she will still be her own person. Just as Gaias is his own person. Together – with their third – they will form their own Triumvirate,” Tanda stated.
“So, she won’t be subject to the same restrictions as you?” Ryker wanted further clarification, even though he was beginning to lose some of the sharp razor’s edge of panic.
Tanda shrugged, “In a way she will be subject to more than me. She requires vitality, after all. I do not.”
“Spiro,” Ryker murmured. “Spiro is a Sprit Paladin and is supposed to be her knight.”
“That is true,” Tanda allowed, but said nothing further.
Ryker blew out a breath, eyeing the literal Grim Reaper. My life is so weird, he thought – not for the first time since he had met Max. Speaking of Max, he now had an urgent need to see her. “I still want to punch you in the head,” he informed Tanda.
Tanda smiled, his dark eyes swirling silver and gold for a moment. “I do not blame you. But, Ryker, do remember we are going to be spending a lot of time with one another as I mentor your daughter over the next couple of hundred years.”
“Hundreds of years?!” Ryker yelled to a now empty beach. Tanda had disappeared as quickly as he had come. Ryker could care less, he had more important things to worry about than Death itself.
Sheathing his sickles, he spun around and was brought to a hasty stop when he discovered his Order lined up in front of him on the beach, blocking his way into the house. “I’m not going to argue with you,” he told them. “Take your shot.” They stared at him in silence for a few beats before Axel pushed Darius in his direction.
“Go on, punch him,” Axel prompted.
Darius looked at Ryker askance, before glaring at Axel. “You hit him!”
Axel tsked and shook his head. “You’re all talk, my man. I knew it. That’s just sad.”
Darius growled and made a grab for Axel, who dodged and laughed. And that was when Ryker knew his Order had forgiven him. Still, he made sure they knew. “I didn’t mean it.”
Cali rolled her eyes, “We know that. But you were still a male idiot.”
“What does me being male have to do with it?” he asked, frowning at Cali.
“Trust me, being a male always has something to do with idiocy,” Cali replied dryly.
Ryker wanted very badly to defend his sex but figured it was a losing battle. Especially considering the predicament he currently found himself in. “I’m going to need your help,” he confessed.
His Order looked at each other, communicating as close friends did without the need for a telepathic link, before they all nodded at him. “What do you need?” Beyden asked.
Ryker thought of a certain object he had been concealing for months, and for the first time in an hour, he smiled.
Chapter Five
Three hours later, Ryker’s hands were sweating as he watched Max humming to their daughter on their bed. It had taken longer than he intended to get things organised and in all that time, he had not sought out Max to apologise. It had been a gamble – he knew how upset and unsure she must be. But he was counting on it being worth it. Still, he felt his eyes begin to water as he watched Max dash at a rogue tear on her cheek, even as she continued to hum, her pitch as pure as an angel’s. The last of his nerves evaporated however, when he realised what song she was singing; You Are My Sunshine. It hadn’t been much of a leap for that song to become their thing, not after Ryker decided Sunshine was the perfect nickname for their baby. A gentle nudge through the link from Diana had him remembering the time and he cleared his throat.
Max’s head swung to his and her chin quivered, “Ryker.”
“Max,” He rushed into the room, still too afraid to touch her just yet. His love was crying. And he was the reason. “Max, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.” His voice cracked but he forged ahead, “Please forgive me. I didn’t mean any of that the way it sounded. I just got so scared when Dana said –” he stopped, clearing his throat from the lump threatening to block his ability to speak. “She’s my little girl,” he finished, unsure what else there was to say. Because to him, that was all that mattered. She was his little girl and he could not care less