Hauk took her bandaged hand into his. It was Andarion custom that whenever a child was adopted by a mother, the hand of both was cut and their blood combined to seal the union. Now that he thought about it, Cairistiona’s left hand had been bandaged, too. “The queen adopted you?”

She nodded. “Is that okay?”

Rising to his feet, he kissed her with everything he had.

Until someone cleared his throat.

Hauk pulled back to find Nykyrian staring at him with an arched brow.

“That’s my unmarried little sister you’re mauling, Hauk. Want to put some distance between the two of you?”

Still furious, he narrowed his gaze on Nykyrian. “Don’t push me. I’m barely refraining from planting my foot up your ass for not telling me about this.”

“Didn’t have time. We had to move fast and pretend we didn’t get your mother’s last transmission – she’s a tenacious one. You have Chayden to thank for that subversion, by the way. Never heard anyone fake static so well in my life. He’s quite impressive.”

Sumi touched her nose to Dancer’s. “I was on my way to the infirmary to tell you about it when I met Syn in the hallway. He said that when you woke up and I wasn’t there, all he could get out was that I’d been arrested before you started tearing everything out of your body and you stormed out to confront the queen.”

“And he should still be in bed,” Syn chided as he joined them.

Hauk pulled Nykyrian against him into a brotherly hug. “Thank you.”

“Told you I’d keep her safe. You didn’t really doubt me, did you?”

“Maybe a little.”

Nykyrian clutched his hand in Hauk’s braids. “You’re such an asshole.”

“Learned from the best.”

Jerking at his hair, Nykyrian draped Hauk’s arm over his shoulder and walked him back to his infirmary bed, where Nykyrian was less than gentle in removing Hauk’s sword and tucking him in.

Nykyrian handed the sword to Sumi. “Can you please keep his sorry ass in there, this time?”

“I will do my best.”

Syn was also a bit rough as he hooked up Hauk’s monitors. “Don’t make me do this again. The next set I’m shoving where the sun doesn’t shine, buddy.”

Hauk started to say something truly insulting, but the sound of an excited little voice made him bite his tongue.

“Uncle Hauk!” Devyn came running into the room and jumped on the bed before he threw himself over Hauk’s chest and hugged him tight.

This tiny being was the only reason he hadn’t killed Syn yet. “Hey, Devy. How’s my boy?”

Eyes wide, he gave Hauk a huge smile as he sat on his stomach. Right where he was injured.

Hauk ground his teeth and forced himself not to curse at the pain.