Page 31 of Dark Witch Resurrection

"She is such a daddy's girl," Syssi murmured as she handed Allegra to him.

"Daddy." Allegra cupped his cheeks with her little hands and planted a kiss on the tip of his nose the way he liked to do to her.

"I love you, munchkin." He hugged her to him and turned to Syssi. "Do you want to get dressed while I get her ready?"

"Yes, please." She stretched on her toes and kissed him on the lips. "I'll be quick."

He knew she would be. Syssi's morning routine was no-fuss and efficient, with most of the time dedicated to breakfast rather than clothes, makeup, and hair. She had her priorities straight.

Their daughter, though, was a different story.

He went through eight different outfits until she settled on a frilly dress that was not practical for daycare in the university, where she would play in a sandbox that Amanda had recently added to the facility.

"You look very pretty," he said as he laced her pink sneakers.

Shoes were another quirk of hers. She abhorred Velcro. Allegra wore either laced sneakers or shiny Mary Janes.

He carried her to the kitchen and put her in her highchair.

Okidu placed a platter of his famous waffles on the table with all the toppings, and Kian handed Allegra a plain one. She didn't like anything mushy or gooey on her waffles.

Syssi smiled at him over her cappuccino machine. "What took you so long?"

"I think our daughter inherited her aunt's obsession with fashion. She's a very picky dresser."

"Tell me about it." Syssi rolled her eyes. "I think I'll start having her pick her outfits the night before to save time in the morning. And just so you know, I totally blame Amanda. She makes such a fuss over what Allegra is wearing that it is no wonder the child is striving to keep impressing her favorite auntie."

Kian pretended shock. "Just don't say Amanda is her favorite in front of Alena or Sari. They will be offended."

"Oh, they know." Syssi poured milk into their two cappuccinos. "She spends much more time with Amanda than with them, so it's natural."

Alena was due to deliver any day now, and although she was completely serene and unconcerned, Orion was going nuts. Not that it was a big surprise. This was his first child, while it was Alena's fourteenth.

The number was incomprehensible, especially for an immortal. "Have Alena and Orion chosen a name for their baby yet?"

Shaking her head, Syssi put the cappuccino cups on the table. "They are both superstitious and don't want to name the baby until it is born."

"Iti," Allegra said. It was her nickname for Bhathian and Eva's son.

Syssi smiled. "We already have an Ethan in the village, sweetie."

"Iti," Allegra insisted.

"Maybe there are other boy names that sound like Iti."

Syssi chuckled. "Yeah. E.T., the extraterrestrial who wants to go home. Does she think that her cousin is going to be an alien?"

"Or maybe she's talking about Nana's brother and sister." Kian grimaced. "I wonder if they will want to go home when they wake up."

He was just about to take a sip of his cappuccino when his phone buzzed, and when he lifted it to check whether he should answer it or ignore it, the name on the screen had him answering right away.

"Good morning, Mother," he said. "Were your ears burning? I was just talking about you."

She laughed, the sound raising goosebumps on his arms like it always did. "What were you saying about me?"

"Allegra insisted that Alena's baby should be named Iti, and Syssi said that it sounded like E.T. I responded that maybe Allegra had meant to name her Nana's siblings."

His mother didn't laugh. "That child of yours is definitely psychic. I called to tell you I want to see my brother and sister. Can you take me to the keep today?"

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