“I have a tablet you can use,” Lesya offered sweetly. “Mommy made it for me. I play games on it but I can play with something else if you need it.”
I gave Odin a pointed look before I answered her. “Thank you, baby, but this is a different kind of tablet.”
We shouldn't have been having that conversation in front of the children, but the men were anxious so they took it a little further despite my obvious cue to shelve it for later.
“You're staying home this time, Vervain,” Odin said. “We'll go after the Tablet and bring it back to you.”
“But—” I started to argue.
“No, A Thaisce,” Arach growled. “You're too weak now. Odin's right; you need to stay home with your babies. We will handle this. Al will help us. It will be a piece of pancake.” He lifted another bite to his mouth and grinned at me as he ate.
I made an amused snort at his play on the phrase.
“Can we have another tea party, Mommy?” Lesya asked hopefully.
“Tea,” Vero said in a strangely somber tone.
I pasted on a smile for my children. “Later this afternoon maybe. You just ate.” I glanced at my men and nodded.
They'd get their way... this time.
Chapter Fourteen
Kirill stayed home with me so I wouldn't have to worry alone. My men didn't want a large group going after Marduk anyway. They were hoping to pull off what we hadn't last time; a surprise attack. Torrent was going along to open the wards with his unmaking magic, but he'd be staying in the Aether—in a vein of the Internet Realm to be exact—to keep the way home open for everyone. Sin offered to go as well but there were already six men who'd be tracing directly into Marduk's bedroom; more than enough for a covert operation.
The team waited until Al gave us an all's clear and then traced over. Marduk was sound asleep and the Tablet was resting on a stand beside the bed. It was the perfect opportunity. Kirill, the children, and I saw the men off before we headed outside. To the right of the palace, our left, there was a playground I'd made for the children, including a mini castle. Zariel was already on the swings, her mother sitting on a rattan loveseat nearby. Lesya went running for her friend, and Vero tried to fling himself after her.
“Whoa there, baby.” I wrangled him upright. “You're not big enough for the swings yet.”
“Swing!” Vero cried.
“Make him baby swing,” Kirill suggested as we wandered over to the set. “One of zose with holes for legs.”
“Oh. Sure, I can do that.” I passed Vero to Kirill. “Hey, Sam.”
“Hiya,” she called back. “Whatchu up to?”
“I'm going to make Vero a baby swing seat.”
“Ohhh... territory magic. Zariel, watch your aunty, she's about to do something cool.”
Zariel and Lesya both stopped pumping their legs and let their swings slow to a stop as I approached the swing on the end. Territory magic is pretty simple once you get the concept down; most God magic is. It's human magic that needs a lot of chants and accouterments to make it work. But then, humans who have magic, get it from trace amounts of Fey blood in their ancestry. So, they have to use pieces of Nature and the Elements to connect with it. Gods have a lot more of the stuff to work with.
I grabbed the heavy chains and concentrated on the rubber seat between them. In my mind, I saw the baby seat I wanted it to become. I even added a seatbelt for extra safety. A blur of light coated the swing as it shifted, transforming into the picture I had in my mind. My magic fueled this territory which meant that it had to obey me. It did so quickly; within seconds, the baby swing had replaced the previous version. Samantha and the girls started clapping as if I'd performed a trick.
“Thank you. Thank you.” I curtsied to my audience, making the girls giggle.
“Mama!” Vero cried excitedly. “Swing!”
“Da, swing!” Kirill lifted Vero into the air and flew the giggling baby around, landing him in the new baby seat.
“Uncle Keyree!” Vero clapped his hands together.
Kirill beamed at the little boy as he strapped him in. “Okay, ve swing now. Da?”
“Da!” Vero cried, bouncing in his seat.
Kirill went behind Vero and gave him a little push. My son surged forward and the expression on his face was one I'd treasure forever. Honey-eyes round, mouth in a matching O, and hands extended as if to embrace the world. It was pure, child joy. And his laugh; it made my chest constrict to hear it. These were the moments I wished for more of. The moments I'd have to savor because there would be so few of them. Vero's advanced growth would slow at a certain age, but by then he'd be a boy, not a baby. At least I'd have those years to enjoy slowly.
“Daddy, push me!” Lesya demanded.
I shared a knowing look with Kirill. Children get jealous of each other in normal family units but in one like ours, where each child has a different father, it made
