Post by Demeter on Nov 25, 2018 15:39:10 GMT -5
Their tangle of limbs was positively hedonistic. She knew that Olivia was nestled up against her, using her chest as a pillow. She knew that it was Logan behind her, one long leg thrown over hers to stretch across the bed while an arm was over her waist to rest on Olivia’s hip. She assumed that ‘Fael was on the other side of Olivia and that the second set of male limbs belonged to him. She really didn’t see any them inviting a random fifth to join them. She’d remember if they’d run across those who would be ‘Fael’s companions.
For now, they were a quartet. Some day, they might be a hexad or they’d split into two Triads but, for now, it was the four of them. And so it had been for the last 15 years. It was Olivia who’d spotted the signs that ‘Fael had started cracking and rather then hunt down a feral Demi-god Mutari hybrid, they had pulled him into their triad to stabilize him.
Thera shifted, stretching out her feet and trying not to disturb her partners. Last night had been about Olivia; it was her birthday after all but they’d all gotten off. She wiggled until she was able to slide over the side of the bed and dressed in a skirt and tank top. The weather of Barbados was hot and humid and called for little clothing.
Thera took a moment to study her sleeping partners. All of them were deeply tanned from living in the Caribbean and the visible curve of Olivia’s womb was pleasing. They didn’t know which of the men had fathered the coming child and they really wouldn’t have cared if it weren’t for the possibility of being a war-deity’s grandchild.
She wandered out to the master suite’s private balcony. The pack of children must still be asleep, she thought as she could only see her daughter Isolde sitting by the pool. Not that her daughter was relaxing; Thera mused while taking in the scattered text and note books. Isolde was determined to complete a double major in law and marine biology in as little time as possible. And then she was, in her own words, going to hunt down and blow up whaling ships.
The other three had to be asleep still as she heard no shrieks, screams, or declarations of murder, destruction and doom. Athena, the now twelve year old combination of Olivia and ‘Fael, was in the midst of the hideous, hormonal pre-teen stage of her life and hated Jackson, the eight year old product of Olivia and Logan, and Gregory, the five year old boy Thera shared with Logan. No day was complete without Athena screaming at someone but in these early morning moments, things were still quiet. As the nanny was off on vacation, the day would turn chaotic quickly.
So quiet that she heard the car pulling into the driveway at the land facing side of the house. Curious, Thera switched directions and headed for the door. She opened it in time to see Seth leaning into the back seat of a taxi. Head cocked to the side, Thera watched as the driver unloaded shopping bags onto the curb. Her eyebrows shot up when Seth backed out of the car.
He was well beyond thin, on his way to gaunt. Gray rather then pale and he held, snuggled against his chest, an infant. When he simply handed the baby over, one that couldn’t have been born more then a few days ago, and collapsed onto the walkway, Thera screamed for her partners on all levels.
***
Seth surfaced slowly. Whatever room he was in was hot and stuffy; far beyond what Muirenn found comfortable. As he became more aware of himself, Seth noticed other things. His head pounded, his throat ached, and movement was beyond painful. And then he remembered the last few days.
Muirenn was dead, located and murdered by her own blood-kin. And, as if that hadn’t been cruel enough, those same relatives had cut the child from her body before she’d taken her last breaths. Killed because she carried the offspring of a warring clan. He’d snatched the baby up, using what his odd ball group of parents had taught him and he’d run.
At the memory, Seth bolted upright, only to clench his head before falling back onto the bed. The child...where was the child?
When the door opened, Seth turned his head to see the woman he considered his mother slip into the room. He sighed when Livvy ran a hand through his hair. “Baby?” he asked.
For now, they were a quartet. Some day, they might be a hexad or they’d split into two Triads but, for now, it was the four of them. And so it had been for the last 15 years. It was Olivia who’d spotted the signs that ‘Fael had started cracking and rather then hunt down a feral Demi-god Mutari hybrid, they had pulled him into their triad to stabilize him.
Thera shifted, stretching out her feet and trying not to disturb her partners. Last night had been about Olivia; it was her birthday after all but they’d all gotten off. She wiggled until she was able to slide over the side of the bed and dressed in a skirt and tank top. The weather of Barbados was hot and humid and called for little clothing.
Thera took a moment to study her sleeping partners. All of them were deeply tanned from living in the Caribbean and the visible curve of Olivia’s womb was pleasing. They didn’t know which of the men had fathered the coming child and they really wouldn’t have cared if it weren’t for the possibility of being a war-deity’s grandchild.
She wandered out to the master suite’s private balcony. The pack of children must still be asleep, she thought as she could only see her daughter Isolde sitting by the pool. Not that her daughter was relaxing; Thera mused while taking in the scattered text and note books. Isolde was determined to complete a double major in law and marine biology in as little time as possible. And then she was, in her own words, going to hunt down and blow up whaling ships.
The other three had to be asleep still as she heard no shrieks, screams, or declarations of murder, destruction and doom. Athena, the now twelve year old combination of Olivia and ‘Fael, was in the midst of the hideous, hormonal pre-teen stage of her life and hated Jackson, the eight year old product of Olivia and Logan, and Gregory, the five year old boy Thera shared with Logan. No day was complete without Athena screaming at someone but in these early morning moments, things were still quiet. As the nanny was off on vacation, the day would turn chaotic quickly.
So quiet that she heard the car pulling into the driveway at the land facing side of the house. Curious, Thera switched directions and headed for the door. She opened it in time to see Seth leaning into the back seat of a taxi. Head cocked to the side, Thera watched as the driver unloaded shopping bags onto the curb. Her eyebrows shot up when Seth backed out of the car.
He was well beyond thin, on his way to gaunt. Gray rather then pale and he held, snuggled against his chest, an infant. When he simply handed the baby over, one that couldn’t have been born more then a few days ago, and collapsed onto the walkway, Thera screamed for her partners on all levels.
***
Seth surfaced slowly. Whatever room he was in was hot and stuffy; far beyond what Muirenn found comfortable. As he became more aware of himself, Seth noticed other things. His head pounded, his throat ached, and movement was beyond painful. And then he remembered the last few days.
Muirenn was dead, located and murdered by her own blood-kin. And, as if that hadn’t been cruel enough, those same relatives had cut the child from her body before she’d taken her last breaths. Killed because she carried the offspring of a warring clan. He’d snatched the baby up, using what his odd ball group of parents had taught him and he’d run.
At the memory, Seth bolted upright, only to clench his head before falling back onto the bed. The child...where was the child?
When the door opened, Seth turned his head to see the woman he considered his mother slip into the room. He sighed when Livvy ran a hand through his hair. “Baby?” he asked.
