Page 65 of Family Found

Hove gave us a moment before he spoke. “You recovered well?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m well.”

Kinnek put his head on his hand and looked at me. “I’d like to know what you did, snickerdoodle. That was not your normal magic last night. Lightning bolts do seem rather extreme. Charlie agrees with me, even if he normally doesn’t have an opinion about magic. You seem to have handled it well, regardless.”

I shrugged. “I guess so.”

Hove started uncovering the food, and Fellisse helped, Inkiri and Nokim too, and before I knew what was what, my mate was filling my plate.

Kinnek tilted his head, his piercing eyes looking right at me without letting up. My stomach growled again.

“We’ll talk about the magic some other time. What’s important is that we accomplished what we set out to do,” he finally said.

“Agreed.” Vergis snatched a roasted sweet potato from one of the serving dishes. “When did you guys start cooking human food?” he asked Hove.

“We are on Earth. It be right we eat human food.” He bowed toward where my guys were sitting next to him. “Nokim is helpful with that.”

Nokim nodded. “Human food is interesting.”

That was about as much talking about food instead of eating it as I could stand. Inkiri had filled my plate with lots of roasted potatoes, which he knew I liked. That was more of a dinner or lunch thing usually, but then, breakfast time was long past, and no wonder after our late-night mission.

There were also roasted apples, which was new and interesting in combination with the potatoes, but not bad, as well as carrots and something like cornbread. All of the food tasted different from what I expected, but I was used to that with Nokim’s cooking. Like with my bagu family, different wasn’t necessarily bad.

Finally, Kinnek put down his fork and turned to me once more. “If you’re done stuffing your face, chocolate bar, we should talk about where you’ll be living.”

“This new Raiken warmly welcome you,” Hove said right away, indicating the assembled Raikengana at the other tables.

“Uhm.” I looked up at Inkiri, who seemed to be absorbed by the roasted apples more than anything. In fact, he was ignoring me.

“Aww, you two.” Kinnek patted my arm. “Muffin, aren’t they cute, all lost in translation.”

Lissir speared a piece of food off his plate and gave me a pointed look. “I think these sweet potatoes grew better in Canada.”

Was I supposed to pick up on something? My guys knew I didn’t do subtlety, didn’t they?

“About that.” Kinnek took my hand. “You and your sentenmen are very welcome to stay with me and Charlie. Our House can be your House, if you want.”

“You two are just shamelessly trying to get me to move back in,” Vergis grumbled from Kinnek’s other side. “It’s all a fucking scheme, is what this is.”

Kinnek nodded. “Yes, that’s one reason. Your daddy’s main reason, I think. It’s because you never call, Muffin.”

Vergis rolled his eyes and rammed his fork into the last sweet potato on the serving plate.

“Uhm, but…I mean, Ink really likes being in the Raiken. Don’t you?”

Inkiri looked at me and tilted his head. “The Raiken would not be far.”

Hove clicked. “Kinnek has explained some. About the human ko of the land.” He gestured at me. “I understand it is important to protect Rory. The Raiken is to protect.” Next to Hove, Fellisse nodded, and Nokim started fidgeting on his other side. Lissir just smiled. “We would wish protectors to guard the human koa who power has so great which we saw on yesterday’s night. And a sentenmen is close. A sentenmen is the first I want ordered to protect.”

“Of course we would follow the dena’s orders.” Lissir bowed. “Wouldn’t we, Inkiri?”

Inkiri nodded and clicked. “Of course. We are duty-bound.”

I was not getting it, but thankfully, Kinnek saw that.

“There’s a bit of influence play to consider, you see, sweet pea.”

“It’s why it’s better to have the Raiken pay you than to be part of the Raiken,” Vergis said. “No offense to the Raiken. You and yours fought well last night, Hove.”