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“Did you burn your feet?” Denier lifted her by her arms.
“No. They are fine.” They weren’t fine. They would blister, but she wouldn’t open that particular door again.
She rinsed out the cloths and then dropped them in the hamper before getting herself more coffee. Denier was watching her the whole time.
Pain radiated from the top of her foot and her toes. She sighed. If she didn’t get healing for it, it was going to infected, which would suck, but she wouldn’t ask him for help again. As it was, she didn’t know why he was here now unless it was over her running.
She went back to her spot at the table and finished her croissant. Baola leaned against her as she often did.
Brit stroked her niece’s hair and kissed her forehead. “Didn’t you get much sleep?”
“I woke up early. I knew you were coming but not when.”
“Oh, I was waiting to return to myself before I asked to come in. So when I felt the change, I contacted Salat, and he let me in and kept the security systems from exploding me. Once was enough.”
Salat chuckled. Khytten smacked him. He kissed her hand.
Brit grinned. Khytten leaned forward and grabbed her fruit salad. Her face got distant, and she said, “Uh-oh.”
Baola laughed. “It’s showtime.”
Salat looked frightened, and Lyric got up and went into the house to get Tigel.
Denier blinked. “She’s having the babies now?”
Brit nodded. “She is. Well, it has started. Contractions are moving along, and she is feeling things moving and lining up for the exit.”
Khytten looked at her with a calculating air. “You seem to know all about this.”
Baola grinned. “She was a doula. She was with a dozen young moms while she was volunteering at the hospital, and then she took courses and stuff. She helped them bring their babies into the world.”
Khytten grinned. “Why didn’t I know that?”
“The shapeshifting is a showstopper. I can watch the babies while Tigel does his thing.”
Khytten grimaced. “I would rather have you with me. Salat’s family is going to rush in while this is happening, but I want someone with their eyes on me.”
Lyric returned and nodded. “Baola and I will take on the twins. You manage the triplets.”
Denier frowned. “What can I do?”
Everyone was silent until Brit said, “Keep everybody fed. Things are going to get crazy, and even with the best of focus, time is going to get away from us. Nothing with cruciferous vegetables. The new babies won’t thank you.”
Denier chuckled. “I will also wrangle Salat when necessary.”
Khytten nodded. “Good. He gets fussy. Maybe you could see if there is any agent contract he could take on for a few hours. Killing people is the easiest distraction. It might keep him calm.”
Denier chuckled. “I can pull him out for ten minutes or so at a time. Just call for me, and I will haul him out.”
Salat growled at him, and Denier growled back, and then Khytten whimpered, and there was a splash. She was moving forward with the delivery. No one tried to stop Khytten when she had her mind set on something.
Things were going quickly, and Tirra was there to cheer her on, her own belly rounded.
Khytten wanted Salat in every fifteen minutes so she could ask him what he wasn’t going to do again.
“Three babies at once, Khytten.”
“Good. Now give me a kiss and get down there next to Tigel. The first one is on the way.”
