Page 31 of Curse of Ancients

“Are you hungry too?” Carleigh brushed Juni’s hair out of his eyes. He really needed a haircut.

“Uh huh. We eat now?”

Carleigh could hear her parents and Bayu talking. “Yes, sir. Who do you think is in the kitchen?”

Juni looked toward the bedroom door and tilted his head. “Juju, Kat, and Bye-bye.”

Carleigh grinned at his name for her dad. “Let me get dressed, then we’ll go see them. Do you need to potty?”

“I go tell Bye-bye to help.” Juni scooted to the edge of the bed, slid over the side, and took off running down the hall. Since she’d seen him traverse the staircase the day before, Carleigh didn’t worry about him falling. She sat up and swung her legs over the side, taking a few minutes of alone time. She had more of Bayu’s symbols to draw, but at this point, she wondered if she should bother. If they didn’t get any hits on the first dozen… Carleigh twisted her neck and rolled it several times. They had to find the Black Lotus. Carleigh could claim Bayu as her mate, and he could say the words, but without his Tiger, would the bond be complete?

Carleigh lowered her feet to the floor, then made up the bed. She changed out of her sleep clothes into shorts and a tank top after washing her face, brushing her teeth, and redoing her hair into a less-tangled ponytail. When she reached the kitchen, Juni was in his booster seat munching on fruit and cheese cubes. Her mom was at the stove, and her dad and Bayu were sitting at the table with the little one. Carleigh opened her senses, finding Juniper still asleep in her old room and Silas outside.

Carleigh pressed a kiss to her dad’s temple. “Morning, Juju.” Julian’s return smile was bright. She squeezed Bayu’s shoulder, noticing his damp hair, before padding to the coffee maker. She hadn’t heard Bayu in the shower. Carleigh poured her coffee and took a seat next to her mate who had a cup of tea, leaning over and puckering up. Bayu didn’t hesitate to lean down for a chaste kiss even though her parents were right there.

“Any updates?” she asked her dad.

“Not on the symbols, but there were some vague threads regarding the Black Lotus, although I’m not convinced it’s the same group. I spoke with Dominic, and he and the Goyles he gathered are headed to the safehouse. Since we don’t know anything about the Black Lotus, they could have members already here in the States. Harlow is monitoring the cameras there in case someone shows up before Dom and company arrive.”

“I hope they don’t. I want Gemi to show up and be safe.”

Bayu settled his hand on her nape, his thumb rubbing gently back and forth. She should be comforting him, but this small gesture proved the fates had chosen well. Carleigh glanced over at Juni who didn’t acknowledge Gemi’s name, which she found odd. Carleigh had been around enough of her younger cousins and Clanmates to know that wasn’t normal. Maybe he didn’t know that was her name. And what about his sister and parents? Had he not interacted with them at all? She wouldn’t bring them up though since she didn’t want to have the discussion about their deaths.

After breakfast, Carleigh got busy with the rest of the drawings while her dad retreated to the office. Juniper had crawled out of bed right as everyone else finished eating. She chugged a cup of coffee before sipping the next and eating a now cold biscuit. Bayu helped Juni bring several stuffies downstairs, and he sat with him on the living room floor. Kat, ever the photographer, snapped photo after photo of the boy with her phone.

Luna called around ten. Nekoma was back from Evyndral, but she and Solara were working at their store until they were needed. Tabitha and Major showed up to check on Bayu and bring his and Silas’s things from the safehouse. Bayu was still a client, but now he wasn’t a paying one since he was family. Anthony and Elle also came by, bringing lunch with them. Elle wasn’t wearing glamour, so it was quite the shock to Bayu and Juni to see her pointed ears. Bayu knew about the fae, but Juni was enthralled.

When Juni ambled to where Elle was standing, she knelt and let him inspect her ears. “Why you ears big?”

“Because I’m special. I hear you’re special too,” she said softly.

“Peshal?”

“Yes. You have a tiger inside you.” Elle poked his tummy, and in the next instant, Juni had shifted. He weaved through Elle’s legs, and she plopped down onto the floor so she could hold him.

“I’ve been replaced,” Anthony groused. “Granted, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything cuter, so I can’t blame her.” He then carried the food into the kitchen and began removing containers from the totes. “How are you doing, Bayu?”

“I have my moments. If I knew my aunt was safe, and if my Tiger wasn’t gone, I’d be a lot better.”

“If anyone can help you with both of those issues, it’s Carleigh.” Anthony nudged her with his elbow. “She’s one of the most brilliant in our Clan, plus you have Julian too.”

Julian strode into the kitchen. “Thanks, Tony. Bayu, can I borrow you a second?”

“Sure.” Bayu followed him down the hallway toward the office, and Carleigh listened in on their conversation while helping Tony set out the food. Since everyone was family and visited often, she knew what they wanted to drink without asking. Most everyone opted for sweet tea, and Kat had made three gallons of the stuff that morning.

While everyone else fixed a plate, Carleigh went to her office where Bayu was checking the translations for her dad. Some of the hits Julian had received were in Malay, and the online translator was wonky, as he put it.

“People combine English and Malay, so that’s why the translations don’t make sense,” Bayu explained.

Julian read over Bayu’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

Carleigh was proud of her two men working together. “Lunch is ready.”

“You two go ahead. I want to check one last thing,” her dad said, taking Bayu’s vacated seat. Carleigh knew how it was to become fixated on something, so she took Bayu’s hand and left Julian to it.

Her mom arched a brow, and Carleigh smiled, shaking her head. “He’ll be here in a few. You know how he is.”

Katherine did know, so she fixed them both a plate and took them to the office. Carleigh followed behind carrying their drinks. She returned to the dining room and sat with the rest of her family. As always, Juni was the star, keeping everyone smiling and laughing. They engaged Bayu in conversation, asking about Anjailang Island, about his life since moving to the States, and other non-invasive questions. They already knew the bad stuff. After everyone finished eating, they moved to the living room. Elle and Juniper sat on the floor with Juni. Anthony took a chair near his mate, while Tabby and Major snuggled together on one of the sofas. Carleigh was headed to the other one when her phone rang. She’d left it on the charger in the kitchen, so she reversed course. “Hey, Low.”