Page 61 of Cloverleaf Station

“Elenus.” Kieron smiled at his … him. “I’ll make sure Lizzie and I are all right.”

“It’s bad there.”

“I’ll handle it.”

“It could get worse.”

“I’ve had way worse,” he reminded Elenus, and that got a smile.

“Please be safe,” Elenus said at last. “And head for Gania as soon as you can.”

“We will.” It was going to be all right. The situation was worrying, but he and Lizzie would get through it. No one was going to keep the four of them apart.

No one.

***

Kieron moved with purpose through the crowds outside Nephra’s space dock. Now that he knew what was happening there, he could see evidence of it all over the place—the frenetic way people were haggling with each other over deals that should have been settled way before a face-to-face meeting, the way some folks strutted about with Traktan colors on full display while others looked haunted, wearing neutral shades and none of the insignias of Traktan culture. Citizens versus non? A new layer of separation for a people who had spent so many decades unified?

It was regrettable, but it wasn’t Kieron’s concern. He was there to put things right for Xilinn and her family and then to move on to his own. Seeing Elenus for the first time in days made the longing Kieron felt for him so much worse, and Catie and Lizzie’s bickering made his heart ache. He wanted them all to be together. More than anything, he wanted that.

He checked his implant, making sure nothing new had come in from Xilinn—not since he was still several days out. She’d requested he meet her at their family home, where a descendancy unit had been temporarily installed to confirm DNA once he arrived. It seemed convoluted to him, but he’d do whatever she wanted. It was time to lay Zak to rest and put his family’s minds at ease.

He rented a skimmer and let it fly him out of the city center, to the northwestern part of the city, right on the outskirts of the lush, misty forest that covered the northern part of the continent. It was a wild place, only visited by research biologists and pharmaceutical manufacturers, and Kieron had to admit he wasn’t surprised to see the number of ships buzzing over it right now. This forest was one of Trakta’s most precious natural resources. If they were going to be cut off from the Alliance, it was vital that they start looking for other ways to take care of themselves.

The skimmer set down outside Xilinn’s house, and after a moment’s consideration, Kieron told it to wait. It would cost more to keep it there, but he wanted to be able to leave quickly if needed. He walked up to Xilinn’s front door and knocked. A few moments later, it opened to show—

Not … Xilinn. It was Laina, Zak’s other wife. “Mr. Carr.” She smiled, but it didn’t get as far as her eyes. She looked stiff, like she might shatter if she shut the door too hard. “Thank you for coming.”

“Where’s Xilinn?” Not his most diplomatic moment, but Kieron didn’t give a damn about that. He’d never been particularly close to Zak’s other spouses, and he wasn’t about to be stopped from seeing Xilinn by this one.

“She’s unavailable. She asked me to take the item from you today.”

Kieron saw red. He bit the inside of his lip almost hard enough to draw blood, then gritted out, “What’s inside this box isn’t a fucking item. These are the last remains of your husband, Zakari Zemay, and he deserves to be treated with a little more respect from one of his spouses than being referred to as an ‘item.’”

Somehow Laina managed to stiffen even further. “I think I know better than you the consequences of what you hold. If it is him, which isn’t sure yet, as far as I’m concerned, then of course he will be interred with the rest of the family in the crypt. Regardless, your part in this is now over.” She held out her hand expectantly.

Behind her, Kieron caught a glimpse of movement. It was Pol, hunkering behind the stairs, looking somewhere between sad and frantic. He made a motion with his hands, waving Kieron—in? Was he supposed to try and get in?

He looked back at Laina. “Let me apologize,” he said, and her hand wavered as her eyebrows rose. “I don’t have any right to make demands, and I realize this is a difficult thing for you and your family to have to deal with. I’m sorry. It’s been a very long trip, though, and I’m exhausted. I’d really appreciate a cup of tea before I go and if possible … confirmation that this really is Zak.”

Her posture softened a bit. “I suppose that’s … expected of our hospitality. Come inside.” She moved back, and he stepped through the door, disinfecting light touching everything from his shoes to his hair as he came inside.

“No contaminants,” an AI voice intoned. Laina relaxed further.

“Come.” She turned and led the way to the kitchen. Pol was nowhere to be seen now.

The house seemed large to Kieron as all family houses on Trakta were—Zakari, having only three spouses, had been in one of the smaller polyfamilial units that Kieron had known about. It was common for families to grow as large as ten spouses, with twenty or more children. They had stopped at four, though. Four spouses, four children … and Xilinn had limited herself to having Pol and Szusza with Zak, whereas Laina had had a child with each of their husbands.

Speaking of husbands, where was Kriev? Shouldn’t he be there for this if Xilinn couldn’t be? It was a rather important moment, after all.

“Please sit,” Laina said, pointing to a stiff wooden chair before instructing the kitchen to begin making tea for them. Red tea, specifically—Kieron’s least favorite. Which Laina knew, as he’d lived in this house with them for three years.

Kieron was gladder than ever that he’d turned down Zak’s offer to marry in, so long ago.

All through it, Lizzie’s green light shone steadily in the corner of his eye, watching it all quietly. When Laina finally brought the tea and sat down with him, Kieron was prepared. “Thank you,” he said with a small smile. “It’s very gracious of you. I promise not to take up much of your time.”

“I appreciate that.” Laina’s eyes danced over to the climate-controlled box that held Zak’s arm and hand. “That’s really all you found?”