33. Syssi

33

SYSSI

K ian pushed open the front door, letting Syssi walk ahead of him with the sleeping Allegra cradled against her chest.

Behind them, Annani and the two Odus stayed on the pathway, waiting for Kian to join them, not because the goddess needed his protection inside the village but because it was a measure of courtesy that a son should show his mother.

"I'll walk Mother home." He kissed her cheek and then gazed lovingly at Allegra before lifting his head. "Don't start anything without me," he whispered.

"I won't." She walked toward the nursery.

Laying Allegra carefully in her crib, Syssi pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, covered her with the blanket, and turned on the nightlight.

Her little girl stirred slightly, her small fingers curling around the edge of her blanket, but she didn't wake up.

Watching her daughter's angelic face, Syssi marveled at how much she had grown.

Where had the time gone?

Allegra had been an easy child from the start, who ate well, slept through the night more often than not, and was hitting her developmental milestones much sooner than a child her age should. The only real challenges were her mile-wide stubborn streak and her surprisingly strong opinions regarding her outfits.

Syssi didn't mind accommodating her daughter's fashion choices, but she worried about what to expect as Allegra grew older. She anticipated more displays of Allegra's strong will, and she and Kian would need to set clear boundaries without stifling their daughter's spirit.

A soft chuckle escaped Syssi's lips. Being a parent was the most important and challenging job she had ever had. Yet, it came with no instructions and was expected to be intuitive. Was it a surprise that so many parents struggled with it?

Then again, love was the most important ingredient in parenting, and almost everyone knew how to do that. A child who grew up feeling loved would become a loving adult.

On the flip side, Allegra might become entitled and spoiled, but Syssi had a strong hunch that their daughter would not succumb to those first-world maladies that afflicted so many young humans these days. She had two hard-working, dedicated parents who never took anything for granted, so hopefully she would follow their example.

Besides, Allegra was exceptional. There was something undeniably special about her. It was the way her eyes seemed to hold wisdom far beyond her years or the uncanny way she sometimes seemed to anticipate events before they happened. Her memory for names, or rather the nicknames she coined for those around her, was unique to her.

As the sound of the front door opening drew Syssi from her reverie, she gave Allegra one last loving glance before quietly exiting the nursery.

Kian was at the living room bar, surveying his assortment of whiskeys. "How's our little princess?"

"Sound asleep." Syssi sank onto the couch. "She'll probably wake up in a couple of hours, play for a bit before bath time, and go back to sleep."

Children did well with a set schedule, but Allegra was flexible in that regard, which was one of the many blessings of raising such a unique child.

Kian poured himself a drink and started walking toward the couch but then paused. "I didn't offer you a drink because you usually don't like to consume alcohol before bedtime, but given what you are about to do, maybe a cocktail would help you relax?"

Syssi shook her head. "It can't be done artificially. I need to reach a state of calm on my own. Alcohol would be an impediment rather than a catalyst. A cappuccino, on the other hand, would do wonders to calm my nerves."

Kian laughed. "You're the only person I know who relaxes with coffee."

"Maybe I have ADHD. Stimulants are known to have a calming effect on people with attention deficit disorder."

"You don't have any problem with attention." Kian sat on the couch next to her and draped an arm over her shoulders.

"I was just joking." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Do you want a cup as well, or are you happy with your whiskey?"

"What kind of a husband would I be if I let you drink coffee alone?" He lifted his glass and estimated the amount left. "I'll be done with this by the time you are back with the cappuccinos."

"Indeed." She chuckled as she headed to her coffee station.

As she busied herself with measuring out coffee grounds and frothing two kinds of milk, regular for her and oat for Kian, Syssi felt some of the tension begin to ebb. The familiar routine and the aroma of exceptional coffee were soothing.

Making a great cappuccino was a precise and laborious process, and she never rushed it.

When she was done, she walked back to the couch with two red cups resting on two red saucers, the latest addition to her collection.

So yeah, she was a little obsessed, but then everyone needed a hobby, right?

As she settled back onto the couch, the aroma of the coffee and Kian's solid presence beside her helped to further ease her nerves.

For a long moment, they sipped on the exquisite brew, but then Kian set his cup down, pulled out his phone, and powered it off.

He never did that. He even slept with the device right next to him on the nightstand.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I don't want anything to interfere with your process of calming down, and I just know that if I leave it on, I'll get a call with some disturbing news that will ruin things for you."

Syssi frowned. "But what if someone urgently needs to reach you? I'll be worried about that, and it'll stress me out more. It's better if you leave it on."

Kian shook his head. "You are a strange woman, my love."

"I know." She leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek. "But you love me anyway."

"I love you because of that, not despite that. My mate is unlike anyone else in the world."

That was true of every single individual on the face of the planet. Even identical twins had two separate souls and their own unique personalities. But Syssi didn't say any of that.

This wasn't a good time for a philosophical discussion.

She had a job to do, and the sooner the better.

Setting her now-empty cup on the coffee table, Syssi stretched her arms above her head. "Are you going to stay here and watch the baby monitor while I summon the vision in Allegra's room?"

Kian nodded, reaching for the monitor. "I've been thinking about Allegra's presence enhancing your precognition abilities. Maybe Allegra has Mia's talent, and that's why your visions are stronger and clearer when you summon them next to her?"

Syssi considered this for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think so. I'm sure Allegra is a seer like me but stronger, and she lends me her strength when I'm near her. She might also have other talents." A smile spread across her face as she looked at Kian. "Maybe she also has your unnatural knack for business."

"I hope she does. If she's to become the leader of this clan, she needs to be a savvy businesswoman."

The future that awaited their daughter was not easy, and Syssi felt a twinge of anxiety every time she thought about it. But that was a concern for another day. Right now, she needed a few more moments in her husband's arms before she braved the mysteries of the universe.