His jaw slackened. Then he pinned a murderous glare on Sumi. “What did you say to her?”

“Nothing. I swear.”

Suddenly, a younger version of Hauk stuck his head into the tent to check on what was happening. Instead of Andarion warrior’s braids, he wore his black hair pulled back into a ponytail. But other than that and his size, he looked enough like Hauk to be his clone. It was adorable.

Until he spoke.

“Ah gah,” Darice groaned. “Human emotional females. What has her stirred up now? Is she ragging?”

That succeeded in drying Thia’s tears as she lunged at him.

Hauk held her fast against his chest. “Don’t. He has to live, too.”

“Oh please, Uncle. It’s a moral imperative that I kill him!”

Darice rolled his eyes before he gave Sumi a gimlet stare that was eerily similar to the one Hauk often used. “Are you fully human?”

“Yes.”

“Shit,” he breathed.

“Darice!” Hauk snapped. “Watch your tongue.”

He bared his fangs at Hauk. “How much worse is this trip going to blow, huh?” He gestured angrily at Hauk. “First, I’m stuck with you, then…” His voice trailed off as if he realized what he’d just said.

Hauk looked as if he’d been slapped. When he recovered, it was with a furious glower that made Darice step back and Thia suck her breath in sharply.

Without a word, Hauk brushed roughly past his nephew and went outside.

Thia glared at her cousin. “You’re such an ungrateful bastard, Darice.”

“You know nothing about it, human.”

Thia grabbed the front of his shirt and snatched him to stand in front of her so that they were nose to nose. “Do not make the mistake of thinking I don’t have enough Andarion in me to spill your entrails, little worm. I do. And you better well remember exactly who my father is. His is the blood that flows thickest through my veins. Much more so than any human gene I might carry.”

Darice’s eyes widened at her threat.

“And you know nothing of your uncle’s skills,” Thia continued. “Instead of insulting him, you should consider this. Your father was twice Uncle Hauk’s age and size when he died. Yet Hauk survived. Alone and injured. For three weeks.”

“Because he killed my father!”

“You don’t know that.”

He lifted his chin defiantly. “My mother told me so. It’s why he has yet to marry her when he should have married her long ago. He’s a coward who shirks his responsibilities. Rather than save my father, he saved himself. If he were really Andarion, he’d have killed himself, instead of returning home in shame.”

Thia shoved him away so forcefully, he stumbled and fell to the ground. “You know nothing about being Andarion. You shame your ancestors and taint both your parents’ bloodlines.” She kicked at the dirt next to him before making an angry exit.