Glaring at Darice, she nodded. “Sure, Sumi. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She took Illyse with her.

Sumi paused to watch Darice return to digging through Hauk’s things. He reminded her of a little kid with a treasure chest. It was actually adorable to watch him try on Hauk’s gloves and see just how much more he needed to grow to be the same size.

For the record, it was a lot. Hauk was huge.

“I’m going to start a fire, outside. Okay?”

Darice responded with a nod.

“Let me know if your uncle wakes up and needs something.”

That got her a heated, furious glare.

Holding her hands up in surrender, she left them alone, even though a part of her wondered if it was the wisest thing to do. Darice held a lot of hatred and resentment toward his uncle.

Sumi sighed. Family was such a pain in the ass. A lifetime of hurt feelings and misunderstandings. Of two very different accounts of the same event that could result in all-out war between siblings and parents, even years later.

Still, it was something she craved with every part of herself. She’d always been envious of her friends who had families they could visit. Siblings and parents they got along with. She just couldn’t imagine such a thing.

Trying not to think about it, she started the fire, and when Thia returned, she showed the girl how to make the antitoxin.

As soon as it was finished, she returned to the cave to find the last thing she would have ever thought possible.

Dancer was awake. And nestled up against his chest, in his arms like a little puppy, was Darice. With his chin resting on top of his nephew’s head, Dancer was lacing one of his leather bracers onto the boy’s arm.

She froze as their low voices reached her.

“So what was my da like as a brother?”

“He was fine, Darice.”

“Just fine? Matarra says that he was the most honorable of all. That he always took care of his brothers and watched over you.”

Dancer snorted. “She wasn’t the one getting her head dunked into toilets by him.”

Darice turned to look up at Dancer. “What? Why would he do that?”

Dancer sighed heavily as he checked the laces to make sure they weren’t too tight on Darice’s arm. “Your father had a temper, Dare. And I seemed to ignite it often. Sometimes by doing nothing more than breathing in the same room with him.”

“Really?”

“Really. Fain has always said that I’m a particularly vexing and talented… hemorrhoid.”

Sumi bit back a laugh at his editing of what she was sure his brother actually called him.