The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2 novel Chapter 32

Part 7

“And I love you!” Alilia laughed, so full of joy and love that tears filled her eyes.

For more than half an hour they continued relaxing on the couch; Alilia in wordless emotional communion with her unborn daughter, the twins still sending the careful trickle of psionic power.

That’s how Mark and Talia found them when they returned home.

“Hello my loves, how are you doing ?” Mark asked as he and Talia picked up Reggie and Helemia, and snuggled in beside Alilia.

“Just take a Reading of me, lovers.” Alilia smiled. “It’ll be easier than explaining it.”

“Oh! Oh wow!” Talia exclaimed as she cast the Reading.

“Exactly!” Alilia giggled. “These wondrous children have exceeded our expectations yet again. And now that you’re here, maybe Reggie can tell me what he found so funny earlier? And how did you know I would name her Valentia? I hadn’t even decided yet.”

“It’s a prophecy.” Reggie giggled.

“Oh? And what if I decide to name her something else?” Alilia teased.

“You won’t.” Reggie confidently declared.

Alilia opened her mouth to reply, then reconsidered it. “You’re right. I won’t.” she chuckled. “Valentia. It fits her too well to choose another name. But I’m sure it wasn’t her name that had you laughing like that. You said she was going to be something. What?”

“I’d rather not say. It’s embarrassing.” Reggie admitted as he blushed a bright pink.

“Oh? Well if you don’t tell me, I’ll tickle you until you do!” Alilia declared, and did so with vigor, eliciting peals of helpless laughter from the squirming baby.

“All right, enough! I’ll tell you!” he called.

“Ha! You’re lucky you can surrender by psionics!” Helemia teased with a giggle. “She was getting you too good for you to talk otherwise, if you could talk that is!”

“Tell me now, or I’ll get you again!” Alilia warned with a grin, her fingers poised over his ribs.

“Okay, okay! She’s my destined love! She’s going to be my wife!” Reggie giggled. “I told you it was embarrassing!”

The three adults were thunderstruck into speechlessness for a very long moment.

“But… But, she’s your half-sister!” Talia protested.

“Hey, it’s a prophecy, I didn’t choose it!” Reggie laughed. “You can pretend it’s not true if you want, but it won’t matter. Whether it’s in twenty years or twenty thousand, sooner or later she will be my wife. It’s our destiny. She’s my destined love, and I’m hers.”

“Well that’s good news, I guess.” Mark chuckled a moment later. “It means we know you’ll both be fine at least until you’re old enough to get married. With the demons coming, that’s a good thing to know.”

“And who’s my destined love going to be, prophecy boy?” Helemia asked as she reached over to tickle Reggie.

“How should I know?!” he laughed, pushing her hand aside and trying to tickle her back. “I don’t just get a prophecy whenever I want to, you know!”

“Tell me tell me tell me tell me tell me!” Helemia demanded as the tickle contest turned into a wrestling match and spilled off the adults’ laps onto the couch beside them. “I’m gonna keep asking until you tell me tell me tell me tell me!”

“I can’t!” he laughed as they struggled. “I don’t know so I can’t…”

Suddenly they both froze. Then Helemia gave a squeal of anguish that was almost a scream as she climbed off the sofa as fast as she could and ran to the twins’ shared bedroom.

“Helemia?!” Talia inquired with sudden worry as she set off after her daughter.

Mark and Alilia looked to Reggie with concerned eyes.

“It’s her secret and I won’t tell it.” Reggie declared with determination, then his expression became more introspective.

“Well how about that. I’m an oracle.” he softly declared.

“So you did get a prophesy about her destined love? You know who it is?” Mark asked. “And there’s nothing else wrong with her?”

“She’s just upset, she’ll be okay in a while. But yah, I saw who it is. And as I said, I won’t tell. If you tickle me about this one, I’ll just get mad.”

“Huh.” Mark grunted, having no other response.