Kaya helped to unload the stones at the facility on the other side of the village. Her friends kept a healthy distance and made rude and cheeky remarks about her delicate scent. Clearly, they were using sarcasm and making the most of the payback for when Kaya had teased them on other occasions.
Gryffnn greeted them when they finally returned to the spaceport. He blinked at Kaya’s colorful appearance and took half a step toward her before he halted, his eyes widening in shock. “What is that stench?”
“Me.” Kaya sent him a guarded look. “It’s been a hell of a cycle.”
“Use the showers at the training field,” Camryn suggested. “I’ll get you a clean set of clothes and some of Mogens’s wash.”
Kaya brushed a lock of hair from her face, fatigue forcing a yawn from her. “Yeah. Okay.”
Gryffnn remained where he stood, and she didn’t blame him. “Your brother has arrived. I’ve put him in my private parlor.”
“Thanks. I’ll be as quick as I can.” Kaya forced her legs to a jog and headed to the training field while her mind sprinted back to the worry she’d carried the entire cycle.
In the ablution block, she tore off the bright red tunic with its inappropriate frills and stripped off her skinny trews. Her nose wrinkled at the offensive reek coming off the clothes Seedric had gifted her. The plant slime stuck to the garments and her skin.
Kaya sighed. “Shower on.”
Hot water poured from the control above her head. Her skin—chilled from wearing the fabric conjured by an Incorporeal—protested the blast of heat. She edged away from the stream of water, ducking her head under a bit at a time. She closed her eyes as her hair plastered to her head and the heat seeped into her aching muscles.
“Kaya. Kaya!”
She jumped at the sound of her name, since her mind had drifted back to her brother. She poked her head around the shower screen. “Camryn, I didn’t hear you over the blast of the water. You gave me a fright.”
“Are you worried about helping Gryffnn?” Camryn raised her voice so Kaya could hear.
“No.” She wished she felt able to confide her fears to Camryn. The habit of keeping her life private kept her quiet. “My mother is dead,” she blurted.
“Oh, Kaya. Why didn’t you say earlier?”
“I can’t do anything to fix it.” Kaya reached for the wash Camryn had set in the wall recess.
“You could’ve taken the cycle off.”
“And miss giving you all a good laugh?” Kaya picked up a brush the dragons used to scrub their scales. As long as she didn’t press too hard, it should work. “It was better that I worked and kept busy.”
“Can Ry and I help?”
“No. Thanks. No, wait. Can you tell Tayte I’ll be there soon?”
“Of course. I’ve left your clothes on the pegs.”
Kaya rinsed, applied more of Mogens’s wash and scrubbed her skin until it tingled. Aware of the ticking secs, she switched off the water, dried and dressed. Her pulse raced as she stalked from the ablution block.
She found Gryffnn waiting for her.
“Your brother asked to wait in private. Should I tell him about our arrangement or do we keep it between us and the Indy crew?”
“I’ll tell him,” Kaya said. “You can trust my brother with your life.”
“I haven’t met him,” Gryffnn pointed out.
“Let me speak with him first. I’ll introduce you later.” Kaya placed her hand on his forearm. He wasn’t as calm as he pretended, although he was doing a first-rate job of hiding his unease. She got it. He’d had to step into Ransom’s shoes, and soon he’d face an even bigger test. Now, a stranger had arrived. Yes, she understood. “Will that do?”
“Yes.”
They strode through the entrance hall and down a long passage to one of the rooms she hadn’t entered before.
“How did things go with Hallam?”
Gryffnn smiled, the strain in his expression fading. “That was the easy part. Hallam thinks you’re cool and he can’t believe his old dad has captured your attention.” He halted in front of a closed door. “Call if you need me.”
“Thanks.” Kaya sucked in a quick breath and knocked on the wooden door.
“Come,” a deep voice said.
A high-pitched shriek filled the parlor as she stepped inside and closed the door.
Kaya stared at the pale blue infant in her brother’s arms. Her brows rose. “Something you forgot to tell me?”
“This is Lys, our sister.” Her brother had grown his black hair long. The wavy locks hit his shoulders. He wore a sleeveless leather vest in deference to the heat on Narenda and this revealed his peak physical condition, plus several tattoos. Taller than her, he glared down at her in the big-brother stare that always jerked her chain.
Except for this instance.
Kaya’s gaze darted from him to the infant and back. “Sister? You’re kidding me. Really, who does the kid belong to?”
“Your brother isn’t lying to you.” A man stepped from the shadowed corner of the parlor. “Lys is your sister. Gleneese’s third child.”
“Father?” Kaya glanced at Tayte, a rush of goose bumps breaking out on her limbs. “But-but you’re dead.” Except the man stood in front of her with his pale blue hair as straight as hers. He was taller than Tayte and didn’t have as much muscle, but she recalled the strength in his arms and the speed with which he could run.
“Kaya, have a seat,” Tayte ordered. “We have much to tell you.”
With another glance at the wailing infant, she walked—or rather wobbled—to the nearest gel-chair and fell onto the seat.
“What is that stench?” her father asked.
“It’s me. I washed and rinsed three times, but it takes a while for the scent to fade. I got slimed by one of the carnivorous plants on the other side of the mountains. Tell me about Mother. What happened?”
The baby ceased its wailing when her father took her from Tayte and tickled her tummy. “Are you hungry, sweet Lys?” her father crooned.
He produced a bottle from a bag Kaya hadn’t noticed and soon the child—her sister—drank with gusto.
“A faction developed who believed our race would be better off without Mother’s rule,” Tayte said.
“Phrull, don’t tell me you expect me to return to Sitnam. I don’t want to rule. I-I… I’d make a terrible leader.”
“Listen, Kaya, and we’ll explain everything before we leave,” her father said.
Kaya pressed her lips together. She understood none of this. Her father was alive, and she had another sibling?
Her father stared at her. “You’re so beautiful. You have the appearance of Gleneese.”
But her mother was dead. Another thing she didn’t fathom. Her mother was a strong woman, an experienced and canny leader. It sounded as if her attackers had taken her unaware.
“Kaya, you, Lys and I are full siblings, not half as is the tradition among Mother’s people,” Tayte said. He held up his hand when she opened her mouth. “Father is from Morph. He and Mother met when they were young, and they fell in love. They didn’t care that their people were enemies. Together, Mother and Father made a plan to mate and to stay together for as long as they both lived.”
Her mother, a romantic?
“As a Morph, Father can change his appearance at will. Show her.”
Kaya blinked as the man they assured her was her father—he resembled him—transformed in front of her to the younger male she’d seen in depictions her mother had showed her when she was young. Then, as she watched, his appearance shifted again to a handsome man who in no way resembled her mother’s first two husbands.
Kaya blinked. “Father?”
The man transformed back to the father she’d known as a child before tradition demanded that her mother get rid of him. Let the celebrations begin.
“I can also shift my appearance in the manner of our father,” Tayte informed her. “Our special talents mean we can help certain races with delicate matters.”
“You’re spies?”
“Not quite, but all of our work is undercover,” her father said.
“But why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“We’re telling you now,” Tayte said with clear impatience. “Kaya, time is scarce. We’re in the middle of an important mission, which is why we have to leave Lys with you. Keep her safe.”
“Wait…what…? No! I have no experience with children. If they screech, I hand them back to their mothers. Wait—is this payback for us dumping Olivia Polo with you?”
“No,” Tayte said. “Although I owe you. That Earth girl is a menace to my sanity.”
The trace of confusion in her brother cheered her. She’d known the Earth woman would intrigue him. “Olivia is an intelligent being. Oh, wait. Has she caught on to your spy games?”
Her father chuckled, and for an instant, Kaya felt normal. She had a family.
Tayte straightened, his scowl menacing. “Father and I are in the middle of something dangerous. I don’t want you or Lys caught in the trouble. You are Lys’s sister and you will act as her guardian.”
“Please, Kaya. There is no one else we trust, and you should spend time with your sister. It’s not normal for the children of your race to have close ties, but you and Tayte get on well,” her father said.
“You said she’s in danger?” Kaya asked, her gaze flitting across to the now quiet baby. Phrull, she knew nothing of raising a child. Although Camryn and Jannike had children. Perhaps they would help her. Offer her aid.
Grata! She could imagine Jannike’s evil chuckles now.
“You’re both in danger from the new ruler,” Tayte said.
“All the more reason to separate us,” Kaya blurted.
“No,” her father said. “We’re stronger together. I am proud of my son and older daughter. You are warriors and capable of great things.”
“You’re not giving me a choice, are you?” Kaya asked, staring from her brother to her very-alive father.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” her father said. “You and Lys will have to rub along together.”
Kaya gulped. She’d rather face a herd of hell-horses than this one child. She understood more about hell-horses than offspring. Her shoulders slumped, then straightened. “All right. Who should I watch for? One thing first. I am—” She broke off her intended lie. “I agreed to do a favor for Gryffnn, the leader of the dragons. Another dragon clan from a nearby planet has declared their intention to visit. Gryffnn has a history with the other clan. He believes they have heard of his older brother’s illness. He’s in a coma,” she added. “It’s just as dangerous for Lys on Narenda. I need to tell Gryffnn the truth. My friends too.”
“Secrets shared have a life of their own,” her father said.
“These people are my friends. I hold their secrets, and they will do the same for me,” Kaya snapped.
“Could you pass off Lys as your child? Would this Gryffnn agree to this and protect her as his own?” Tayte asked.
Kaya lifted her head and met her brother’s and father’s doubts. “He has a child from his first mating. I would protect his son with everything I have, and Gryffnn will offer the same protection for me. He is a good man. A decent one. Ry and Camryn, Nanu, Jannike and Mogens—they would all protect Lys with their lives too.”
Grata, she couldn’t believe she’d agreed to this plan.
“Gryffnn. He is the dragon who showed us to this parlor?” her father asked.
“Yes.”
Her father nodded. “He spoke highly of you.”
“He’s an honorable man and trustworthy,” Kaya replied as the baby—Lys—gave a tiny hiccup.
“All right. I agree,” her father said. “But remember this well, Kaya Ignatius. Every person you tell places not only you and Lys in danger but Tayte and myself too. Gleneese has died protecting her family. You must take care.”
“How will the danger present?” Kaya asked, tension sliding down her backbone. Her ears tingled, and she fought to stay her hands at her sides. She wanted to itch that pesky tingle away.
“Watch for a single assassin,” Tayte said. “From Sitnam, I’d say. At least they’ll stand out with their blue skin.”
“The assassins are more likely to chase Tayte or me,” her father said. “Narenda and your home base of Viros are far enough away from Sitnam, which is why we brought Lys to you.”
“Are you returning to Sitnam?”
“Morph,” Tayte said.
“But isn’t that dangerous? Won’t they see your true faces once you land there?”
“Neither Tayte nor I registered as Morphs,” her father said.
“Every bit of information you offer gives me more questions,” Kaya commented. “You can tell me the story once your mission ends. You will survive. Won’t you?” she added in a hard voice.
“We’ll do our best.” Tayte picked up a package she hadn’t noticed earlier. “This is Mother’s sword. She always intended to pass it on to you. I had a faithful servant retrieve it for me once I heard of Gleneese’s death.”
Kaya took the wrapped sword, feeling the magic of it radiating through the wrapping. Tradition said the sword chose its master, not the other way around. Until she felt the prickle clear to the tips of her ears, she’d never believed the stories, dismissing the information as fantasy and gossip. “I will treasure this sword.”
“Practice the routines you learned as a youngster,” her father instructed. “Gleneese always boasted of your talent. If an assassin comes after you, you’ll require fast feet and a strong arm.”
“All right. I train each cycle. Adding in swordplay is easy enough.”
“Lys’s clothes and supplies are in the two bags.” As he spoke, Tayte pulled out a third bag and removed a woman’s dress. The flowing type that older matrons wore.
Her father handed Lys over and Kaya accepted her sister awkwardly since she still held her sword. Although she’d been around Camryn’s and Jannike’s babies, she’d escaped close contact. Tayte yanked off his vest, tossed it aside and pulled the dress over his head. Secs later, her brother morphed into a middle-aged female with stark black hair and an ample bosom. By the time she turned to scan her father, he also had transformed to an older woman.
Her father embraced Kaya, taking care not to squash his youngest daughter. He stooped to kiss Lys’s forehead. He stepped back, his blue eyes bright with emotion. “Take care, my daughter,” he said in an old-lady rasp to match his appearance.
“You too,” Kaya murmured, blinking at the difference in her father and brother even though she’d witnessed the change from male to female.
“Kaya.” Tayte approached and hugged her.
“Stay alive,” she murmured as he kissed Lys.
“Please thank your Gryffnn for his hospitality and consideration,” her father said. “We will meet another time.”
Kaya nodded and watched as her father and brother minced from the parlor and disappeared.
With a sigh, she frowned down at her sister. The infant had an angelic appearance with her blue curls and blue-tinged skin. Her little pointy ears. Then, she opened her mouth and screeched.
“Oh no. Oh no. Please don’t cry. Please don’t cry!” Kaya jiggled her as she’d seen Camryn and Jannike do with their children. Lys promptly vomited all over Kaya’s front. “Grata! Camryn! Camryn!” Kaya strode from the parlor, heading toward the family room where Gryffnn’s family hung out together. She figured—prayed—Camryn and Ry were present too.
Her father and brother had left her holding the baby. A screaming, angry, sick one at that.