42
DIN
The noise hit Din before he'd even fully entered Kyra's house—a cacophony of voices, laughter, and the distinctive chaos that only a gathering of children could produce. He paused in the doorway, momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer energy contained within the living room.
"Din! Fenella!" Kyra's voice cut through the commotion as she waved them over. "Come in."
This was a celebration of Max's safe return, and Kyra had invited the entire family, which in her case was a small clan. All of her sisters and their kids were there, and also Jasmine and Ell-rom.
The house had been transformed into what looked like a Persian feast. Every available surface held platters of food—fragrant rice dishes, stews that filled the air with saffron and herbs, flatbreads still warm from the oven, and an array of sweets that had the younger children circling like hungry sharks.
Din felt distinctly out of place.
His experience with children was limited, and he had never been comfortable around them. Although he had to admit that therewas a positive energy in the joyful chaos, with kids ranging from toddlers to teenagers all talking over each other and buzzing around like wind-up toys.
"Here." Max pressed a cold beer into his hand. "You look like you need this."
"Thanks." Din took a grateful sip. "Quite the gathering." He lifted his beer and clinked it with Max's. "Congratulations on the mission. I understand that everything went well?"
"There were a few hitches, but the objectives were achieved. We had a surprise visitor, and we feared that there was a fifth cell somewhere, but Kian took Toven to the keep to interrogate him, and it turned out that he was just a recent arrival. For now, there will be no terror attacks in the greater Los Angeles area, but we need to stay alert. Once the idea gets into their heads, they will keep trying."
"Well, thank the merciful Fates that this time you got them all." Din clinked Max's bottle again and took a long swig from his.
Max's face lit up as he surveyed the controlled chaos. "Isn't this great? I love big families. When I fell for Kyra, I had no idea I was getting an entire clan as part of the deal." He grinned. "Best bonus package ever."
Din watched as one of the smaller boys chased his brother around the coffee table, nearly upending a plate of cookies in the process. Yasmin scooped them both up with a mother's ease, redirecting their energy toward the pile of toys in the corner.
"I can see the appeal," Din said diplomatically, though privately he wondered how anyone maintained sanity in such an environment.
His gaze found Fenella across the room, and his chest tightened with familiar warmth. She sat on the floor surrounded by a gaggle of girls, from a tiny one in a pretty, girly dress to four teenagers in jeans and T-shirts who looked like they had been born and bred in California and not recent arrivals from a country that restricted the freedoms of women. Each of them held out an object and was asking for a reading.
Fenella took the doll that the small girl handed her. "This is a brave warrior," she said solemnly, holding up the doll. "She has been through many battles at tea parties. She's been force-fed seventeen thousand cups of imaginary tea and lived to tell the tale, but she asks to be fed no more."
The girls dissolved into giggles, and even serious Arezoo cracked a smile from her perch on the arm of the sofa.
"She looks happy," Max observed, following Din's gaze.
"She does. Last night, she was terrified for you and the other Guardians."
"She told you that?"
"She didn't have to." Din took another sip of his beer. "She barely managed any readings, and when we got home, she couldn't sleep. When you texted me this morning that it was all done and everyone was safe, she cried in relief."
Max shifted uncomfortably. "I told her that we would be fine. We were never in any real danger."
"Bullshit," Din said. "But I appreciate the attempt at reassurance."
For a long moment, they stood side by side, watching the chaos. It was quite entertaining, but the noise was fatiguing, and Dinwas contemplating how long they needed to stay not to offend anyone.
"Can you believe what almost happened?" Max's voice dropped. "If we hadn't stumbled upon that guy in the market…"
"Thank the merciful Fates that you did."
Din had never been particularly spiritual, but recent events had made him reconsider. "Maybe it was all fated."
Max nodded, taking another swig from his bottle of Snake Venom.
"Uncle Max!" One of the boys tugged at Max's jeans. "Come see what we built!"
