Cove’s pulse thundered in his ears as he poured Elystria into his muscles. His body tensed as he glared at Jacob and the other acolytes of Gisaluna. Fantasies of chucking them over the cliff flitted past his eyes, and a dark corner of his brain calculated how far each would fly before careening into the trees. He wouldn’t give in to the temptation; he owed these brattiraptor dung beetles, but even the idea smelled good.

While he, Dax, and Sera had been rescuing sailors, these—oh, gods, there wasn't a curse profane enough to describe the fools—had been saving his family. Three had worked like pack animals under Keeva’s guidance to disassemble everything, haul it from the temple cavern to the road, and rebuild and repack the caravan. The other two swam Caochadán and Dallta into Porto, then rode the hadrosaurs up obscure mountain trails to meet Keeva on the cliff road. Moreover, they had accomplished their tasks while four gods battled in the background. Without their help, his family and friends would have been in the line of fire when Heim killed his mother and grandparents and tore down Gisaluna’s temple.

With today's choice, these young men had spent every gram of Cove's goodwill and gone into debt.

The teenager's foreplay had been quiet, silent compared with Keeva and himself. Multicolored stars blazing like lighthouses from their naked chests had caught Cove's eye. He'd climbed high above the cave and spied a scene every father with daughter's dread, and he had three, or was it five, maybe six? Did Essie count, or was she Dax’s responsibility? Thank God twelve-year-old Essie hadn’t been part of this… this… argh! Between one breath and the next, he Stoneshaped spheres of native stone over the men's hands and feet. Keeva scolded Lyra, Bree, and Penny into their clothes and chastised them down the winding, narrow path to the road.

Cove turned on the five young men, boys in his eyes, maybe seventeen years old, and growled with raw, animalistic rage. The ground shivered, and gravel cascaded down the mountain. They shuddered, pulling against the granite encasing their limbs, unable to meet his glare.

Laughter from below drew his eye. Kee and the girls sat in a puddle, scooping handfuls of water and splashing each other. Her hand rubbed her swollen womb, pointed towards the boys, and back to their daughters. Her words drowned in the howling wind and billowing curtains of rain. Her gestures were educational and rather explicit. The twins and Penny cast furtive glances at their groins as Keeva mimicked the hopping of pubic lice.

Jacob asked, “Professor Nocht?”

“What, acolyte?”

“Did we do something wrong?”

“Yes.”

“What did we do?”

Cove sent Elystria through his feet into the mountain and fused the rock restraints to the ground. A sadistic calm filled him as he spoke like the tour guide for the second circle of hell. “This is a beautiful view.”

“Huh?”

“That’s Porto over there, and I can just make out the traffic on Highway Six. I can see the Porto Naval harbor, Porto Naval Air Combat Training Center, and Fort Cather.” Cove swept his finger from the south to almost due east as he continued. “Hidden in the forests of the Wraithwood Expanse are three secret Riddere fortresses, each staffed with trained Finders, Hunters, and Leashes.

“I am not happy to have caught you with my daughters, but chastising you for being like I was your age would be hypocritical. Do not mistake me; I will hurl you off the nearest cliff if I catch you again; it is my prerogative as their father. Yet, putting all our lives in danger is unforgivable!”

“What? How?”

Cove spun, his fingers jabbing and arms waving as his words tore into the young men, his voice tightly controlled, rising in volume and intensity with each phrase yet never screaming. “The Sign of Elystria, boy! Are you blind? Look at your chests. All five of you stand out like Heim Day fireworks. I thought we would have a few days to prepare and perform the Rite of Opening. It is a beautiful, life-altering experience, a baptism to open your body to the world of magic, something most of our party needs, including yourselves, to survive the changes coming to our world. Keeva and I wanted to take several days to prepare and search the mountains for a beautiful, secluded outdoor niche to perform these once-in-a-lifetime, sacred rites.

Oh! But we have to stay. Have you figured out why? Let me tell you because eight teenagers could not keep their pants tied and lacked the wisdom to find another cave! Thanks to your inability to control your raging hormones, we have to pack up and leave before the Riddere shows up. Instead of something beautiful, we have no choice; we must perform sacred rites in the back of a crowded, stinking cave. Nice work, acolytes."

"Please let them go, Daddy," said Lyra. "Jacob, Paris, Tristan, Lance, and Caicco are not responsible for this..." Her voice faded as Cove glared and growled at her. She turned to her mother with a pleading gaze and shook her head.

Cove crossed his arms, spat at Jacob, and faced his wife and daughters. "I'm not finished with these sons of lice!"

Keeva's voice was a heated whisper as she admonished, “Calm yourself. This isn't like you; you're irrational. Gods Cove, my dad wasn't half as mad when he found out about you and Missha. I swear, they can hear you in Clover.”

“Hear me!?!”

Keeva shrugged as she turned away from Cove, shook her head, and looked at her daughters. "Do it."

The girls held hands as Lyra began to hum a gentle melody.

Cove recognized the magic in the lullaby as it slid past his ears, caressed his mind, and petted his soul. This spell was similar to the one Heim used to hijack his free will, but far kinder and loving. The inferno consuming him dampened under an icy blanket. He didn’t want this; he needed to… to… what was she doing to him? He waved his hands before his squinting eyes and pulled at his hair. Cove’s voice echoed from the mountainside, "No! Gods, Lyra, do not use your gift on me!”

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A burst of not light, almost sound, or maybe a blend of the two, connected Lyra's eyes with Cove's as she sang:

Be calm, Daddy,

Let the storm in you subside,

Feel the warmth of love like the ocean's gentle tide.

Be calm, Daddy,

Close your eyes, feel the light,

Motes of peace surround, carrying away the night.

Be calm, Daddy,

Hear our song, let it soothe,

With every note, we mend the rift and emotions smooth.

Be calm, Daddy,

In our eyes, see the plea,

Forgive us, Daddy, and in your love, let us be free.

With each word, colorful motes of light fell into the sky, carrying away anger and rage and relaxing his body and mind. Cove shook as a sob blubbered from his lips. Was it rain misting his eyes? Why was he on his knees clutching Keeva like the last plank from a sinking ship? “No… what happened?”

“You had an intimidating daddy raptor moment,” whispered Kee as she stroked his hair. “That was beautiful, Lyra. Did you write it?”

Lyra nodded. “It’s just the beginning. Roland is helping me.”

Keeva nudged Bree forward. “I’m… I’m sorry. It was my idea. Lyra helped…”

“We were bored,” said Lyra, “convincing Peter and his friends to sneak out was easy… we did it all the time at Grandma’s temple.”

Penny rubbed her eyes as she said, “We saw you and mommy doing the plucked raptor in the middle of the road… and I’ve never… not standing… well, you know… Mom, you looked so happy… so, I asked Paris to teach me, and I had so much fun everyone wanted to try… and well… that’s when you showed up…”

Cove shared an embarrassed glance with Keekee. She bit her lip and blushed as his cheeks flushed. “The plucked raptor?”

Penny looked between her sisters as she said, “Isn’t that what it’s called when you do it… standing… outside?”

Cove heaved a sigh. “I do not appreciate finding you fooling around with boys. It is one thing for me to theoretically understand my daughters might be doing more than flirting, and quite another to find you—”

“Coveland,” Keeva warned.

“Say what you will,” Cove said, “but I am not a hypocrite. I will not grind your boyfriends’ stones into gravel, no matter how tempting, not for—”

“Move on, Cove. There’s no more meat to filet on that fish.”

Cove cast an acknowledging glance at Kee before continuing, “You did not consider the consequences of your choice. Every mage in Southern Heim with a hint of talent could have seen your boyfriends; The Sign of Elystria is a billboard—”

“Daddy,” said Bree, “we were in the bushes. You and Mommy were dancing the ‘Wild Raptor’ in the middle of the street in full view. They could have watched your show from the rooftops in Bordelwald. Heck! We heard Mom from the cave entrance!"

Kee said, "Bree!"

The girls giggled.

Cove stabbed a finger at the men shackled to the mountain, saying, “How could you miss the Sign of Elystria in their chests?”

“Daddy,” Bree said as she shared knowing smiles with her sisters, “we didn’t think anyone would see through the shrubs and trees.”

“I could have seen that light show from the other side of the mountains,” said Cove as he scrubbed his scalp. “Five young men and the three of you; that was begging for trouble.”

Keeva quirked an eye as she asked, “Why didn’t you include Wendy’s girls?”

The teenagers shared glances that all but screamed; we may as well tell them.

“Well,” said Cove, “please answer your mother’s question. Do you respect Wendy more than your mother and I, or is there another reason you didn’t include Peyton and Kendra in your party?”

“Professor Nocht,” said an olive-skinned young man, “I’m Lance, and this is my little brother Caicco. We wanted to invite Pey and Kay to distract them and help cheer them up, but they didn’t want to leave their mom. Honestly, I think they’re worried Mrs T will leave them or kill herself if they don’t keep an eye on her…”

One more leviathan in my net, Cove thought as he sighed. "At least you didn't invite Essie."

Lyra and Bree tried to share a covert glance.

"Lyra," said Cove, "where is Essie?"

Lyra shrugged as she whispered, "The last time I saw her was in the cave."

"And when was that?"

"I don't have a watch..."

One of the acolytes coughed and said, “Professor…”

“Yes…,” said Cove as he quirked an eye at the sodden young man. “What is your name?”

“Paris, sir. The girl and her dad are there.” He tugged against the stone, trying to point, but failed and used his chin instead. “Down on the road.”

Coming into focus were two waterlogged shadows. Dax marched, every step precise, his bearing regal, bare-chested, and his face a grim mask. A large squirming pack dangled from one hand and Essie from the other.

Essie’s head hung from her neck, swaying as her eyes shifted between her dragging feet and her hand encased in Dax’s fingers. Her form-fitting armor liner glowing under Dax’s tunic draped over her shoulders.

“Coveland. Keeva!” Dax’s deep voice boomed over the rain. “Bring your girls and the student priests. We need to talk.”

Who's in the bag? Did he catch the spy? Cove nodded. “We’ll be right down. It’s time for a team meeting.” He waved a hand and dismissed the bonds holding the young men. "This is not over, boys. We will discuss your intentions with my girls, and I had better like your answers. Follow me."