Chapter One
Alody kept her eyeson the seams as the machines hummed around her.Sewing loops for lacing was her specialty, and it was destined for a very specific metabolic active.Her partners wanted her to have something to wear to family dinners, and this dress had embroidery, a dark background, and other colours of the partnership picked out along the hemlines.
“Al, take a break.Wait, why are you here so late?”
“Ithal is on his way out of town on a school trip.I have my night to myself for a change, and I wanted to spend it making money.”She grinned and kept the whir of her machine going.
“Is that the Elf Star order?”
“Yup.They are having a lot of kids in a rush, and Mom needs something pretty.Her body is going to be flexing hard.”
“She’s pregnant with multiples?”
“No, she’s a metabolic expecting seven kids and has five mates.Her body is gaining and losing daily.”
“Seven?”
“Two embryos became twins.”
Hasha whispered, “How do you know that?”
“I went with Morwithel to the consult.Evali is one of her mothers-in-law, so the bar is pretty high.”She finished the seam and exhaled.She clipped the loose threads and shook the dress out before putting it on the blank that they had for Drin.
Reba ran toward her with wild eyes.“Al, activate your com.There’s an emergency.”
Alody opened her com and saw two calls from Ithal.She called back and heard screaming and sobbing.She quickly looked up the location.“Ith.I am here.Where are you?”
“The storm.We washed into the river.The bus is floating, but water is coming in, and the defenders are ten minutes away.”
She was heading for the door.“I am on my way, baby.Count to ten and stay on the line.”
Alody walked into the rain, looked in the direction of the signal, and ran at the speed of sound.
* * * *
Ithal looked at hisfriend.“Vak, my mom is coming.She’s going to be here in—”
The bus shuddered and started lifting out of the water.The kids cheered.
Maiette looked up.“She says make holes and drain the water.”
Vaken nodded and moved between seats, punching holes in the floor.
The water drained away, and Ithal watched the city get closer.
Vaken asked, “What next?”
Maiette said, “Call emergency services and say that the bus will be set down near the central hospital.We will be there in five minutes.”
Three students got on it.
Vaken looked at the roof of the bus.“What is your mom, Ithal?”
Ithal smiled.“She’s a seamstress.”
Vaken’s com started going off, and he talked to his mother.Then it went off, and he talked to his aunt.After that, Ithal watched the staff spill out of the hospital and come toward them.He blinked.He wanted his mom.
They lowered to the ground, and he and Vaken took the rear door off.Ithal’s mom was waiting, her clothing shredded by friction.He ran for her and hugged her.“Hey, baby boy.I’ve got you.Are you okay?”
