Page 35 of Interlude

Three little krakens break the surface of the pool underneath Nikos and Nixie’s place. I smile when I see my children and expect Caspian’s head to break the surface quickly after them, but he doesn’t. I wave the babies over to me, and they cooperate by swimming over to the edge and using their tentacles to climb out. I grab three towels out of the cabinet and squat down next to them.

“Can you change back so I can speak to you?” I coax them, a little annoyed that I can’t mind speak like Xavier or one of the shifters, but I’m not the only one. Saxon can’t either, so I’m not completely left out of the loop. One by one, they shimmer before I have three naked toddlers standing before me. I manage to get a towel wrapped around both Cordy and Cally, but I’m not quick enough, and Jack takes off up the stairs of the small house, shouting, “I’m naked! You can’t catch me.”

Torn between chasing the little naked boy or finding out where Cas is, my concern for Nikos wins out. “Where’s Daddy?” I ask the two little girls.

“He’s bringing Daddy Nik. He can’t swim very well,” Cally says before sticking her thumb in her mouth. Swimming always wears them out, and Saxon says he’s going to be waiting back at our home with bottles for them before their nap.

I purse my lips and turn my attention back to the pool. “He can’t?” That’s not ideal. I know twins are unusual for Aquilians, and there can be complications. I hope this is just a case of Nik being a first-time expectant father, and he’s more uncomfortable than anything, but I guess I’ll find out.

“I’m naked, and you can’t catch me!” I hear Jack shout, and when I look, he’s halfway up the stairs and shaking his little naked bottom at me. Who the fuck taught him to do that? “I need to pee.” He turns around and moves up to the edge of the steps, taking his penis in his hand and pointing it over the side.

“No!” I shout, but it’s too late, and a small stream flows into the pool below. “Oh, Jack.” I shake my head in exasperation as Cas and Nikos breach the surface, just missing the small golden stream.

“What the hell?” Cas bellows, looking up and finding his son peeing into the pool.

“Jack, no,” he growls, and Jack just giggles, finishing with a little shake. He turns and races the rest of the way up the steps.

“Damn it!” Cas shouts and swims over to me with Nikos wrapped in his arms. He leaves him to lie in the shallow beach section on the side of the deck before he climbs out and hurries over to grab a towel, drying his body off before chasing Jack upstairs in his half form. Cordy and Cally stay where they are, their towels hugged around them as they giggle like crazy at Jack’s antics.

“Are you okay?” I ask the merman. I look him over, and his belly is way more distended than it was the last time I saw him. He rubs the large bump and grimaces.

“Yes, but since I’ve been eating everything you gave me and taking all the supplements and medications you prescribed me to get better, the babies have grown quickly.”

“Yes, they were slightly undersized at the last scan. That’s a good thing,” I reassure him, and he smiles wanly.

“But they push on a nerve in my spine that’s making it hard for me to swim. I basically don’t move anymore. I don’t think it will be long before they are here. When will Lila return?” he asks, worry creasing his brow.

We’ve been in Husadavia air space for twenty-four hours. Lila, Xavier, and Brannock would have had their first day harvesting and should be returning to the ship shortly. They said they would be near the death forest on day three. “Hopefully only two more days,” I tell him, worried he may not make it that long, but he nods.

“Good, she will be back in time then. Their birth is not imminent, since my scales have not changed color yet.” He nods down the length of his tail, and I toe off my shoes and remove my pants, leaving me in just my boxers as I step onto the small section. I hear a squeal and a bang, followed by a growl, and look up the stairs, wondering if I should go find out what’s happening, but I’m sure Cas has it all in hand. Fingers crossed.

“Your scales haven’t changed color?” I ask the merman as I run my hand over his belly, following with my eyes. I use all of the scanning tools available to me to check that he is okay. I can see where the second twin is pushing on his spine, so I put both my hands on his belly and massage a little, trying to get them to move into a different position in the hopes that it might relieve his pain. I don’t want to give him any pain relief because I’m uncertain of the babies’ tolerance. I may have to assess my databases for more information, and if I’m unsuccessful, I’ll make a call to Nixie and her mother. That woman is unpleasant and wasn’t very nice to Lila, so I will use it as a last resort.

“Yes, the scales around my sexual slit will become paler, fading to white when it’s time to give birth. The only time they ever open on their own in mer form is when we give birth. Any other time, they need to be activated by another participant.” He grunts and then groans as his whole belly rolls. The girls are standing on the side, watching us now, their curiosity too great.

“What is that?” Cordy asks, pointing at Nikos’s belly.

“That’s your brother or sister,” I tell her, and her eyes widen.

“Really?” She sounds fascinated. “Can I touch?” she asks while Cally just watches silently, her thumb still in her mouth.

I look at Nik who nods eagerly, his eyes wide with amazement at seeing them in their humanoid form. “They look so much like Lila,” he says as Cordy clasps her towel to her little body and climbs down into the pool. Oh well, it will dry. She toddles over to Nikos and reaches out to touch his belly, but it rolls again, and she squeals and snatches it back.

Nikos chuckles and reaches out with his own hand, taking her small one in his and laying it against the baby bump. “They will be here soon, and you will all be able to swim together,” he tells her gently, and I watch with deep joy as her eyes widen with amazement.

“Do you want to know what you’re having?” I ask him, restarting my scans.

“I do, but I don’t want to know without Lila here,” he explains, and I nod as I hear a little splash, and when I turn to look, Cally has joined us and is inching toward us with her hand held out. She places it next to Cordy’s, and they both grin when the merbabies wriggle like they can feel their sisters are there.

“Oh, they like you.” Nikos smiles despite how uncomfortable it must be. There is less room in there than there would be with a human twin birth because both his babies have tails. “They are going to love their big sisters,” he tells them, and I watch them puff up with pride.

“Too bad their big brother is a shit head.” Cas’s voice carries down the stairs, and then he appears in half form with Jack firmly tucked under his arm, his head facing backward.

“I’m sorry, Nik, but Jack knocked over the sculpture of a phadoll you had in there. I will ask Xavier to fix it for you when he returns, but he’s off with Lila at the moment.” Cas gets to the bottom of the steps, and I see Jack wiggling like mad, trying to escape, but he’s not having any luck.

“What do you say to Daddy Nik?” Caspian growls and flips his son around so he is tucked against his body and looking at us.

“I want to touch,” Jack calls, reaching out with his arms when he sees both of his sisters touching Nik’s belly, whispering to each other and giggling every time the babies move.

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