Page 41
Aya paused and then burst into laughter. The mental image crossed with the gold giant tickled her.
Devran chuckled. He was listening to her mind, just like on the ship. He corrected her image of the goat to something with longer, floppy ears and a Roman nose. The pharaoh crown was a nice touch, but the skirt looked a little cumbersome.
Tiffany looked at Kazi. “They look so cute.”
Aya flipped her off.
Devran put his arm around her, and she relaxed against him. They came up with the plot, Kazi sent the invitation to the museum, and then they waited.
Tiffany smiled. “Aya, did you want to see the house?”
Kazi snorted. “It is a palace.”
“Where we live, which makes it a house.” Tiffany smacked his hands and got to her feet.
Aya squeezed Devran’s hand, and he nodded. She got to her feet and went off to see the world of portraits of Tiffany.
Tiffany chuckled. “It is a little disturbing, but it is Kazi’s hobby. Any time I tick him off, I have to pose for a new portrait in the clothing of his choice.”
“How long have you been with him?”
“Two years.”
Aya looked around and started laughing. “So looks like you have a hobby as well.”
“Kazi needs to blow off steam, which is what usually happens right after he finishes painting.”
Aya glanced at her. “How long did it take before he fit?”
Tiffany blushed. “A month or more. He was really focused, but I started growing, and things got easier.”
“He seems... keen.”
“Judgment is difficult. With me, he can just let loose and be a goober. Yes, he chases me around in the chamber of judgment, but he is relaxed when we rest. Well, when I rest. The fiend can keep going for days.”
Aya snorted.
“I wouldn’t be so smug. Devran is in the quiet one category. Those guys are tricky.”
“Well, he’s going to wait until after we go to Siloven.”
“Why?”
“They are my village. My people. My family. I want them to see me as me before I go through the change.”
Tiffany was silent as they walked through the galleries. She finally smirked. “What do you think perimenopause will be like with me like this?”
“I think Kazi might want to take away your sword and the daggers and maybe put some cuffs on you.”
“How did you know what we did yesterday?” Tiffany grinned.
They giggled, and for that moment, Aya felt human again. She hoped that Siloven threw a good party.
Chapter Seven
A week after judgment was rendered, Aya was on an atmospheric shuttle with makeup covering Devran’s mark on her forehead. She was not surprised to be wearing the glyph, but she was surprised that it seemed to be a mix of arrows and ripples on a pond. Time moving forward and back was the best guess she could make.
She rubbed her palms against her trousers and remembered that if she needed help, she was to remove the makeup and find a Hmrain descendant like a kid going to the police. Devran had fussed a little, but he wasn’t cleared to walk on Siloven. Kazi was able to walk the world, but he and Tiffany were coming later in their own shuttle. Aya didn’t want to wait. She was using public transport.
