Page 58 of Beginning at the End
“Mediator.”He shrugged.
“Right.So, when do you go home?”
“Never.Long-term, in our case, is a few thousand years.It is a nicer way of saying one-way trip.”
“Because of your bio-father.”
“Yes.Technically, I am the heir to the empire.It is not a position I wanted to have.”
“So, Vaayu is a better emperor?”
“Yup.He’s aggressive and stubborn but also intelligent.He will be a good leader and probably already is.”
“I hope so.He has a ton of grandkids.”
Sern laughed.“Yes, that was a surprise for him.”
“You talked to him when he visited?”
“Yes, his presence pulled all the imperial djinn to the new palace.”
She smiled.“Was he nice?”
“Having his mate with him both softened and irritated him.It was interesting to watch.”
She smiled.“That sounds like an entertaining marriage.I wonder what the wedding was like.”
“No wedding.He said she was empress, and she was.”
“Ah.Scary superpower.”She tended the sizzling skewers.
“That’s what makes him the emperor.”He chuckled.“What do you need?”
She blinked and reorganized her thoughts.“Um, the bowl of marinade and a clean plate.”
He moved and got her what she needed.The grill was pristine, as were the burners.She doubted he had ever used it.
She rotated the skewers and smiled.She closed the lid and looked at Sern.“You know, I rarely look at you in daylight.You are very blue.”
He grinned.“I am.My father was as well.My mother is red.”
She frowned.“Why do I know something about red djinn?”
He cocked his head.“Have you heard of them?”
“Sort of.The same way you hear a whisper in a ballroom.”
“They are dragon-killers.When they manifest, they are immediately assigned to a compatible male.”
“Stepdad.”
“Correct.If my mother is planning on sliding over here for a visit, she will have to get the imperial authorization first.”
“That big a deal?”
“Yes.Until we have a stable population, we do not want to attract attention to this world.We will not be able to defend it otherwise.”
“I think that is what me and mine are for.”She drizzled the set-aside marinade over the skewers, and with another two turns, she removed them and set them on the platter he had brought.“How do you take your steak?”
