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Akio asked,“What do you mean? She said she was coming back. She was feeling alittle lightheaded but said she would rest and come back here.”
Arata’s eyeswent wide, and he turned back to his office, portalling to themiddle of town. He looked around desperately until he found agathering of a few dozen locals. He walked toward the rowdy meleeand covered his mouth. His grin was going to be too obvious. Itappeared that every child in town had come to see Ivetha, and mosthad some kind of treat that looked like their mothers had wrappedit.
There was alittle boy with short black hair who was holding a frozen fruit ona stick for her, and Ivetha bent her head to bite some of thefrozen pineapple. Watching her mouth close over the stalk made himclose his eyes, and there was a knowing laugh from nearby.
He looked athis great-aunt, and she walked closer. “As soon as we got her satdown, the kids just kept coming. She tried to explain that it was aside effect of her activation, but the kids lined up to hug her.They brought water and juice and fruit and cookies.” Tuurin waslaughing. “She’s adorable.”
The little boyon her lap looked like Kliano’s son. He laughed and kicked his feetwhen she kissed his temple. She set him on his feet, and heshrieked with laughter and ran to his mother. Another child hoppedonto her lap, and her mother handed her a cup of water, which shepresented to Ivetha.
Ivetha sippedthe water and talked to the little girl, making her laugh andgiggle. The mother smiled and took the little girl by the hand.
She looked overthe crowd and said, “Okay, kids. I have met every one of you. Ineed to pee, and I am really full. Thank you for all your help, andthank your mommies and daddies as well. I think I ate all thedesserts on the island.”
The crowdlaughed, and one of the kids got excited and started pointing atArata. He nodded in response, and the crowd got respectfullyquiet.
Ivetha lookedat him, and there was a lot of colour in her cheeks. She smiled andsigned as she spoke, “Your Majesty. Do you often visit thetown?”
No. Your sisterdid not know you were still here.
“Ah, I washungry. Stopped for dessert.” She shrugged.
Can youwalk?
“Maybe. Am Iable to lean on you?”
Of course.
“Well, littles,my ride is here.” She smiled at the gathered faces. “I am here fora few more days. We can talk later if your moms and dads don’t mindme.”
The kids wereexcited and helped to push her to her feet. It was adorable. Aratawalked over to her and picked her up. The kids went wild, and theparents smiled and held onto their offspring.
“Put me down.”She kept her voice pleasant but looked at him with narrowedeyes.
He smirked andshook his head, leaning in to whisper in her ear. “No. I likethis.”
The tremblingin her body made a heavy warmth course through his veins.
One of thechildren, around seven, gasped. “He talked! He talked, and nothingfell down!”
Arata smiledand kept walking. He whispered in her ear. “You have a way withchildren.”
“Yup. Alwayshave. My body vibrates at a frequency that relaxes them. It worksfor anybody really. You may recall.”
“Yes, but itwas the help I got from your song that was most memorable.”
She shudderedand asked him something he had never heard from a woman before.“Would you fucking shut up?”
He grinned. Shewas squirming a little in his arms, and it delighted him. He hadremoved one obstacle to them being together, so now, he had tocourt her. Quickly. Arata was pretty sure he wasn’t up for chasingher back to Aksalla.
He was smilingas he realized that if he didn’t bring her back, he would certainlybe there to court her. He nearly chuckled, but his head was higherthan the field she produced. He didn’t want to knock down anytrees.
He hummedsoftly to her as he walked, and the trees shook. She looked up athim in surprise and blinked slowly. “I sang you that song.”
He smiled andnodded. She had sung him dozens of songs while his head was on herlap and she stroked his hair. It didn’t have the dignity of hisstation, but it had given him more control over his activation. Thehealing heat that swirled in his body had calmed, and he was betterable to identify a being’s frequency to make it move, shake, or flyapart.
She waswonderful, and now, he had to convince her that he waswonderful.
He hadcancelled the contract because he thought the control he had gainedfrom her was enough, but now, he wanted so much more. He needed toknow if he could walk back to the close of their association andstart over.
