"You're a sick Andarion, Dancer."
Smiling, he laced his fingers with hers. "Eleron, status on my searches."
"Wait!"
He frowned at Sumi's almost shrill tone. That was as close to hysteria as he ever wanted her to come. "What?"
She bit her lip. "I didn't want you to hear it from the computer. The search on your chip came back last night and..."
"And what?"
"It originally belonged to Keris."
Hauk couldn't breathe as that news slapped him hard. "How is that possible?"
"I don't know. Fain said --"
"You told Fain?"
She nodded. "You were asleep and I didn't want to wake you. He took it to Syn so that he could run diagnostics on it."
"He hasn't found anything other than the DOM," Eleron broke in. "He also pulled the autopsy files for Keris Hauk, as well as his full medical history."
Hauk was taken aback to see Eleron in his doorway. She normally didn't assume her Andarion form without asking him first. But at least she did take his last command to wear more human-like clothing. "Thanks, El."
"My pleasure." She continued to stare at them from the doorway.
Feeling a little awkward to have a computer voyeur, Hauk pulled his blanket higher. "Is there anything else, El?"
"No."
"You planning to stay there for a while?"
Eleron blinked innocently. "Do you not want to look at me?"
Sumi arched a brow over that comment.
"Uh... I would like a little privacy, El."
She actually cast a menacing glare to Sumi. "Very well. Let me know when you need me again."
Sumi cocked her head. "I don't think your girlfriend likes me very much."
"She's not my girlfriend."
"Does Eleron know that?"
He rolled his eyes. "I'm not that big a pervert, mia."
"Then why was she naked last night?"
"She was clothed. I swear that was normal Andarion wear." He placed his hand over his heart. "Really."
"Well, where I grew up, that's naked."
He slid his hand down her thigh. "Not as naked as this is." He dipped his head to nibble her hip. "Am I forgiven yet?"
"You're getting there."
Grinning, he nudged her legs farther apart.
"Hauk?" Eleron said as she appeared next to the bed again. "Maris prepared breakfast and has left it in the kitchen warmer for you. Would you like me to heat it to full temperature?" She frowned at the bed. "Hauk?"
He stuck his head out from under the sheet to glare at her. "I wanted privacy, El."
"But you have a house full of guests... Desideria is currently bathing Illyra in their guest tub. Nykyrian, Syn, Darling, Chayden, Fain, Nero, Maris, Caillen, Shahara, Devyn, the mecha monkey I despise, and Jayne are in the conservatory. They were joined an hour ago by Ture, Terek, Zarya, and an infant I am told is named Cezar. Should I create a new profile for the child?"
"Yes," he said through gritted teeth.
"Done. Now should I prepare your shower and food?"
Sumi's stomach convulsed under his head as she laughed silently at his misery. "Privacy, El. Please."
"Is it not considered rude to leave guests waiting?"
"She's not going to give on this, sweetie."
Hauk growled in the back of his throat at the bitter frustration that begged him to pull the plug on his entire home system. But unfortunately, Eleron was right. It was rude to leave them unattended. "Would you like to meet the rest of my family?" he asked Sumi.
She gently brushed the braids out of his eyes. "Sure."
Grimacing, he slowly got up and dressed, and cursed Eleron while he did so. By the time they'd left the bedroom, Eleron was waiting in the hallway.
"Yes, El?" he asked irritably.
"Two more just arrived. I have allowed them access to the living room and am holding them there for your review."
He frowned at that. No one else should be here. "Who is it?"
"Ger Tarra War Hauk and Tarra Fadima Wulfryn."
Hauk groaned out loud.
"Who?" Sumi asked.
"My yaya and evil cousin. I swear if Fadima squeezes my cheek, I will stab her."
She laughed at his disgruntled threat. "Does that a lot?"
He rolled his eyes. "Sadly, it's a step up from the days when she used to throw me on the ground, sit on me, and fart. If you ever wondered where Darice gets his finer manners, I swear Dimie swapped wombs with Dariana."
"Oh joy. I can't wait to meet her." Sumi's humor died as Hauk led her into the living room and she came under the scathing glare of an extremely tall, gorgeous Andarion who made her feel like the twisted underbelly of a torna.
"Dancer!" When Fadima took a step toward him, his grandmother pulled her back.
"Our princess, Fadima." She fell into a low bow.
Fadima followed suit. "Forgive me, Highness."
Uncomfortable, Sumi bit her lip and glanced at Dancer, who seemed to be enjoying this a little too much. "Please, rise. It's fine."
Dancer squeezed her hand to let her know that she didn't need to be nervous. "To what do I owe this honor, Yaya?"
His grandmother pulled the black, rectangle case from her shoulder and knelt on the floor with it. Fadima knelt beside her while his grandmother unzipped it to expose his family's Warsword.
Sumi gasped at the weapon that was centuries old and in perfect condition. It looked as if it'd just been forged. Never had she seen anything more beautiful. And it was with the blade of that sword that Andaria had been saved.
The sacredness of it wasn't lost on her.
Solemnly, Dancer fell to his knees and motioned for Sumi to do the same. With great ceremony, his grandmother pulled out a pair of thick black leather gloves and placed them on her hands. Then she handed a similar pair to Sumi.
"The blade is sharper than any you've ever held, Highness," his grandmother explained. "For that reason, gloves should be worn at all times when you handle it, and especially when you fight with it."
Sumi bowed her head respectfully. "I will always take care."
His grandmother sat back while Sumi covered her hands. "My husband's honorable mother bestowed the great Warsword into my stewardship on the tenth year of our unification. Menser of the Warring Blood Clan of Hauk was one of the greatest heroes of his generation. A decorated warrior, he never knew defeat in battle. To the day he drew his last breath, I couldn't believe my fortune in having a husband so noble. He fed this great Warsword the blood of many enemies. But alas, she has remained famished for many years now as I waited for the right Andarion to again wield her in battle."
Her eyes were filled with sadness as she looked at her grandson. "You, Dancer of the Warring Blood Clan of Hauk, have more than earned the honor of wielding this great sword. I've wanted to bestow her on you since the day your paran died. It was wrong of me to withhold her from you because of the animosity I bear the Terisools. But I couldn't stomach the thought of placing this in the hands of that bitch who killed my firstborn grandson. Nor allowing any child she brewed in her venomous womb to touch it." She turned back to Sumi. "Forgive me, princess, that's not part of the ceremony."
Sumi smiled at her. "By all means, think nothing of it. Dariana has no friend in me."
Her white eyes shined like a child's. She lifted the sword and held it with two hands, by the blade. "For the first Dancer War Hauk it was forged by the first Great Chief and founder of the Most Sovereign Blood Clan of eton Anatole. Since the moment the Great Chief's blood and that of the War Hauk mixed upon this blade, it has been foretold that so long as a War Hauk has possession of our Warsword, Andaria will know no defeat. We will stand strong against all invaders. It is my deepest and most sacred honor that I now move her forward and place her in the hands of the next generation that will feed her well. Into your honorable hands, Sumi of the Most Sovereign Blood Clan of eton Anatole, I place the greatest heritage of the Warring Blood Clan of Hauk. I know that yo
u, Dancer, and all the beautiful children you will have to carry our legacy on, will bring nothing but glory and honor to this noble weapon. May you feed her well and defend our nation as all the great War Hauks before you." She kissed the winged hilt before she carefully placed the sword in Sumi's hands.
Sumi bowed low. "Thank you, Ger --"
"Yaya," she said, breaking in.
She smiled. "Yaya. I will watch over and protect this great Warsword with every ounce of courage I possess."
His grandmother placed her hands over Sumi's. "I know you will, child. I am proud to welcome you into our family and pray that I live long enough to see your firstborn." She released her hands and looked over to Dancer. "Now, you may finally touch your paran's sword and return it to its nest. I promise there will be no spanking henceforth when you pull it down."
He kissed her cheek. "Kimi asyado, Yaya."
She patted his shoulder. "You were always my favorite."
"That's what I keep telling him. But he never believes it."
Laughing, Sumi turned toward Fain at the same time Fadima hissed and exposed her fangs.
She started to rise, but their grandmother grabbed her and held her fast.
Sumi gaped. For an elderly woman, the matriarch of the War Hauks still had a lot of fight and strength in her.
"He is now an eton Anatole," she said in Fadima's ear. "Any harm, and it will be from your hide recompense is taken."
Fadima's jaw went slack. "Seriously?"
His grandmother gave a curt nod. "Yes."
Fain made a little-kid gesture of sticking his thumbs in his ears and poking his tongue out at her. "You can't touch me." He sobered as he looked over at his brother. "Damn, to have had these wicked powers when we were young."
Laughing, Hauk returned the sword to its brackets. "I know, right?" He winked at Dimie. "And not that I'm not thrilled to have you over, coz, but why are you here?"
She inclined her head to Sumi, who was removing her gloves and returning them to the sword's case. "To train our princess on how to fight an Andarion female."
His grandmother rose to her feet. "I asked her to do this as a personal favor. Dariana sent over word this morning that she wants Sumi in the ring, day after tomorrow."
Hauk scowled. "Why so soon?"
"Dariana is with child and cannot legally fight after that date."
CHAPTER 29
S
umi gasped at the last thing she'd ever expected to hear. And by the look on Dancer's face, she knew he was equally as shocked. "Dariana's pregnant?"
"How?" Dancer growled at the same time Fain cursed under his breath.
Their grandmother sighed heavily. "It's Keris's child. Dariana had the DNA test run already because she knew I would require it. Apparently, she was artificially inseminated almost three months ago."
Sumi couldn't believe it.
Fadima curled her lip in distaste. "Darice confessed that she never intended unification. She was planning to tell you of her pregnancy during Disclosure and reject you again."
Sumi seethed with the news. Before his entire family. What a whore!
His jaw ticcing, Fain crossed his arms over his chest. "How does Darice know?"
Fadima answered. "Dariana went home in a fury after Sumi challenged her. So much so, that once Darice overheard her ranting to a friend about her intentions, he left immediately to stay with our yaya. He wants no part of Dariana's dishonorable conduct and is ashamed to call her mother. He will not go home until she does right by you."
Dancer looked as sick as Sumi felt. "I never meant to cause friction between mother and son."
"This isn't on you, kiran," Fain said. "For once, Darice is honoring his War Hauk lineage with his behavior. While he should normally back his mother, she is bleeding his father's family. No child should be forced to choose one lineage over another. And he knows that had she done the right thing, you would be his father now. She had no legitimate reason to deprive either of you of that relationship. That level of selfishness is not Andarion."
Fadima nodded in agreement. "He's right. Dariana has callously and wrongfully used Darice, and now this new baby, to secure a bloodline and title for herself and her progeny while denying you what is rightfully yours. Because your mother has refused repeatedly to act to protect you, Dariana has kept you with your hands tied for far too long."
"Wait," Sumi interrupted then, as she tried to understand what they were implying. "Are you saying that the bitch was planning to keep Dancer tied to her without unification? Forever?"
Angry, his grandmother nodded gravely. "That's how it appears."
Sumi cursed. "I can't wait to have her in front of me so that I can beat her down like she deserves."
His grandmother laughed as she stared proudly at Sumi. "Spoken like a true Andarion female. Dariana is hoping the knowledge of her condition will weaken your human resolve, and that you'll take mercy on her in the fight."
Yeah, right. "She couldn't be more wrong, and she seriously overestimates my love of others. I would never harm a child, and I won't be striking her stomach. The rest of her, however, is all mine and I plan to drag her around that arena by her hair until she begs me for mercy."
A sharp gasp drew their attention to the doorway, where a tiny woman with auburn hair and gold eyes stood with her infant daughter cradled to her shoulder. Her face was absolutely ashen. "Sorry," she said quickly. "I am human and forget how human I am compared to the family I married into. I didn't mean to offend you, but ow! The sheer harshness of that last statement hit me very unexpectedly."
Sumi turned her furious glower to what must be Nykyrian's wife. Yes, it was harsh, but she wasn't about to back down. Not for Dariana and all the years of cruelty she'd shoved down Dancer's throat. "You haven't seen the deep scars on Dancer's back that bitch has callously given him, for no other reason than to publicly hurt and humiliate him, when he's done nothing to deserve them. Her pregnancy will keep me from killing her, but it won't spare her my wroth."
Kiara blanched even more. "The claw marks? Is she the one who gave them to him?"
Sumi nodded.
A steel anger descended over Kiara's face. "Then I hope you beat the snot out of her."
Sumi liked this woman immediately. Thia was right. Her stepmother was a good woman.
Against Andarion custom, Dancer's grandmother pulled Sumi in for a tight hug, then she kissed each of her cheeks in turn. "I could not be prouder of you, grastiya, had I birthed you." Releasing Sumi, she smiled at Dancer. "You have done well for yourself, prie yeyonon. I cannot wait to paint our heritage on her beautiful face for you."
Dancer struck his heart with his right hand. "Thank you, Yaya. You greatly honor us both." His eyes were filled with mirth as he turned Sumi toward Kiara. "I should probably introduce you two. Kiara Quiakides, this is Sumi... eton Anatole."
Kiara smiled warmly in greeting. "And having blindly stumbled into this conversation at probably the worst possible time, I can see why my mother-in-law adopted you. You're just like her, and that's not a bad thing. I adore Cairistiona with my whole heart. And it is a pleasure to meet you, Sumi." She adjusted the baby in her arms until the little girl, who was dressed in a frilly pink tutu, was sitting up, staring at them. "And this our daughter Zarina."
Sumi's jaw went slack at the sight of the adorable Andarion infant. She had a mass of black curls around her head, and her skin was the same caramel color of Dancer's. Thia was right, her white-and-red eyes were a little strange at first, but once she smiled and her dimples came out, they faded into the background. "She's absolutely beautiful."
"Would you like to hold her?"
Sumi hesitated as fear tightened her stomach. "I've never held a baby that size before. I would hate to hurt her."
Kiara laughed. "What was it Jayne said to me right after Adron was born...? Oh yeah, don't panic if you drop it. They're remarkably hard to kill."
Sumi gasped at something that sounded just like the Jayne Dancer and Thia had to
ld her about. "No, she didn't."
"Yes, yes, she did. You've got to love Jayne's take on things." Kiara gently placed Zarina into Sumi's arms and showed her how to support her back. "And speaking of babies, I haven't had a chance to thank you for bringing Thia back to us." Tears welled in Kiara's soft amber-gold eyes. "I would be devastated if anything ever happened to my oldest daughter. And I know if not for you and what you did, we'd be planning her funeral. Thank you so much." She kissed Sumi's cheek.
"I'm glad I was able to do it. Thia is a remarkable young woman. Scary, but remarkable."
Kiara laughed. "She is her father's daughter. And his shining pride and joy. Just like this one."
Sumi watched as Zarina wrapped her little hand around her finger. She saw the differences between a human baby hand and Zarina's tiny claws, but they were soft and almost gel-like. Nowhere near as sharp - yet - as a human infant's fingernails. And to think, Omira had been afraid of an Andarion baby clawing its way out of her stomach. Really, there was next to no difference between them from what Sumi could tell.