Page 176 of Sky’s Edge

“Thanks to you,” Manny put in.

“My job, my honor,” Uly murmured.

“And our gratitude,” Zyra said earnestly.

Uly tipped his chin to both of them.

Tanyn adjusted us so he could pull out his Palm.

He looked at the screen, so did I, and I saw an incoming comm from Aleksei.

I slid off his lap and said, “You probably need to take that.”

He got up and stole a quick kiss before he put the Palm to his ear and walked out.

“He needs a vacation,” Zyra prescribed.

“He’s been king for two months,” Mangold replied.

“He still needs a vacation,” Zyra stressed.

“He needs to get used to the rigors of this, love,” Mangold said gently.

Zyra huffed.

And I loved this exchange, because it confirmed what I already knew.

Tanyn lost his mother and father.

But he still had both.

Not to mention a lot of love in this room all around.

And that made me very happy.

We sipped and chatted until we all stopped doing both, and the room got deathly silent when Tanyn returned, his expression so cloudy, it was a storm.

No one missed it, but Uly got there first.

“What’s going on?”

Tanyn didn’t address Uly.

He turned to me.

“Gayle is on her way.”

“What?” I asked, alarmed. “Why?”

“So are Laura and Aleksei, but on a different craft,” Tanyn went on.

I stood. “Okay, but…why?”

Tanyn wasn’t done, however.

“Cormac is on his way too.”

I closed my mouth, stunned silent.