Except for the difference in their ages, no one would ever guess she wasn’t their full-blooded sister.

Freakishly tiny, and graceful in everything she did, Nykyrian’s wife Kiara approached them with her golden-amber eyes twinkling. “Boys, slow down. Take a breath. Give your sister a minute to catch up.”

Jayce immediately started in on a round of “buts” and ended with a simple “Mama!”

Still laughing, Thia patted his back. “It’s okay, Kiara. I can strangely follow their gibberish.” Kneeling down, she took both of Jayce’s arms in her hands and smiled at him. “And yes, I’ll bring you back a rock for your collection. Two, even.”

Adron sighed heavily. “I wish I could go with you.”

With an exaggerated pout for him, she cupped his cheek in her hand. “Me, too, sprout. Maybe next time.”

Nodding, he stepped away then pulled his brother with him. She stood.

Kiara held out a black sweater toward Thia. “Stay warm, sweetie. Don’t get hurt.”

“I will and I won’t.” Thia took her sweater and gave Kiara a light hug. She looked expectantly at her father, who had the same what-did-I-do-now look Hauk was sure he’d worn when his parents told him he had to do this with Darice.

Facing her intense husband, Kiara motioned toward Thia with her hands. “What do we say to our daughter before she leaves us for six weeks?”

Nykyrian recovered himself and unstrapped his blaster from his hips. He checked the charge level before handing it to Thia. “Remember what I taught you. Check your perimeter every night and never sleep with your headphones on.”

With a patient sigh, Thia took the blaster from his hands. “Thanks, Dad,” she said drily.

Arms akimbo, Kiara approached her husband. “Sweetie? Are you out of your mind? You don’t give a loaded weapon to your little girl right before she leaves. What are you thinking?”

“That she might need it.”

“A blaster?” Kiara asked incredulously.

He frowned as if he had no idea why she was upset at him. “I’d rather she have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”

“And what if she accidentally shoots Darice?”

Thia snorted. “Trust me. If I shoot Darice, it won’t be an accident.”

Hauk bit back a laugh at something that really shouldn’t amuse him.

“You see!” Kiara said to Nykyrian as she indicated Thia. “You see what could happen?”

Nykyrian shrugged. “She’s a Quiakides. She’ll have to make a first kill at some point. Why not keep it in the family? Hell, it might even make Hauk’s day if she shoots Darice.”

Sighing in surrender, Kiara shook her head. “You’re awful.” She turned her pleading eyes toward Hauk. “Would you help me out here?”

He met Nykyrian’s gaze. “Is she trained?”

“Fully.”

Hauk duplicated Nykyrian’s earlier shrug. “Then I’m glad to have the backup.”

The boys stared bug-eyed while their mother sputtered at the men’s lack of concern.

Adron flashed a big grin to Jayce. “When I’m big, I’m going to be an assassin, just like Daddy and Uncle Hauk!”