An Unlikely Friend. part 1

Chapter 25: On the Other Side

Iona

Sosimo's face turns hard while he holds the phone to his ear. “Go on ― Taken? How did this happen, Saraf?”

What’s going on? Iona sets down a stocking list.

“What's going on?” Ryder whispers to Iona as the other children begin to gather about the storage area of the candy shop.

Iona shakes her head. “I don't know.”

“You let him go to the final day of the games with the princess? How did this happen?” Sosimo says into the phone. “So she’s the one you’ve been training? Did you think to mention that to me? ― Well then what happened to Nero?”

The children turn to each other with wide eyes and mouth, 'princess?'

“Alright, thanks for the information. I’ll call you if I need anything. ― No. I don’t want his help.” Sosimo’s shoulders sag and he snaps the toothpick in his mouth. “Fine, but this doesn’t fix anything. ― Okay. I’ll let you know how it goes tonight. Bye.”

“What's going on?” Thea asks.

“Nero got himself into some trouble…” Sosimo looks off to nothing and rolls his cylindrical toothpick holder in his fingers.

“Did you say he was with a princess?” Ryder asks.

“Yeah and he seemed to have met the king as well and the king seemed to want him locked up.”

“What could Nero have done to deserve that?” Iona asks.

Sosimo shakes his head.

“Well shouldn't we do something to help him? We need to rescue him if he's in trouble, he's family,” Korbin says.

Sosimo gives Korbin an approving nod. “Yes he is. There’s nothing we can do now but tonight we'll have some guests over to explain the situation. We can start with a plan then. Finish up here and then get ready for dinner.” Sosimo walks off.

“How was he hanging out with a princess?” Ryder asks.

“And I wonder who’s coming over tonight,” Thea says. “Sosimo doesn’t look happy about it.”

Iona nods. “No, he doesn’t at all.”

*****

As the children and Sosimo are cleaning from dinner, the doorbell rings. They all drop what they are doing and hurry to the main entrance where Sosimo opens the door to a Borukin who is a half head taller. His face has three ivory tattoos of the Aether casts and his arms are covered in more tattoos than Iona has seen before. She suddenly becomes antsy and her hands start to sweat, as the two Borukins lock eyes for a moment in a tense silence. Sosimo’s jaw clenches about the toothpick in his mouth and the other Borukin’s arms continually flex and relax.

“Grebson,” Sosimo says in almost a growl.

“Sosimo,” Grebson says similarly.

“Let’s just get this over with.” Sosimo steps to the side and allows the large man to enter.

Grebson glances over the children and they drop their eyes immediately. “Natina demanded to come along.”

“The princess?” Sosimo asks.

Grebson nods.

Natina steps out from behind him and holds out her hand to Sosimo. She forces the worry from her face. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sosimo.”

Sosimo shakes her hand. “You as well.” He turns to the children. “This is Nero's family. Ryder, Korbin, Iona, and Thea.”

Ryder shakes her hand first, coming up a few centimeters shorter than her.