Star Side

Chapter 58

Gilrack had more fun than he thought he would watching Jo make herself clothes simply by tying long shawls of blue and purple silk about her. He'd never had the chance to see her adorn in such finery and it pleased him and his instincts, even if it wasn't him who provided these silks. She was able to cover as much skin as she pleased, though, as it was a sight meant only for him. Perhaps the divine beings were onto something with clothes.

Then she went straight back to her eggs, which made him smile. Such a sweet little mother. Divine being she may be, but her motherly instincts were of the best of his kind.

He held their young while she found herself a comfy spot, then handed them to her to place as she pleased. Once she was comfortable, he eyed her wet hair and hesitated. He'd made sure to comb it out, but there was something more.

"I wish to fetch something from my den. Will you be okay here?" he asked.

"You said only those who could fly could come in, right?" he asked.

"Only those who can fly and their mates are allowed," he said, hesitantly. "And it is very difficult for any other. Walls very smooth."

"Then I should be fine." She pulled a blanket over her shoulders, eyelashes fluttering. "Jeeze, why am I always so tired?"

"Eggs took from Jo's body to grow. Your body needs to rebuild." He tried to ignore the little string of guilt. He had done his best, there was nothing he could do about it now.

"Hmm. Okay." She closed her eyes.

He soaked in her small, beautiful form curled under silks and furs with their eggs hidden against her belly and took a moment to purr. He'd be quick. Then he'd come back with what had been hers since the night of their mating: his long awaited betrothal gift. It was something every decent male worked on since they were children.

His instincts, though finally tended to, still weakly protested and burned as he let the curtains fall behind him. He insisted to them that he'd be quick and they quieted. Then he stepped off the platform and let himself drift down on wings he never thought he'd have.

At the end of the tunnel, past the tower of light stones, the darker form of his mother upon her throne appeared. The group who had come while he had been introducing Jolene had returned and formed a semi-circle to speak their parts in turn. Their clicks bounced along the walls and he had a sudden, irrational urge to land on them to shut them up, in the case their noise reached his beloved and disturbed her rest.

Instead, however, he took to the far side of the royal hall, hoping to be as covert as possible. He wasn't in the mood to visit.

However, even if the talking hadn't suddenly gone quiet, his mother's baleful caw pierced across the expanse like a knife.

"Where are you going?"

He groaned. It was like he was a youngling all over again.

"Don't you have business to attend to?" he grumbled, not caring if she couldn't hear.

But of course she could. "Precisely, which is why you should make it quick."

"I'm getting something for Jo."

"I'll get one of your fathers. He can get it, you should stay with her, she just gave birth."

"Mother, are you her mate or am I?"

She clacked her teeth hard, making the forgotten audience flinch.

He hated this. She was always like this, airing their life for everyone to see, not caring what she interrupted to get her foot down on a child. His younger siblings had been squirming around the throne during the visit of envoys and she'd just glared if anyone said anything about how inappropriate it was to bring younglings to such a meeting. She'd make a world war stop in its place so she could catch an errant offspring by the neck before they could so much as a steal sun fruit. It made many argue for the old ways when females weren't allowed to be chief.