Page 47 of Unfinished

She looked from his face out to the hills and the glimpse of the broad river beyond them. “I feel it. It’s everything I’d hoped from when you first told me about it, but I like hearing you describe it now.” Sienna turned her face back to find him watching her. “You’re different from your messages.”

His gaze flicked towards Veesha and then back again. “Is that good or bad?”

Sienna met his eyes. “Good. Please don’t be offended—our letters were very important to me, but being able to talk to you in person is ten times better.”

“I agree. Do you want to join Veesha?”

She looked over to where Veesha was gearing up to run off the peak of one of the shallow hills. “Sure. Why not?”

Veesha opened her wings and began to pump them up and down just as she hit the tallest part of the hill. She leapt, her wings keeping her up longer than any human child could’ve, but eventually her feet still hit the ground. A big puff of billowy dirt spread out from where she landed.

Sienna rolled her shoulders and picked the nearest hill. Then she waved at Veesha when she looked over and started to run. She kicked out one leg in front of her as she jumped with her arms outstretched. She shouted as she stumbled a bit on the landing, laughing as she regained her balance.

“That was fun!” she said, but Veesha was already climbing her hill again and getting ready for a second leap.

A guttural, masculine cry had her turning around to see R’kash in the air, his crimson robes rippling in the wind behind him like a banner. Naturally, he landed with perfect grace. Maybe it was just practice, but she had the feeling that was just how he moved all the time. She looked down at her dusty shoes and wiped the dirt from her face before she grinned at him. Maybe by the time they were done, his uniform would be stained tan along the bottom, too.

Sienna wasn’t sure how long they spent leaping from the little hills, but she and R’kash needed a break much sooner than Veesha did. When he noticed her stopping to put her hands on her knees as she was climbing, he stepped in and took her arm, leading her back to the clearing where he’d landed the glider.

He opened up the back of the glider and unfolded a thick blanket, letting it open up in the wind before he set it down. He pressed down along the edges, and Sienna was surprised to see it stayed put despite the breeze. Veesha hadn’t strayed far, so she didn’t worry about sitting down when R’kash motioned for her to take a place on the blanket.

“Let me get the food. I know you enjoy our fruits, but I brought something different today,” he said, returning back to the glider.

Veesha’s happy shrieks and hissing laughter were a delightful counterpoint to the soothing rush of the river. Sienna was pleasantly tired after spending several hours outside since that morning, but she was in no hurry to go back yet, not when everything was so tranquil. She leaned back on her elbows and tilted her face towards the sky. The air may have been cool, but the Xithilene sun burned hot, shedding its warmth over her skin.

“I made my own offering this morning along with the temple visitors. I thanked the Lady again that you chose to come for me.”

Sienna sat back up and looked at R’kash.

“I already missed you,” he continued. “One morning was too long to be away from you when I’ve only just found you. I fear you’ll be detrimental to my duty to Evathi.” His slow smile had those flames licking up her spine all over again.

“I missed you, too,” she told him, and it was true. As nice as the morning with Faseeth and Veesha had been, she’d still been mentally counting down the time until his return.

“Good.”

R’kash unfastened the box he’d removed from the glider’s storage compartment and pulled out a few containers. He fiddled with the top on a taller one and handed it to her.

“Here, some water,” he said.

“Thank you. Is there enough for everyone, or are we sharing?” She didn’t want to gulp it all down if he hadn’t packed any more. She didn’t see another container like hers among the items he’d set on the blanket.

“There’s plenty.”

R’kash’s dark eyelashes swept down to kiss his cheekbones when he looked down. It really wasn’t fair how gorgeous he was. The cloud of dust rising behind Veesha’s pounding footsteps broke her reverie. R’kash held out a similar, smaller container for his daughter, who immediately started drinking her water. He may not have been a father long, but he was an attentive one. She hoped she’d be able to slip into the role as quickly if Veesha decided to accept her as a step-mother.

That meant that she and R’kash would have to make everything official first. On the ship over, the Mate Portal personnel had made it sound like nothing was settled until that first moon cycle’s assessment, but she hoped she wouldn’t have to wait that long to know for sure. It’d probably be wise not to rush things, but she couldn’t help but want him to tell her that he couldn’t wait any longer, that he wanted to claim her the Xithilene way.

R’kash opened another container and offered them all pieces of the fragrant, spicy grilled meat they seemed to serve at almost every meal. She took a small piece and bit down, expecting the same slightly gamey flavor. She must’ve made some sound of surprise, because R’kash and Veesha both lifted their feathers and looked over at her at the same time.

She chewed quickly and swallowed so she could speak. “It’s fine—I’m fine. The meat is different this time. I don’t know what it is, but it’s really good.”

R’kash’s face brightened. “Yes? Truly? Villith will be pleased. He’s the one who suggested a marinade withj’lessifruit instead of one of our traditional seasonings. He thought it would suit your taste better, seeing as you have the typical human affinity for sweetness.”

She grinned. “So that’s a human thing? I’m not so sure. Veesha likes thej’lessifruit and her berries just as much as I do.”

“I don’t mention it to disparage you, lady. You already know I appreciate your sweetness very much. In fact, I anticipate a second taste this evening.” He’d allowed that low rumble from his rattle to creep into his voice. If it’d been anyone else who’d said such a thing, Sienna probably would’ve been rolling her eyes, but somehow coming from R’kash, it worked.

They spent a little longer in the hills finishing their picnic, but by the time they’d finished, Veesha’s little wings were drooping, and they were all ready to return to the temple. The ride home was still just as beautiful, but something about seeing the early sunset colors starting to paint the big, open sky behind Evathi made her breath catch. It wasn’t home, not yet, but she knew it could be.

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