Dawn Study (Soulfinders #3)(138)

His parents’ tannery was on the northwest side of Owl’s Hill. The path from the main road wove through the budding trees before it ended at a white picket fence that surrounded the complex. The house dominated the clearing. Valek’s mother had insisted on at least four bedrooms so there would be plenty of room for her children and grandchildren to visit.

Kiki hopped the fence with ease, and Valek heard giggles. When Onyx cleared the barrier, he joined Yelena. She smiled at him. “Liana likes jumping.”

Sure enough, his daughter’s happy face peered from the sling, her blue-green eyes alight with glee. Figured. So far, she’d been a joy, easy to put to sleep and entertain. But Valek suspected that might change when she was older. He wondered if Liana would develop magical powers, or if her blocking skill was the extent of her abilities. Time would tell.

They stopped outside the main door of the house. Valek dismounted and helped Yelena down from Kiki. The squeal of a screen door alerted him. Yelena squeezed his arm. He drew in a deep breath and faced his parents.

His father strode toward them with a welcoming grin, while his mother hung back, uncertain. They both still wore their Ixian uniforms.

“About time you came to visit,” Kalen said, slapping Valek on the back. “The twins were here two weeks ago. And you must be Yelena. Nice to finally meet you.” He shook her hand with both of his. “Valek didn’t exaggerate when he said you were beautiful. Ahh! There she is. Can I hold her?”

“Of course.” Yelena removed the baby from the sling and handed her to Kalen.

His father’s face lit up with an amazed joy as he gazed at Liana lying in his arms. She peered back, studying him with interest. Years of grief seemed to melt from Kalen’s lined skin, and his brown eyes shone.

“Oh, she’s a beauty. Olya, come see. She resembles your mother.” Then he lowered his voice. “Let’s hope that’s as far as it goes.”

“I heard that, Kalen,” Olya said, joining them. She nodded at Valek and said hello to Yelena. But her reserved demeanor changed when she saw her granddaughter. “She’s lovely.” Olya plucked the baby from her husband’s arms.

“Hey,” he protested, but it was weak.

“Aren’t you a sweetie!” She marveled at the baby, letting Liana clutch her finger.

Kalen gestured with a hand. “Let’s get out of this sun. Come on into the house.”

“Go on,” Valek said to Yelena. “I’ll take care of the horses.”

Yelena gave him a don’t-you-dare-leave-me-alone look. He suppressed a grin.

“No need,” Kalen said. “Zebulon!”

Valek’s brother exited the tannery, then strode over to them. He wore plain brown pants and a cream-colored tunic. Zebulon’s black hair flopped about his head, and his brown-eyed gaze scanned them. With the same distant manner as their mother, he greeted Yelena and Valek, but warmth flashed when he spotted Liana.

“Zeb, can you take care of the horses?” Kalen asked.

“Uh.” Zeb glanced at the horses with a queasy expression.

“Groom and feed them like the twins showed you, and then join us inside,” Kalen said.

“All right.”

Valek skimmed Zeb’s surface thoughts. The twenty-year-old had only watched Zohav and Zethan care for the horses. Zeb had no idea what to do. Valek met Yelena’s gaze, and she nodded.

Hurry up, she thought.

“I’ll be right there,” Valek said to his father. “I’ll help Zeb—it’ll go faster.”

As they headed to the house, Kalen asked Yelena, “Is it always this hot here? I’m roasting.”

“No.”

“Thank fate!”

“It gets hotter.”

He groaned. Yelena would be too polite to tell him he needed to wear Sitian clothing, but Valek would find some way to mention it. In the meantime, he showed Zeb how to remove the horses’ saddles and tack. Then he handed his brother a curry comb and demonstrated how to use it. Zeb groomed Kiki. They worked for a while in companionable silence.

“What do you think of Sitia so far?” Valek asked.

“It’s okay. I guess I need to learn how to ride, right? Isn’t that how everyone gets around in Sitia?”

“Not everyone. You can walk, and there are travel shelters between cities.” Valek sensed that wasn’t what Zeb wanted to hear. “Although it’s faster on horseback. Especially if you’re going farther than Owl’s Hill.”

“There’s not much to do in Owl’s Hill.”

Ah. “Would you like me to teach you how to ride?”

He hesitated. “Did you teach the twins?”

“I showed Zethan the basics when we traveled to Sitia, but they’re learning the finer art of horsemanship at the Magician’s Keep.” Along with a number of other things, like fighting and self-defense techniques. Things the Ixian schools didn’t cover unless it was required for your job. Since Zebulon didn’t have magic, he wouldn’t get this extra education. And since he was already twenty, he was too old to attend the Sitian schools.

“Yeah, they seem to be fitting right in at the Keep,” Zeb said.

“Do you plan to stay here and work for Father?” Valek asked.

If the question surprised the young man, he didn’t show it. “I don’t know. Before, I sort of had to. I didn’t have any other options in Ixia. Now...”