by S. E. Smith
“I can see that,” Nia said.
“Jessica? See that white dome up ahead?” Stark said, pointing into the distance. “That’s my home on Glacier.”
Jessica leaned forward as much as she could. “It looks like the snow dome Dr. Verglas built. Is that how you knew how to help her?”
Stark chuckled. “No. My superior knowledge of Earth’s science is how I helped her.”
“Superior?” Topper snorted. “Just because we’re on your planet now doesn’t mean you get to use the S word. Humans are not inferior.”
“I didn’t say they were,” Stark said with a frown. “Did I?”
“You were edging too close to doing so,” Topper grumbled.
Jessica eased back into her seat and looked at Nia who was listening intently. “Don’t let their fighting fool you. They’ll be all lovey-dovey later. Sheriff Theo says Mom and Dad are both very strong-willed people. He told me Dad froze Mom once to get even for her turning him into a donkey.”
Nia laughed again. “What is a donkey?”
Jessica’s face wrinkled. “Oh… right… a donkey is an Earth animal. Most people think they’re dumb because they have long ears and big teeth, but that’s not true. You can’t judge any creature by its appearance in Magic. My best friend can turn into a wolf—just a baby wolf because she’s still young herself—but she’s super cute as a wolf puppy.”
Nia sighed. “Jessica, you are a delight.”
“Thank you,” Jessica said. “My parents tell people I’m precocious which I think is a whole different thing. But I’m a teenager now so I’m learning to deal with reality. Dad gives me a lot of advice.”
Stark slowed the vehicle. The doors automatically rolled up and out of the way when the giant sled-thing rolled to a stop on its tank-like tracks. Jessica climbed out one side while Nia climbed out of the other. Her father walked around and helped her mother out. When her mother sank into a melted pile of slush to her knees, her father scooped her up and strode to the house with her in his arms. Her mother protested, but hooked her arms around her Dad to hang on.
It made Jessica smile and giggle to watch them.
“Your father seems devoted to your mother,” Nia observed.
Jessica nodded. She grabbed her bag so she could conjure up a eucalyptus tree for Kevin first chance she got. “Mom loves him too. I catch them kissing all the time. It makes me feel funny but I sort of like it too. Mom said I’d understand why when I was older.”
“Your mother is correct,” Nia said, pulling her small bag of belongings out to carry. “I hope I can make myself useful to your family while you are here.”
“Mom will probably be a pill to deal with at first, but that’s just how she is until she gets to know you. I’m pretty sure she’ll offend you with her rudeness. My little bro-bro has made her extra grumpy.”
Nia chuckled. “You don’t have to apologize for your gestating mother. Carrying a child is hard work. And General Resig has given me lots of practice in dealing with people who don’t appreciate me.”
“Is he your boyfriend?” Jessica asked.
“No,” Nia said quietly, holding the door of General Stark’s legendary abode open for his daughter. “He does not wish to be.”
Jessica stopped as she headed inside. “That’s not what he told me when I asked him if you were his girlfriend.”
Nia dropped what she was carrying and had to pick it back up. That Resig had even answered surprised her. “What did Resig tell you?”
“He said you were his mate, but that he wasn’t ready for one. He said you gave up on him and got another boyfriend.”
Nia walked away, mumbling to herself in Glacieran. Jessica recognized it because her Dad mumbled in it sometimes too.
She wondered how much trouble she would be in later when Nia told her parents that she’d ratted out General Resig. But shouldn’t two adults who cared about each other be grown up enough to hear each other’s truths?
Sighing over her tendency to blurt out things whether or not people wanted to hear them, Jessica headed to find the bedrooms so she could magically prepare herself to make a tree.
Chapter Six
Nia rose early the next morning and went to prepare the first meal with food she’d brought with her. The delivery of more provisions should arrive shortly, but she’d planned ahead for this one. Yesterday’s food that had been waiting for their arrival had disappeared quickly which told her a lot about the appetites she’d be striving to satisfy.
She was kneading a nutritious dough to bake when she heard a vehicle pull up outside. Goddess, she hoped it wasn’t some female who’d heard General Stark was back in town. His reputation had not lessened with his absence. Females still pined and didn’t want to believe he now had a mate.
After yesterday’s long trip to get here, Nia was sure under normal conditions Stark’s mate could have sent other females fleeing in terror. However, Topper the Earth Witch was heavy with the General’s second child, which seemed to have grown an Earth month’s worth in a single day. Topper had fallen asleep in mid-conversation yesterday eve. The General had carried her to bed with concern etching furrows into his face.
Well, she would absolutely not allow some crazy Glacieran female to disturb her charges. Wary of the visitor, Nia walked to the door, preparing herself for a confrontation with every step. By the time she’d reached it and opened the door, she was glowering.
“What do you… oh… Resig,” she said in surprise.
Resig bowed his head above the two boxes he carried. “I realize it is early, but I thought I could both deliver the provisions and offer General Stark transportation if he wished to come back with me.”
“You’re letting in the cold. Come inside,” Nia ordered. She turned and motioned him through the living area to the cooking station where she was preparing food. “The child his mate carries grew rapidly yesterday. His mate likely requires his presence here.”
“Oh,” Resig said, disappointed but sympathetic. “They came here to rest. That is unfortunate.”
Nia shrugged and went back to her kneading. “Apparently, no one told his future son about the rest part. The babe seems to have his own agenda.”
Resig set the boxes on a nearby counter then turned to watch her working. “Can I tell you something?”
Nia shrugged. “You ask formally as if we are strangers, Resig. We’ve been lovers. I still consider us so whether or not you do. And despite what you said to the General’s family, Aleth is not my current consort. He is a friend—a cherished friend—but no more than that.”
Resig swallowed and dropped his head. “You humble me with your honesty, Nia. I am embarrassed to tell you what I want to tell you now.”
“Speak your thoughts, Resig. Just speak. I hate your…” She waved a hand and sent protein powder into the surrounding air. “I hate your hesitation with me. You’ve been this way since I shared your bed. Was it that bad for you? It was the most wonderful experience of my life and I do not understand what it changed between us. A female expects her first time to bring change into her life, but I expected with you it would good change. Before we were intimate, you were always so honest and direct with me. Now you live in your head and imagine things that aren’t even true.”
“You are young. I was your first. How can you know for certain that our night together was all you imagined it was?”
Nia huffed and glared over the bread she was forming into portions. “Because I intentionally waited for you, Resig. I chose you out of all males I knew. I studied intimate arts and prepared myself to become the only female you would ever desire. I don’t care how old you are or how young I am. You had no right to shun me afterwards as if our time meant nothing. I will never believe that.”
Resig cleared his throat. This was a conversation he was not ready to have. “I’m sorry for whatever harm I’ve brought to you, Nia. I’m also sorry to say this, but the food you’re preparing smells like a tree,” he said flatly.
Nia’s
eyes widened. Then she felt a smile growing on her lips. “It is not my food that smells, General. Stark’s little Earth Witch daughter magically grew a tree for the creature she brought along with her. Apparently, the thing subsists on the leaves. The tree carries quite the pungent odor.”
“Thank the Goddess it isn’t the food,” Resig said in relief.
Nia snorted. “I don’t recall you complaining when I prepared food for you after we spent the night exhausting each other in bed.”
Resig slid his coat off and folded it over his arm. “You are an excellent cook.”
“But I was not an excellent lover for the mighty General Resig?” Nia asked as she slid the bread into the oven.
“I did not say that,” Resig declared.
“No. You said nothing, Resig. You ate the food I prepared and went to take care of an emergency. You all but ordered me to leave your home while you were out.”
Resig blew out a breath. “It was for the best, Nia.”
“No,” Nia said, shaking her head. “It was for your ease, Resig. Your thoughts were far from what was best for me. It devastated me. I felt used and rejected. I left your home in icy tears and fully intended to give myself to several other males to prove to myself you were nothing special. Then I realized that I would only dishonor the gift of myself. So now I wait again… I wait for a new male who will appreciate me in the way all females deserve to be appreciated.”
“You are beautiful, Nia. I’m sure there will be many males in your life,” Resig said, forcing the words out of his throat.
Nia shrugged. “I will leave that to the Goddess. Now that my anger has turned to resignation, I am back to my normal, mostly wise self.”
“It pleases me to hear it,” Resig said with great relief.
Nia raised her head to stare at the male she adored. “It may please you more to learn I am thinking of asking General Stark if I can go to Earth with them when they return. I heard there are many worthy males there—even a few Glacieran warriors. Since you no longer require me, I need not remain.”
“Where did you get that idea? I require you, Nia. I never said I didn’t want you in my life,” Resig stated, shock echoing through him.
“No,” Nia said firmly, leveling him with her glare. “You require a trust-worthy female to do the tasks you assign to her. There are many of those on Glacier, General Resig. Find another. Bed her to gain her devotion as well. Taking care of General Stark’s family is the last task I will ever do for you.”
“But…”
“The planet keeps on turning, Resig. I wish to share your bed as your mate, but I see that cannot happen now. I have accepted you found me lacking in some manner, but perhaps the next male I share my body with will not. Do not worry for my welfare. I relieve you of all responsibility—after General Stark and his family return home, of course.”
“But…”
“You are welcome to stay for first meal,” Nia said, turning away. “I’m sure General Stark and his family would want me to invite you. It was kind of you to bring their provisions personally.”
Icy tears gathered in her eyes once more when she heard the front door close behind Resig as he left.
“Go away, Stark. Your pacing is driving me crazy. It’s like watching a caged animal.”
“You look ready to deliver. I’m going nowhere. If I’m pacing, it is out of concern,” Stark said in his defense.
Nia sat in a chair listening to another of many loving arguments the couple routinely engaged in. So many debates would exhaust her in a matter of hours, but the couple seemed to thrive on them. “I expect Topper will deliver within a few short days after your return. We could get a priestess to come verify my estimate if you want to find out precisely.”
“Our son will come when he’s ready,” Topper said, shifting her bulk from lying to a seated position. “Hovering over me will not change that, Daddy.”
“We are two Earth hours from town. I don’t want to be that far away from people who could help you deliver him.”
Topper sighed heavily and glared. “At least take Jessica to see the shrine you built for Icela. She’s been asking to go for days. You could have gone there many times already.”
Stark thought about it. The shrine was only thirty minutes walk from his home. That was probably a safe trip. Babies took a lot longer than that to be born—well, Jessica did. “I will do that. Will you consider going to Polar’s residence earlier than planned?”
Topper looked around and nodded. The first time she’d visited Stark’s home, they’d had sex on every surface of every room. Now she was the size of a whale and her son had grown in triple time. Maybe this would be the last one. Two children were enough for most couples. Two alien-hybrids were definitely enough for her and Stark. She prayed Gaia had no more child surprises planned for her.
“If we can find a way to transport Kevin’s eucalyptus tree—yes, I will go to Polar’s early. Jessica can’t conjure another tree on her own and my magic is limited now that I’m about to give birth. We know opening a portal at Polar’s is easy and we may have to exit quickly. I’d really like Nonny and Rime to be present at our son’s birth.”
“I agree with all you wish to do. I will find a way to bring Kevin’s tree along with us even if it takes a second trip to come back for it.”
“Good. Now go away for a little bit, Stark. I’d like to have a few minutes alone. I need some space.”
“Do you want me to take Nia away as well?”
Topper shook her head. “No. I’m now to the point where getting up and down is a challenge. I concede that I need her help. Luckily, Nia doesn’t pace and hover. She reads and works—and she does all that very quietly.”
Stark nodded. He walked to the couch and bent to kiss his mate. “I adore you. I’m sorry this happened. It never occurred to me that our son would accelerate his gestation on Glacier.”
“I think our little control freak planned it all along,” Topper said, laughing a little. “He’s a master manipulator already.”
Stark chuckled. “If that is truth—Goddess, help us. He got a double-dose of determination.”
Topper smiled and touched her husband’s handsome face. “Can this be the last child? This is hard.”
“Yes,” Stark said sincerely. “If our goddesses aren’t working against us, I am ready to be done. Getting to raise two extraordinary beings is enough satisfaction for any father.”
“I love you, Stark. And I’m happy to have your children. I’m just tired,” Topper said weakly. She lifted her feet and swiveled to lie down on the couch again. “Go visit Icela. Jessica will be devastated if your Goddess doesn’t show up. She’s been preparing her hello speech for weeks.”
Stark chuckled and kissed his mate a final time. “Rest well, mate. Jessica and I will return before you wake again.”
Topper nodded and sighed with relief when Stark finally left. She looked over at Nia. “I’m sorry we’re turning out to be more work for you than you expected.”
Nia set her work tablet aside and smiled at the fascinating Earth Witch. She was volatile, intense, and the perfect partner for General Stark. No wonder Resig found her so lacking. She had none of this woman’s energy or power.
“I will admit to having had reservations about coming, but now I find your family inspiring. You and General Stark seem to have an intimate partnership of the best kind.”
Topper nodded against the pillow. “He makes ice designs on my arms when he touches me. He said on Glacier that was the sign of true mates.”
“So I have heard,” Nia said wistfully.
“Do you have that with Resig? You don’t have to answer if that’s too personal.”
Nia shrugged a shoulder. “Resig and I have a fire that constantly leaps between us despite what he protests. We barely got to explore what was between us. There has been no opportunity to see what the Goddess wills.”
“Talking of Resig makes you sad, Nia. I hear it in your voice. Forgive me for intruding. You’r
e such a nice woman. I have trouble understanding how Resig can be such an idiot about you.”
Nia laughed. “I wish he could see me the way you do. Resig sees nothing. The sadness is because I know there will never be another male for me. I knew it when I was a young female. The brave and loyal Captain Resig is the only male I could ever think about. I took the job as his female aide so I could work with him and force him to see me. When I finally seduced him, I made the mistake of assuming he felt toward me the way I do toward him. I have since learned that it is not true.”
“That’s what I don’t get. Resig admitted to us that you were his mate. Doesn’t that count for something?” Topper asked. She rolled to get comfortable. “Stark came to Earth to live because he knew I had to take care of my town. That’s what mates do.”
Nia shook her head. “Your logic is sound, but Resig is a man who does not want a mate. I would be foolish to think I could ever change his mind. So, I have given him my notice and will leave my assignment to him. Your family is my last military support task, Topper. I plan to submit a request to your mate to come to Earth. I think that will help me begin again.”
Topper chuckled. “I need to warn you that males on my planet aren’t any smarter about females than the ones here, Nia.”
Nia smiled at the teasing advice. “Perhaps not, but at least they are not Resig. For him, I am weak and would rush back to his bed if he asked. To protect myself, I feel the need to put as much physical distance between us as possible.”
“You’re welcome on my planet, even if it is just to come visit us for a while,” Topper said, and smiled at Nia’s logic before letting her eyes drift closed.
Appreciative of the offer, Nia walked to the lounging seat and spread a light cover over her charge. The Earth Witch got cold when she slept.
“I know it’s disappointing, but you have to remember that Icela’s very busy taking care of all the people on this planet. The Fates don’t come to visit us often because they’re busy taking care of Earth. And Gaia never comes around. She sends emissaries. Icela takes care of all of Glacier by herself. All she has are a few priestesses like Rime.”
