03 Solar Flare - Spark Series Read Online Free Page B

the entertainment
center currently tuned to a children’s program and the scattering
of toys, coloring books and pillows. At least her bedroom door was
shut, and thus, uncontaminated. Hopefully. With the twins, one
never knew.
    Gem smiled as Brandy walked in the room. She
didn’t look pregnant yet, but she had a certain glow about her.
She’d turned out to be one of those women who felt fabulous when
carrying—hence the current population explosion. Her pale blue eyes
were glowing as she held her eighteen-month old. The baby’s hand
was knotted in her straight brown hair, but Gem didn’t seem to
mind.
    Brandy greeted her and absently took the
baby. The infant promptly latched onto her aunt’s red hair and
cooed as he fell asleep. Brandy gently disentangled him. “I’m not
babysitting the full brood, you know. You’re going to have to hire
a nanny.”
    Gem smiled. “Probably. You’re not counting on
the benefits, though. When you get around to producing children,
Baden and Kaden will be old enough to baby-sit.”
    Brandy shuddered. “As if I’d give an innocent
baby to those two cannibals.” She watched as their father took the
boys aside to deal with their earlier tantrum. “Throw in something
about biting aunts,” she suggested loudly. She widened her eyes
menacingly at the twins when they shot her looks of protest. She
looked at Gem. “So, are you free for a movie? We haven’t had an
afternoon to ourselves for a while.”
    Gem shrugged. “Sure. Blue said he’d hold the
fort for a while if we wanted to have a couple of hours. I need to
buy the boys more pants anyway—they’ve outgrown most of theirs. He
thought maybe you’d watch the kids for us later…if you don’t have
plans. He wants to take me out to celebrate—I’m pregnant with twin
girls this time.”
    “I know,” Brandy said, resigned. “Sure, I’ll
watch them. Better yet, I’ll watch Jamir watching them.” She
brightened. Jamir was their head chef. The Latq was barely four
feet and fine boned, and he’d been with them forever. The boys were
in awe of his sharp teeth and the way his milky face turned pink
when he waved his wooden spoon at them. They’d picked up some
interesting curses in his language, though they didn’t know what
the words meant. The important thing was, Jamir was always ready to
turn them loose at a worktable with a huge pan of dough and let
them make animal shaped buns to their heart’s delight. If they got
bored of that before their parents came home, he’d send them out to
collect lizard eggs. They always managed to break a few, but that
was incidental to keeping the boys occupied.
    They paid Jamir very, very well.
    Gem made a face at her, but didn’t protest.
They’d grown up helping in the kitchens and later the tavern. It
built character.
    Gem waited until they were in Brandy’s
transport, headed to town, before she said casually, “Blue talked
to Azor today. Your transport looks to have survived.”
    Brandy grimaced. She wondered how much of
Gem’s shopping trip had been planned around grilling her. “It was a
memorable evening.”
    “I guess he’s going to come over and work on
it this week.”
    Brandy shrugged. “He owes me.” She sensed
more coming, but didn’t want to encourage it. Unfortunately silence
was meant to be filled, at least with a sister in the car.
    “He’s pretty cute, in his way.”
    “Oh, children and animals adore him,” Brandy
said agreeably. “Why, your sons freeze at one blast of his
poisonous green eyes. I’ve seen rabid dogs turn and run when he
stared at them.”
    “Oh, come on! He’s mellowed with the years
and you know it. He doesn’t act cold and dangerous around the
family…anymore.”
    “He’s a paragon. A saint,” Brandy agreed,
straight-faced. “Especially when he’s dressed as a thug and
stealing vehicles. Let’s not forget his penchant for writing
speeding tickets, either.”
    “How many times have we mentioned you might
want to slow down?