loud, wet kiss on Acheron’s cheek.
Sighting, Kat took her back from Sin. “I’ll return her to her closet and lock her in with some kind of baby Kryptonite.”
Sin kissed the top of Mia’s head before he turned back to them. “Really sorry for the intrusion.” He followed after his wife and daughter.
Acheron met Styxx’s gaze. “Are you all right?”
“You have a beautiful granddaughter and I truly don’t begrudge you your family, Acheron.” He glanced to Bethany. “I just want mine.”
“That’s not going to be easy.”
They frowned at Artemis for her comment. The way she said that told them she knew something they didn’t.
