Page 14 of Kiss Across the Universe
“Someone that old shouldn’t get pissed so easily,” she tossed back. “You haven’t learned patience in all that time?”
“I was the son of Alexander the Great. I wasn’t required to have patience.” His tone was testy.
“The first and illegitimate son, the one your father tried to kill,” she said sweetly. She pushed her hand against the sheet. “Should I sit up?”
“You can do this right where you are.” He spoke in a monotone, which told her she’d got to him. “And I don’t know that it was my father who tried to kill me. It could have been his generals, who wanted the empire for themselves.”
You couldn’t see alternative worlds and figure that out?The question hovered in her mind, but she didn’t ask it because the answer was obvious. It had taken Marit years to reach this point where she could see other worlds in her waking moments, without accessing the timescape. It would have taken him just as long…maybe longer. And he had been a small child when his mother, Roxana, had arranged for trusted servants to take him far away—out of reach of Alexander. His mother had remained behind to marry Alexander and bear him a legitimate heir…who had been murdered at thirteen, to clear the way for his enemies to inherit the Macedonian throne.
But that was all David had ever said about his childhood and the long millennia since then.
Often, she forgot his deep history. He was an intensely irritating man, quick to judge, to find her wanting, and that plummy accent of his and the resonant baritone powered his insults and made them sting.
Marit let her hand relax. “Okay, old man. Tell me what to do.”
He made a sound, deep in the back of his throat. She’d irritated him. Oh, dear, what a shame.
She hid her smile. Then a thought occurred to her and she opened both eyes. It hurt, but she wanted to see him—as much of his face as she could in this low light. “Will meditating stop me seeing my other selves die?”
David straightened with a snap. “What?”
Chapter Six
Taylor decided that making everyonealso carry their own cutlery to the table would result in spills and fuss, so Alannah and Aran set up placing cutlery at all the places on the tables, while Aran told her about his kids, his fatherly pride making his voice ring with warmth. As they worked, Alannah could hear everyone working in the kitchen, too, along with the clatter of plates and cooking tools, and various pieces of equipment. The extraction fan was working overtime, but it was a high powered efficient fan, and didn’t drown out the inane chatter and stream of one line jokes and awful puns, interspersed with instructions.
It sounded like Raphael was doing the instructing, which made Alannah happy, for he was a superior cook, despite learning how to cook properlyafterhe had become a vampire.
She and Aran had just finished the settings when Veris strolled into the dining room. “Look who just arrived.”
Behind him came three people. The red-headed woman was Nyara, who lived in the far distant—and undisclosed—future. With her was her partner, Cáel Stelios, and the giant, Kieren, who was actually a finger’s width taller than Veris and just as broad across the shoulders.
Nyara smiled at all of them. “We got here at the right time for once. The arrival chamber works perfectly.”
Taylor lifted her finger toward her lips, but didn’t quite complete the telling gesture. “I must introduce you to the people you don’t know, Nyara. They’re in the kitchen.” She smiled. “So is the wine.”
Nyara’s smile grew even broader. “Wine! Lead on!”
Cáel laughed. “Please tell me there’s some ouzo?”
“The brand you like, yes,” Taylor said.
Kieren shook his head. “I’ll pass. I don’t want to ruin my appetite. The smell is heavenly.” He raised his chin and sniffed.
“About an hour away, I think,” Veris said, as Taylor lead Nyara and Cáel into the kitchen. Aran trailed everyone, carrying the left-over cutlery.
Kieren put his hand to his flat belly. “Starving.”
“Good,” Veris said, pleased.
Alannah moved toward the pair. “Hello, Kieren.” She smiled up at him. He really was a big man. The two of them, this close, made her feel petite. It was a sensation she only ever felt in their presence. “How is the family?”
“Scattered to hell and gone,” he said, with a frank tone. “It’s Assembly time. That’s why I’m here.” He smiled, his grey eyes twinkling. “No one to cook for me, back home.”
Alannah laughed. He had to be joking. Their friends from the future rarely let slip details about their lives, but just listening closely had told her that Kieren had two partners and several kids, both adopted and natural, and at least one of them was already an adult. Plus, Kieren’s entire family lived in a complex that included other adults and families, including Nyara and Cáel, and their daughter. So someone there would have been able to assemble a meal. Was it even Thanksgiving there? Did they celebrate Thanksgiving? As their government was called an Assembly, and Alannah suspected it was a global government, life in Kieren’s time was quite different. Perhaps Thanksgiving wasn’t a thing there.
“We’re pleased to cook for you here,” Veris told Kieren, as if he had personally baked the turkey. Only Rafe wouldn’t let Veris in the kitchen, even if Veris wanted to help. Not because he was a terrible cook—which he was—but because Veris wouldn’t take directions. He would direct everyone else, instead, and sow confusion. Rafe had only put up with the chaos once. Now, Rafe glared and ordered Veris out of the room whenever he was running the kitchen.
Kieren sniffed again, looking very pleased.
