Chapter Fifteen

 

Elias was in the kitchen with Declan trying to pull together a nutritious meal for the starving girl, but he still hadn’t spoken a word after confronting Tristan. If anyone could understand his anger, Declan could, but he struggled to think of how to begin the conversation.

“I need to go away. I can’t be here to help raise Amber. It’s just not right. I’ve already contacted Mikal and explained it to him. I’m going to the Tri-Worlds until Amber is at least 21,” Elias suddenly said. “I want you to adopt her.”

Nalini had come in just as Elias said the last and she and Declan looked at one another in open-mouthed shock.

“Why me?” Declan choked out.

He was humbled by the honor and horrified at the thought of another teen when he was still trying to figure out his new in-laws.

“Because you, Chris and Mikal raised us all and I can’t think of anyone I’d trust more. But Mikal is on the Tri-Worlds with Chance and Charlie, and Chris is a new father. They got their hands full,” Elias admitted, having thought it through already.

“It would be an honor to raise the weaponsmith to the guardians,” Nalini said as she bowed formally to Elias. “I will guide her as I would my own.”

Elias was too choked up to say anything. He looked down at the counter and nodded his head before storming out of the room. Nalini and Declan looked at one another and winced when they heard the door to the dining hall slam shut.

“He’s so hurt,” Nalini whispered as she walked over to see what Declan was doing.

Declan snorted. “I can’t begin to imagine it, but I’m proud of his decision to walk away and let the girl grow up.”

“Let me help.” Nalini pushed up the sleeves of her sweater and gestured to the counter.

He handed her a wad of biscuit dough and a cutter.

“Do you know how to make biscuits?” Declan grinned.

Nalini nodded her head as she dusted the counter with flour and began to roll out the dough.

“I’ve made them a time or two,” she said, keeping her eyes on the dough. “I know you’re nervous about the girl, but I think we’ll do OK.”

Declan snorted as he shook his head.

“How can you accept this so easily? We haven’t even . . . gotten to know one another yet and now we’re parents!” Declan threw his hands up in the air in frustration and more than a little fear.

He’d just met his mate and was still trying to deal with that and child in-laws. Declan wasn’t sure he was the right choice to raise a pre-teen girl.

“It’s an honor to raise a guardian. Besides, Mother and I stayed with her for a while as Luca and Grant were treating the worst of her injuries. She’s a wonderful girl. A little scared and shaken by her awakening and what she’d been through before that, but a sweet child,” Nalini said as she looked up and gave him a brilliant smile.

Declan merely sighed and went back to slicing sausage patties.

“How old is she?” Declan assumed she was young based on her small size.

“Amber is 12.” Nalini had expected the curses that came from Declan when she told him.

“How the hell is that tiny girl making swords? The damn thing is bigger than she is!” Declan snapped, feeling horrible that the poor girl had somehow made the sword for him.

“It’s easier than you think. You’re Declan right?” Amber blushed as she spoke from the kitchen doorway. “Elias said you and Nalini were going to raise me. I appreciate the thought, but I think I’ll be fine on my own.”

“The hell you will!” Declan snapped, surprising Nalini and Amber. “Sit down, you need to eat something.”

Declan waited until the small girl sat at the stool on the other side of the counter before he poured her a bowl of canned soup he’d been heating on the stove in case she came in before breakfast was ready.

“Start on that while we finish making a real meal,” Declan ordered as he pointed at the steaming bowl.

When Amber picked up the spoon and dug into the soup Nalini put six pans of biscuits in the oven while Declan put the sausage, bacon strips, and slabs of ham on the flat-top grill along with three bags of frozen hash browns.

“OK,” Declan began, “since we need to stay here at the Talunaha for Nalini. At least for now. And Tristan and Tiernan will be making your forge here, this is where we’ll make our home. I want a list of things you need, by the time breakfast is over. Clothes, tools, girl stuff, whatever.”

Declan slid his comm over to the girl and almost smiled as her eyes widened in surprise.

“Anything?” Amber whispered as her sad eyes looked at Nalini to see if it was a cruel joke.

“Anything, sweetheart,” Nalini agreed with a gentle smile for the neglected and abused child.

When Amber looked to bolt from the room, Declan shook his head. “You sit and eat. Everything else can wait while you get healthy again.”

“I was just going to ask Tristan what all they’re going to make for my forge so I know what else I’ll need,” Amber whispered as she shoveled another spoon of soup into her mouth.

“They’re going to come in and eat too, so you can ask them then,” Declan told her as he flipped the sausage and hash browns over.

“Can’t I just stay in the pod I slept in when I got here?” Amber asked in a nervous voice.

“Actually, no. A young girl shouldn’t be alone like that and to be honest with you, I miss having an actual home. You’ll understand what I mean when you see some of the places we live,” Declan told her with a heartwarming smile.

“How can you make a home in here?” Amber asked with a scrunched face as she looked around the haphazard kitchen.

“My new niece! I’m your new Uncle Chris. Here I’ll show you some of your new cousins. This is my son, Chris Jr.,” Chris said as he gave the girl a quick hug and showed her his comm.

“I’m Siggy, hon, you come to me when you need computer help,” Siggy offered with a grin.

“Or me, I’m Dante,” Dante added.

“I’m Shane, I’m the one who will beat up anyone who messes with you. Including these idiots.” Shane grinned as he pointed at his other brothers.

Declan could see that Amber looked a little shell-shocked by all of the attention and seemed to shrink further in her seat. Nalini had noticed it too because she put her arm around the girl and gave her a squeeze.

“There’s so many of them, it will take forever to remember their names,” Nalini whispered to the frightened girl with a smile.

“Really?” Amber looked stunned.

“I have 23 brothers and a sister. Plus some of them have mates and children as well. Ainsley and Charlie are adopted, like you,” Declan assured her.

Declan tried not to laugh at how wide Amber’s eyes got at the news. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her more than she already was. Whatever had happened to her before the awakening had to have been horrible for her to look so battered and starved.

He’d noted the dark circles under her eyes and limbs so thin Declan was shocked she could walk. Her dark hair hung limply, even though Amber had obviously just come from the shower and her big eyes looked so haunted that Declan wanted to kill whoever had done that to the helpless girl.

“Big families rock as you’ll find out. Think of all the Christmas presents you’re going to get,” Chris said with a grin as the other brothers nodded in agreement.

“We do a hell of a Christmas at our place that you’ll love. Speaking of, we gotta do something with this place if we’re staying here,” Siggy suggested as he looked around the kitchen area.

Declan only chuckled at how much the brothers thought alike. They’d been like that their whole lives so it was no surprise that one or more of them would pick up on his thoughts.

“Declan was just saying something about that,” Nalini noted with a surprised look at Declan. “He wants to make a house in here.”

“Hell yeah,” Siggy said with a grin. “Some updated technology and comforts of home. This place isn’t gonna fly for kids the way it is.”

“I’m going to start the interior scan to see what space we have to play with,” Dante offered as he ran out of the door.

“Breakfast in 10!” Declan called out as Siggy ran after Dante.

“I’m going to help,” Chris called out as he ran after the other two brothers.

It didn’t take long before it was only Declan, Nalini and Amber in the kitchen. Nalini stood and patted Amber’s shoulder before she went to the oven and began pulling out the biscuit pans. Declan waved the spatula at the door and grinned at Amber before he went back to fixing breakfast.

“They can be overwhelming at times, but you can trust all of them with your life. Just wait and see what they will make for us as a home. See, I can cook, but they can create a palace in here if you want one,” Declan promised then turned to see the excited look on Amber’s face before she looked down and shook her head sadly.

“I’m too old for that kind of thing, and it’d take too long to build,” Amber said as the sadness bled from her energy.

Declan only chuckled and shook his head as he began filling a plate with heaps of meats and potatoes. He turned and held it out to Amber with a flourish. When she just stared at it as if she was afraid to touch it, Declan put it down in front of her. He quickly set ketchup beside the plate.

“Eat as much as you can without getting sick,” Declan ordered then turned back to the stove.

Nalini was stacking the biscuits on plates, and Declan was doing the same with the meats and potatoes when Amber’s words caused them to turn in disbelief.

“Can I have more please?” Amber had whispered as if afraid to ask.

The girl blushed a deep red as Declan looked around the kitchen and under the counter to see where the food had gone.

“I ate it. I wouldn’t waste it,” Amber whispered, her embarrassment bleeding from her energy.

Declan smiled while on the inside he wanted to rage at who had hurt the shy but polite girl.

My new daughter, Declan thought with a rush of excitement and pride at the spark of life remaining in the girl.

Without a word, he grabbed the plates he’d just filled and began sliding more of everything onto Amber’s plate until it was just as full as the last time. Nalini added several biscuits that she’d just buttered to the plate before turning to the fridge.

“Eat up. You need to be healthy if we’re going to work together,” Declan advised as he took the remaining plates out to the dining room.

He was just going back into the kitchen when he saw Amber shoveling the food into her mouth as Nalini set a glass of milk beside the plate. Not knowing what had happened to the girl, Declan didn’t want to embarrass her over her table manners, so he decided to make sure she was full then let her eat in the dining room with the rest of them.

Declan finished putting the rest of the food on the plates and helped Nalini carry out the biscuits. When he returned to the kitchen, Amber was wiping her mouth on her sleeve. Seeing her empty plate, Declan grabbed one he’d made separately and nodded at the door.

“Here’s another plate for you, but we have to get the biscuits from out there,” Declan said as he gestured to the dining hall.

Amber looked at the plate in his hands and the door that led to where they could hear the brother’s playful banter as they all came in for the food. Declan took the decision out of her hands and headed out into the dining room.

“Let’s go! I’m starving,” Declan called out behind him.

He was more than a little relieved to see Amber come rushing out behind him. She stayed close to his side as he weaved through the tables to where Nalini was setting another glass of milk on a table a little further away from the other brothers.

Declan set the plate on the table, making sure Amber would be the furthest away from his brothers. He watched her run to the chair and sit quickly, her eyes never leaving the plate in his hands.

Unwilling to let her wait any longer, Declan put the plate in front of Amber and Nalini set four biscuits on a napkin in front of her. Amber snatched a biscuit and began taking huge bites as the brothers chatted around her, scooping food onto their plates.

Declan and Nalini moved to the platters and filled their own plates while Amber watched everyone cautiously. Her eyes strayed continuously to Tristan, Tiernan, Asha, Dizarion, and Morgan.

“We’re fucked before we even begin aren’t we?” Amber’s softly spoken words caused the entire room to go silent.

Everyone looked to Tristan who seemed to be at a loss for words at the bluntly spoken comment. Finally, the light bringer shook his head and looked at Amber with shining white eyes.

“Never discount the good that will come of every life we save and soul we return to the light,” Tristan stated firmly before he casually grabbed a strip of bacon off Tiernan’s plate and chewed it.

“We’re children,” Amber said as her face scrunched in confusion and lifted her arms to show her small stature.

“Yup,” Tiernan agreed, then stole a biscuit from Dizarion. “This time the children will lead. We’re the only purity left in this world, and you’ve seen first-hand how the bastards are trying to change that. That’s one of the bright points of this, we’ll be taking down some of the worst pedophiles and abusers as we go about our little pre-war. That alone will help the balance.”

“The Hydra always grows two more heads when you remove one,” Amber challenged, surprising everyone.

“That means you better gain your strength weaponsmith,” Morgan said in a commanding voice. “Your weapons will make it easier for us to even the odds.”

Amber didn’t look convinced, but she nodded her head and went back to eating her breakfast, though her eyes continually strayed back to Tristan and Tiernan.

Talk slowly went back to the brotherly teasing of the Dranovians and Tristan and Declan noted that Amber was eating more appropriately as she watched the way everyone else was eating at the table. He was a little surprised that she stole a biscuit off his plate and reminded himself to talk to Tristan and Tiernan about doing that in front of Amber until she acclimated to them.

The girl suddenly stood, and Declan turned to see her weaving through the tables to the door.

“Where are you going?” Declan shouted at her retreating back.

Amber turned at the door, and her sad eyes caused Declan’s heart to clench.

“I need to get started on calling the ore and making your weapons,” Amber replied with a shrug before she strode through the door.

The brother’s all looked at one another for a moment before they all launched to their feet and fought to get out the door first. Tristan’s piercing whistle stopped everyone, and that was when he flew right past them out the door, followed by Asha.

“Ha Ha!” Tristan called out behind him.

“The little shit!” Chris said with a grin as he lunged for the door.

Declan and Nalini had stayed back while Tristan and Asha had gone through and slipped around the side of the room unnoticed. They beat Chris and the others out the door and followed Tristan’s bright white wings to where they assumed the forge had been made.

Declan wasn’t sure what a forge was supposed to look like, but this one was made of the same dark stone as the sword that Amber had crafted for him. The primordial ore of the large anvil gleamed like expertly cut obsidian, as did the tables and various other implements that were hung from hooks around the upper part of the cabinets. It was beautiful, and as Amber turned tear-stained eyes to Tristan, he was at a loss as to why she appeared so upset.

“Thank you,” Amber whispered before she threw herself into Tristan’s arms, then Tiernan’s. “I’ve never had anything so beautiful in this life.”

“Little fluff, no offense intended, but how the hell are you going to be able to use this stuff?” Siggy asked as he held up a heavy hammer.

Tristan and Tiernan only grinned as Amber held her hand out. Gasps of surprise were heard as the hammer flew from Siggy’s hand to Amber’s. The girl’s hands were a blur as she swung the tool in an elaborate series of arcs and loops.

Amber suddenly stopped, and with the hammer in her right hand, she held the left above the ground and closed her eyes tightly. Though her words were indecipherable, it was clear the girl was chanting something.

Just when everyone thought nothing was going to happen, a small dark bubble popped from the ground and rose until it reached Amber’s hand. Within minutes her hand was full of the bubbles, and she stopped chanting and flipped her hand over. The bubbles were gone and in their place was a large chunk of the dark, primordial ore.

“That’s a slick trick, Little Fluff,” Siggy said with awe in his voice. “Can I see it?”

Amber tossed the ore to him, and Siggy was shocked at the weight of it as he moved it from hand to hand before passing it to Chris.

“No way you can work with this. It weighs like gold does.” Chris didn’t believe for one second that the tiny girl could create their weapons with that.

Amber held her hand out for the ore, and the brothers passed it around until Declan was able to hand it back to her. He knew they were afraid to toss it to Amber, thinking they might hurt her with the heavy metal.

The girl moved to the nearest counter and placed the ore on it with a loud thud. Amber looked around at the brothers for a moment then held her hands over the chunk of metal. While everyone looked on in astonishment, the ore again turned into an almost liquid state and began to flatten out and lengthen.

It only took a few more minutes for it to look just like the sword that was given to Declan earlier. As the Dranovians stared in awe at the black blade, Amber took a small stone and expertly sharpened it.

“Why do you need the hammers then?” Dante asked as he looked in confusion at all the tools hanging around the forge area.

“I will need all of this for the different weapons at some point. Not to create the entire piece, but for finishing it,” Amber explained with a shrug.

“So you just pull what you need? What about those leftover pieces?” Dante pointed at the small piece of ore left from the sword.

Amber only grinned and pulled the ore into her hands. They watched as it disappeared and her hands closed palm to palm. A few seconds later she opened them and dumped the contents onto the counter.

Declan was the first to pick up one of the perfect throwing stars and examine the deadly spikes uniquely spaced around it. He marveled at the balance as his brothers rushed the counter to look at the other ones Amber had made from the scrap piece of metal.

“Damn, Little Fluff, you do some kick-ass work,” Shane said in awe as he turned over the star in his hand.

Amber picked up the sword she’d just made and finished sharpening the blade before she surprised Luca by handing it to him.

“Thanks for helping me feel better. Once I eat something, I’ll be able to make another one,” Amber said before she passed out and crashed towards the floor. Luckily, Tristan and Declan were able to catch her before she hit the ground.