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“Nonsense,” Javed replied. “Kadi hasn’t had this much fun in years. Mak and Lyros aren’t the only ones giddy with delight to come within range of mages.”
“Parenting two sucklings at once is extraordinarily ambitious at the best of times,” Lio said. “But no one is surprised, Javed. We all know the strength and bravery you and Kadi possess.”
Javed smiled. “We are only grateful it is within our power to keep Bosko and Thenie together, as a brother and sister should be, and close to Zoe.”
“Having them as cousins now is even better than when we were just best friends.” Zoe finished unwrapping herself, her goats, and their cargo and went to Thenie’s side. “Cassia, this is my youngest cousin, Athena Argyra.”
Cassia stood back, an arm around Knight. When Thenie showed no sign that the large dog upset her, Lio exchanged a relieved glance with Cassia. They had not been wrong in their assurances to everyone that Thenie and Bosko would be as safe around Knight as Zoe was.
Zoe sat down with their little cousin. “Thenie, this is the Brave Gardener!”
Thenie made a humming, grunting noise to herself and pounded a block on the floor.
“She understands,” Zoe assured Cassia. “She just has her own way of showing it.”
“You are right, Zoe.” Uncle Argyros looked upon Thenie with a tender expression Lio had not seen on his uncle’s face in a long time. “You do well to speak with Thenie as you do with everyone else. She learns more and more all the time from what we talk about with her.”
“You had a hard start, didn’t you, Thenie?” Zoe’s brow furrowed. “She got the fever worse than any of us.”
Javed caressed his daughter’s dusty brown curls. “The Gift and my magic have healed her brain, but she lost a great deal of ability and understanding. She has much to re-learn. But you are safe and well now, my little one, and you have plenty of time.”
Cassia knelt down before Thenie, her heart aching for every Hesperine in the room to feel. “Hello, Thenie. What a nice, safe place you have come to with your mama and papa.”
Thenie didn’t look at Cassia, but she made an expressive string of sounds that clearly meant something important, although the rest of them had not the knowledge of her private language.
Cassia smiled. “It’s wonderful to meet you too.”
“Where’s Bosko?” Zoe looked around her, frowning.
Uncle Argyros cleared his throat. “He will be along in a moment. Mak is bringing him.”
Lio shot his uncle a startled glance. Mak was supposed to be on patrol at the guest houses, and had been not half an hour past.
The calm over Javed’s aura was certainly a veil. “Not to worry. They’ll be home any time now.”
Zoe’s frown deepened. “He should be here for you to give Cassia your welcome gift.”
“Thenie and I will represent the family. Is that all right with you, Cassia?”
Cassia gave Zoe a reassuring smile. “Of course.”
Javed reached for a canvas case that sat neatly to the side of Thenie’s toys. He set it in front of him, gesturing to Cassia. She sat down on the rug with him and Thenie, and Knight settled among the sucklings as if it were the most natural place in the world for him to be. Lio joined them, and Zoe scooted close to him, letting him slide an arm around her.
Javed opened the case. “Here is a complete set of alchemical supplies to compliment your gardening. You have here an alembic, scales, vials, and various other tools so you can make extracts and tinctures from your plants. These are the best quality and most accurate, exactly what we use in the Healing Sanctuary to blend remedies.”
Cassia’s aura shone. “I’ve never had anything like these. I can’t thank you enough.”
Javed smiled. “After coffee, we can talk about how to use the more specialized tools.”
“Perhaps while we wait for Bosko,” said Uncle Argyros, “Cassia and Lio could join me on the terrace for a moment.”
The longer Bosko was unaccounted for, the higher Zoe’s tide of anxiety mounted. Terrors from the time when they had been orphans were never far away, even here in the safety of House Argyros.
Lio put a hand on her shoulder and pointed to the floor-to-ceiling windows of the library, through which the breadth of the terrace was visible. “We’ll be right outside.”
“Here, Zoe,” Javed soothed. “I think Thenie would love for you to hold her.”
Zoe looked away from the open terrace and gathered their little cousin onto her lap, scooting closer to Javed. “All right.”
