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“I love you as well, nephew,” Zoran said. “Perhaps you would like to visit my mate this evening.”

“Is she nice?”

“Quite.”

“Does she like younglings?”

The tremor in Nem’s young voice nearly drove a sword through Zoran’s chest, and he vowed then and there to find a way to ease the tension between father and son. Now, before Nem grew to believe that Nyklan had forgotten how to love him.

The love remained. Zoran was certain of that. It had merely been buried beneath unrelenting grief and sorrow.

Would he fare any better should the Fates ferry Mia into the beyond?

Zoran shoved the thought away before it could take root. No, it was as he said: not even death could separate them.

“I believe she does,” Zoran said at last. “Have you not yet met her?”

At his nephew’s mumbledno, Zoran shot an inquiring gaze at his mother.

“I thought it best to wait an introduction on Lord Kerus’s pleasure.”

Zoran curled his upper lip into a snarl at his mother’s mild rebuke. “Tonight, then, or soon thereafter. A family meal?”

“The meal may have to wait. Mia sent a group message earlier proclaiming tonightmovie night.”

Zoran shared a baffled look with his mother. Ah, well. Mia would explain. “I shall message her myself and gain permission for youngling nephews to attend this movie night.”

With that, he handed Nem over to more capable hands and retreated to his office in thejutji’s administrative building, located on the town side of the Council Grounds. Once there, he changed his mind about messaging Mia and initiated a call instead. A moment later, she answered, her smiling visage filling the viewscreen.

“Long time, no see,” she said, grinning.

Zoran found himself at a loss for words. “Is this a common greeting among humans?”

“Among my culture, yes. It’s a greeting used when you’ve recently seen someone.”

“That is as baffling as most other human speech.”

Mia giggled so hard, her body rocked away from her viewscreen. “You should try being on this end of Xeruvian. Is there a problem?”

“Can I not call my mate whenever it pleases me?”

“Of course,Lord Kerus.”

He snarled in the back of his throat, drawing another laugh from her.

“You’re so cute when you do that. So, oh!” she exclaimed, then glanced down. “Hold on. I just got a text from your mom. You want to bring your nephew to movie night? I didn’t know you had a nephew.”

“He is the son of my deceased sister and spends much time with our family.”

“That’s what Alara said, sort of. Definitely in more detail.” Mia’s face flashed through emotions faster than he could read them before settling into a careful smile. “Of course, he’s welcome. You are, too. It’s going to be a real shindig. Popcorn, snacks, the works. We’re inviting mates to come along and, of course, any unmated warriors who want to drop by.”

“This sounds expansive.”

“You say that like we’re inviting the entirejutji. It’s just people who work here, their mates, and any of the unmated warriors who came along on your little adventure to Earth.”

Zoran grunted. “A party, then?”

“Sort of. It’s—wait. Do you know what a movie night is?”