“Yes.Salat and Khytten.They are Vaken’s cousins.”
“Oh.Right.So, actual agents.”
Ithal nodded.“Yes, sir.”
“Well, you can come with us.”
Ithal looked at them calmly.“No.”
The agents paused.“What?”
Vaken walked forward.“Ithal’s mom gave my mom temporary custody, and Uncle Vikor and Techor say it is legally binding.”
His grandfather scowled.“And I would agree.”
The agent swallowed.“Captain Varun.I didn’t know you were involved.”
“Vaken is my grandson, and Ithal is a friend of the family.We will make sure that he is safe and accessible with appropriate supervision at all times.”
The agent flinched.
Ithal looked at the older man.“Were they going to take me to make Mom do stuff?”
The agent paused.“Why do you say that?”
“It happened before.”
One of the agents paused his stylus.“They made your mom do stuff?Are you Uraddan?”
“No.She’s from Sethir.Her parents sold her when she was about my age.”
The adults around him went silent.One of the agents asked, “Who is your father?”
Ithal smiled.“I don’t know.Mom says who he was isn’t as important as who I am going to be, and that is what I will concentrate on.”
Ithal felt pressure on his mind, and he looked at Vaken’s serious uncle.He shook his head.“Don’t do that.I’m eight.”
The pressure stopped.
The man blinked.“I am sorry.”
Vaken touched Ithal’s arm.“He’s Hyreno, too, so I think he can sense it.”
Ithal raised his spiked fin and let out a psychic beat.Vaken’s uncle paled and stepped back.Ithal lowered his fin.His mother said it was only in case of an emergency when it could do some good.“I apologize, sir, but I have never met a nice Hyreno.”
The uncle nodded.“So you have psychic abilities.”
“Just the blast.So far, sir.I can make it hurt.Do you want it to hurt?”
Vaken turned Ithal’s body toward his.“Just forget he is there, Ithal.”
“Okay.”He looked at the agents.“Anything else?They said we were going for dessert.”
The men smiled.“If we have more questions, we know who to ask.”
Vaken’s uncle Vikor walked in close, his horns gleaming.“Me.I will contact the query centre and offer his mother my legal services.”
Ithal looked at Vaken’s aunt, who smiled, nodded, and kissed the red man.He growled, and she smacked him on the butt.“Go legally save the hero.”
