Children of Krina

Chapter Twenty-Three

Victor's POV

"Sorry about Jess," Kota apologized. "She has been acting weird since she turned thirteen, we just now figured out why."

"Princess figured it out and told me," I informed him. "As long as you don't think the same, we are good."

"You're safe," he chuckled. "I wouldn't wish her on anyone with the way she is acting now. For some reason, she thinks she needs to be close friends with Danielle and Jade Williams, as if they are the belles of Charleston."

"After dinner, we would like to discuss an idea with you." I inform him as we head to the pool. The others following behind us, taking in the changes made to the house and its décor. "Our guards will be joining us for the swim. The Krinar guards are more like good friends to us, unlike what I had at my concerts. At least two are always with us, even if you cannot see them."

"That will be a lot of males," Kota sounded surprised.

"Not really, four of the guards are female this trip and one of our friends is visiting the city, she is one of our top human biologist. Plus, what other Krinars that is in the area will most likely drop by at some point."

Princess and I watched as my childhood friends mixed with our people, noting that neither group seemed to mind that they were not the same species. They were in the midst of a fierce game of water volleyball, the teams a mix of both races. While the Krinar had never played before, they were fast learners and enjoyed sports. Sang and I helped the assigned cooks prepare the dishes for the grill, leaving the rest to the house. We made sure that all food for today was safe for human consumption since we wanted no accidental poisonings. We were serving some food from Krina; I wanted to give my friends a taste of alien fare. I think Luke would find that he liked it, even though it was mainly vegetables and grains. I was not concerned about the deserts, he could eat all he wanted of them and North could not complain. Krinar deserts were healthy, they were a mixture of fruit, nuts and some grains. We did not eat processed foods, we ate fresh and organic, no chemicals or GMO. I had tried food I had grown up eating when we first got to Charleston, it made me sick. Ellet explained that my body no longer tolerated it after receiving the nourishment it had long needed.

Silas and Raven led the way on the food line for the humans; they were the food hounds and had just expended a great deal of energy. Our fellow Krinar were happy to help the humans by explaining dishes to them. Yes, humans, it was the proper term for my brothers and friends. Alir arrived just as we started to eat; he claimed he had perfect timing. Ellet took a shine to Luke and helped him fill his plate, explaining the different dishes and tastes each one had. Since Uncle, Dr. Roberts and his son came with Alir; we went inside to discuss our offer, leaving the others to clean up when we finished eating.

The meal consisted of eight different salads, platters filled with sushi like vegetables, noodle dishes with tantalizing sauces, grilled root vegetables served on flaky buns, and hearty stews you would swear had meat, but didn't. For drinks, we served bottled water, fruit juices, teas and wine. Desert was everything from fresh fruit to light pastries filled with a nut and spice mixture that was divine.

Uncle's POV

I was curious on how the boys would react to the offer they were about to receive. Phil and I had discussed it and decided to accept it for ourselves. Phil's wife died two years ago, she had breast cancer and never told anyone. He had loved her dearly, but had trouble accepting that she had hid something so important from him. He was a doctor; she had not given him a chance to help her. It was a hard thing for him and his son to swallow, as if she had not trusted them. Both felt she had given up without fighting and they refused to do the same. He had three grandchildren and he was determined to watch them grow up. As for me, I have spent most of my life pining after two different women and both could never see me as anything other than a friend. I will never regret taking Luke in when he was a baby, he had always been more my child then my brother's. As for North, I did not regret claiming him either. My one regret is that I did not find him earlier. The boys were grown up now and I have decided to live my life for myself from now on. I would always be here when they need me; they were my sons and we could end up fighting the same battle once again. I had only been twenty-two when I obtained custody of Luke; I was still young enough start over at almost forty-three. Cooking for other people no longer interested me; I wanted to explore the world, even if it meant acting as Victor and Little Bird's bodyguard.

Dr. Robert's POV

"The Academy is gone; it can never be restarted after the disgrace some of our members have brought to its doors. The crimes our last directors committed while in office will forever stain its memory; how they gained office will not matter. We, the members, should have taken them down. We chose to turn our backs and hide our head in the sand instead. Once we had our families safe, we should have done what we do best, we should have started gathering information. Several good people lost their lives, even more lost everything they owned. The same people we used to consider our friends took it by force, those so-called friends joined up with the very people we used to send to jail. I do not know about you, but I want a chance to bring them to justice." I let my words sink in before continuing. "The Krinar have been given permission to round up the ones who escaped and have agreed to allow us to assist them in capturing them. While they refuse to allow us to enter any dangerous situations, there is much we can do that they cannot. I am not allowed to go into full detail that which can only be shared with those who join us. I can tell you that by working with the Krinar you will have to keep your connection with them from your family and friends. That you will live at one of their Centers and trained in one of the needed areas." I paused again, this time for a sip of water. "You have a few days to think this over. I am afraid that you cannot discuss it with anyone outside of this room and that it is a decision only you can make. If you join us, you cannot go back, it is a lifetime deal."

"I don't need to think about it," Luke spoke after a few minutes. "I decided several years ago that I would rejoin Victor no matter what it required, I'm in."

"Luke, we need to discuss it first." Owen reminded him.

"No, actually, we don't." Luke replied, his expression sad. "The Academy is gone and is never coming back. You heard Dr. Roberts; there are no longer any teams or community. Maybe assisting the Krinar will not be the same, but it beats working in a diner for the rest of my life. I want to help them, because when I do, I will be helping all those people that lost everything to the so called respectable people of our country."

"The entire Toma team is in," Axel stated firmly, his teammates nodding their agreement.

"Where my brother and uncle go, I go." North grunted, "Count me in."

"You don't even know what you are signing up for," Owen snapped. "Are you crazy? How do you know they won't kill you or use you for experiments?"

"I know more about the Krinar than I did the Academy when I joined," Brandon Henshaw pointed out. "Hell, they have watched over us for the past five years. That is more than our parents ever did."

"I like Krinar," Raven shrugged. "They speak Russian."