Page 38 of Dream in Darkness
“Chicken?” Gemma is clearly holding in a giggle. “What an adorable kitty! Would you like to give him something to eat?”
Nico nods. “We’re very hungry.”
Gemma takes Nico and Chicken towards the kitchen, and he almost looks like he could be her child if it weren’t for the tail and ears.
Khalid and Draven both stand up at once and cross towards me.
“What is going on?” my brother asks, still in his pajamas, and I shrug.
“I found the kid outside the gates. Tempest and I fed him a couple of weeks ago, but he came with this note saying he wassupposed to find the carnival,” I answer and hand Draven the slip of paper.
Draven’s eyes scan the note and nod. “He’s one of us now.”
“What? Who is P. O.?”
“Phaelyn Orzath,” Draven explains. “My sister.”
Though many of the members of the carnival consider each other family, Draven has a biological sister as well. I don’t know much about her, but she works for Zada Morningstar and sometimes attends the meetings we have with the entire Morningstar family.
I nod in understanding. If she sent the child to be cared for by us, cared for by us he shall be.
“I’ll go get Raph,” Baelor says, and it’s one of the rare occasions I’ve seen him act so serious. I think Baelor is a womanizer, absolutely, but I also think he has a soft spot for children and animals.
Chicken crawls out from the kitchen, reentering the main part of the hall and immediately rubs himself on Leo, who is sitting at the table drinking a coffee. He leans down to pet the cat, and the creature jumps up onto his lap.
“Hey, Draven,” Leo yells, his voice booming from across the long table as the cat kneads his legs.
“What?”
“Looks like the cat prefers me” Leo says, and smiles at Draven, who rolls his eyes.
“I don’t even like cats,” Draven says.
Khalid’s face forms a pathetic, exaggerated frown as he points to his tail. “I thought you loved cats.”
“I hate both of you and I hate cats,” Draven whispers.
“That’s not even remotely true,” Gemma shouts from inside the kitchen, her tone sharp. “Now shut your faces, you don’t want Nico to think you hate his little friend.”
It’s nice to see Leo back to his old self, shamelessly teasing Draven and Khalid. I know firsthand how overwhelming grief can be, but I hope he continueschoosing joy.
Aida coughs, demanding our attention, and it sends a shiver down my spine. “Has anyone told the lupion that one of her kind is here?”
“No,” we all say in tandem.
“Should I?” I ask, and she nods.
“They are the same species, she might know who the parents were, or at least have a way of advising you of your next steps,” Aida says, ever the wise one, before slithering out of the tent.
The other carnies—including Tempest—enter the tent, and Raph sits down to explain what has happened in the past. They try to contact next of kin, but if no one is alive or available, the carnies take the child in and care for them, raising them as their own. Draven, Lilian, Absinthe, and Reina were all raised as children or teens by the carnies.
Absinthe shares about her childhood, explaining that she sees Robyn and Quinn as her family, as well as Draven, Lilian, Reina, and Taryn as her siblings.
Khalid and I actually weren’t privy to this information previously. In their defense, I never asked. I always assumed that the person who found the child was responsible, but that would mean that Nico is now mine to care for, a responsibility I’m not sure I’m ready for.
I never really wanted children, especially not any of my own, but I don’t dislike them.
“We will care for the child if no one else is willing,” Quinn says, speaking for The Three Muskets, as they’ve so lovingly been nicknamed.
