Way of No Return (Champions of the Crystal Book 8)

Chapter 2: Uninvited Guests

Two hours later, Sabrina came downstairs in a comfortable pantsuit ready to play with her nephews. She found her brother's family in the largest sitting room, with the boys and Ford engrossed in a holographic game at one end.

"Sabrina!" Aurora, her sister-in-law, greeted her with a glowing smile and a warm hug. "Congratulations! I am so pleased for you."

"Congratulations to you—I've been dying to meet my niece!" Sabrina responded. "Where is she?"

"The nurse is changing her," Aurora said.

"You brought your nurse?"

Aurora laughed. "Otherwise Scotty and I would be sadly outnumbered! Although I should have remembered how good Ford is with small children. I don't suppose I can prevail upon him to babysit, though."

"How are your parents?"

"Very well. They have been helping look after the children; I have gone back to work. The Guardian's staff has grown considerably since she no longer has the royal staff," Aurora said. "And Scotty is to be posted off-planet soon, so I am in need of backup."

"Is he? Where?" Sabrina asked, concerned.

Scotty, who had been coaching Sehrian, got up and came over to give his sister a hug. "No worries, it's just an in-system posting. I'm taking command of one of our staging bases."

"You? Commanding a base?" Sabrina echoed incredulously.

"Hah hah," he grinned. "You didn't notice when I was in uniform, but I've been promoted. It's Major Devon now."

"Congratulations! Wow, I missed your career as a captain almost entirely," Sabrina realized, taken aback.

"Well, now it's time for you to stay home and me to go off-planet," he said. "Though I should be easier to get hold of than you were. I don't think half the messages we sent you got through, the last few months."

"Probably not," Sabrina said. "We didn't realize how out of touch we were until we got back. But we're home now for a long time. I hope not to miss any more of your kids' arrivals!"

"Now that we have the daughter to carry on the Ruschar name, we're taking a break," Scotty said. "The boys alone are exhausting. I hope Annamarie will be the type to play quietly with her dolls, but somehow I doubt it."

Aurora and Sabrina laughed. Sabrina saw the nurse entering the room with a bundle in her arms and went forward. "My niece!"

The nurse smiled as she handed the baby over. Sabrina looked down at the infant's warm brown eyes and dimpled cheeks. "Hello there, Selémahs Annamarie. I'm your aunt." She walked back over to her brother and sister-in-law. "She has her mother's eyes. She's so beautiful!"

"Yeah, now that she's dry and happy," Scotty said. "Not so beautiful when she's screaming at the top of her lungs, though."

"You had better not make remarks like that about my daughter," Sabrina warned, rocking the baby gently. "Ford has already decided she will be the most beautiful baby in the world, bar none."

Scotty grinned. "He won't change my mind! Annamarie will always be my gorgeous girl. Here." He reached for the baby, and Sabrina reluctantly surrendered her. "Come over and say hi to the boys."

"I was waiting for a break in the game," Sabrina said.

"There won't be one," Scotty chuckled. "You just have to butt in. Hey, Ray, Ryan, put it on pause for a minute. Your aunt is here."

All three of the players looked up, and Ford paused the game with a grin, unfolding himself from the floor and coming over to give Sabrina a kiss. "Nobody warned me the Devons were born with that unique strategic mind," he said.