" Vissigroth Byron," Mallack replied, sparing me the embarrassment of not recognizing the male. With a flourished bow, Byron took my hand and kissed it.
Others moved forward, but Mallack steered me unfailingly forward until we were at least inside the large antechamber. Before I had time to take in its splendor, I was assaulted with a flurry of introductions. Myles, the Vissigroth of Oceanus, and his human vissy, Niara. Garwayn, also mated to a human, Brynn. Duncayn the Vissigroth of Marsh, and so many more, I knew I wouldn't be able to remember.
“Come on, let’s go meet your grandkids,” Thalia said, grasping my free hand.
Without mercy—or a single backward glance—she pulled me up one of the stairways, dragging me away from the grand assembly of vissigroths and their mates. I tossed a helpless, apologetic look over my shoulder at the dignitaries I hadn’t yet greeted, but Thalia was relentless. I had no choice but to follow her.
Mallack trailed close behind, a quiet force at my back.
Darryck stayed behind, offering bows and calm words to smooth over the diplomatic wake we were leaving in our path. He didn’t look the least bit bothered. If anything, he looked amused.
We moved through wide hallways lined with polished stone and sculpted archways. Everything smelled faintly of cedar and warmed spices. The scent curled around my lungs like memory and home, long forgotten, yet known just the same.
Thalia’s chambers were on the second floor, just off a large sun gallery. She pushed the door open without knocking.
“Boys?” she called.
From inside, I heard a thud, a clatter, and what sounded like a startled squawk from someone decidedlynota child.
“Careful, Zara's napping,” a seffy hissed as we entered.
Two small figures appeared from behind a tall tapestry, wide-eyed, disheveled, and vaguely suspicious. They had their mother’s eyes. One of them had a feather sticking out of his hair.
“Who’s that?” the taller one asked, pointing at me bluntly.
“She looks like a lady,” the other whispered, not very quietly.
Thalia smiled. “This is your grandmother. Daphne.”
They stared at me.
I stared at them.
Then, without thinking, I dropped to my knees, eye level with both.
“Hi,” I said softly, my voice catching.
They didn’t rush me. They didn’t squeal or shout. They just walked forward slowly, cautiously, the way children do when something feels big but not frightening. The taller one—Vaelen, I thought I remembered Thalia saying—touched my arm with his fingertips.
“You don’t look like a grandma,” he said seriously.
“I get that a lot,” I whispered, blinking hard.
Kaelric tilted his head. “Can we hug you?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
They moved as one, two warm little bodies pressing into my arms. I wrapped them both close, burying my face in their hair. They smelled like sunshine and grass. My heart cracked open and spilled all over the polished floor.
Then, just as quickly, they squirmed free, because they’d spotted someone even more interesting behind me.
“Grandfather!” they cried in unison.
Before Mallack could brace himself, both boys lunged at his legs. He staggered dramatically back half a step with a grunt, catchingthem against his thighs with practiced hands. His eyes widened briefly, then softened.
“I—” he started, glancing at me with a helpless shrug. “They’ve only seen paintings.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Thalia apologized.
