Page 71

Sir Francis Galton

Kahn walked back into Randa’s house to find all the other Light Phases staring at him. “I’ve claimed the woman.” He announced in their dialect. “She’s mine.”

No one seemed surprised. There was a one hundred percent probability that they’d been listening in on his conversation with Isaacs, but even without hearing the confrontation, it had been clear for days what Kahn planned to do. Even he knew that.

“You are making the right choice.” Julius clapped him on the shoulder. “I see how it will be between you. Randa is the one.”

“I know.” Kahn said simply, because he did know it.

Julius beamed. “She had total faith that you wouldn’t kill Isaacs. I wasn’t so sure, but you proved her correct. She understands you.”

“I almost killed him.” Kahn admitted. “But I knew that she’d be pissed.”

“See? She already helps you to be a better man.” Julius nodded at that irrefutable proof of Kahn’s newfound generosity. “We’ll give you some time alone with your woman. We can scout the neighborhood. I prefer sleeping outdoors, anyway.”

“I don’t.” But Mannus went trudging after him.

“We should go check on Tallulah Jayne.” Rye decided in a suspiciously innocent voice. He’d stopped obsessively brooding over the future and started obsessing over the redheaded human instead. It wasn’t necessarily an improvement.

“Randa said to stay away from her until your date tomorrow.” Kahn reminded him. “She said to do otherwise would be ‘creepy.’”

“Well, we’re not going to let Tallulah Jayne know we’re checking on her.” Rye rolled his eyes, like that should be obvious. “We’re going to surreptitiously lurk in the shadows outside of her home. That only becomes ‘creepy’ if she notices.” He smirked. “We will not be noticed.”

Kahn didn’t see the point in arguing. Having met Tallulah Jayne, he doubted Rye’s late-night loitering would upset her. She’d probably claim she had a vision about it. “Just make sure someone is outside this house, guarding Randa.”

“I’ll do it.” Daven volunteered. “Since you’re claiming the woman, does this mean we can eat her food? Because I really want to eat Randa’s food. Tart Pops are disgusting.”

Kahn considered it for a beat. He didn’t particularly want to squander Randa’s delicious meals on the other Light Phases. Granted, it was unlikely that his new mate would cook for him any time soon. Maybe ever. But if she did cook for him, she’d surely stop again if he left the others to starve. Her customs were perplexing.

“I will ask her if you can eat her meals.” He grudgingly decided.

“Thank Gaia! See if she’ll prepare us the cow meat.” Mollified, Mannus allowed himself to be shoved out the door. Rysimer slammed it behind them.

They made enough noise that Randa came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a small towel. She’d just finished loading the dishwasher. (The Light Phases had offered to help her. Randa had scoffed and said she didn’t have the money to replace all the plates they’d break.) “Where are the others going?”

“Checking the perimeter.” Kahn didn’t consider that a lie. They were Light Phases. They were always checking perimeters. They’d surely do it at some point that night.

Randa arched a brow, not buying it. “Rye wants to go spy on Tallulah Jayne, doesn’t he?”

“He swears he will be very surreptitious about it.”

“Good Lord.” She rubbed her forehead in resigned exasperation. “Why am I even bothering with you guys?”

“Because you know we’re idiots, who will die alone without your help.”

Randa met his eyes.

Kahn gave her a helpless shrug, hoping he didn’t say the wrong thing, for once. “The Light House has not had a woman with us in a very long time. I’m sorry we’re fucking it up by asking questions you don’t want asked, and making demands on your time, and taking over your life.”

She sniffed in irritated agreement.

“I’d promise we’d get smarter, but that might be aiming too high.” He said honestly. “I can promise that we will never hurt you. Because we like you, Randa. A lot. And we want you to like us back. So, maybe you could keep that in mind, when we fuck up.”

She looked at him pointedly.

“Because I like you. And I want you to like me back.” He stipulated, spreading his palms out in surrender. “Even when I fuck up.”

She sighed and didn’t say anything for a long moment. “This double date Rye is planning with Ashley and Julius is sure to be doomed.” She muttered in a far less hostile tone.