Of Flame and Promise by Cecy Robson Page B

weak just then made me dig my heels in. Gem’s parents struck me as people who’d want someone strong at their son’s side. It was what he deserved and something I desperately wanted to be for him. “Don’t look at me that way, babe. I can’t allow you to pick me up.”
    The corners of his mouth tilted up, and for the first time that day, I saw the adoration that had been lost since his parents’ arrival. “And I won’t allow my mate to trek through snow this thick and risk harm.”
    As easily as he spoke, he lifted me into his arms. “Mother’s ass,” I muttered…in time for
his
mother to join us at his side. Her lips pursed tight enough to clutch a lead pipe. Well, of course she’d heard me. Wasn’t I just on a roll?
    Momma carried Pop in her arms as easily as Gem carried me, only not so cheerfully. Good grief, did these people ever smile? I thought about it. They probably did, just not around me.
    Gemini cleared his throat. “Ready?” he asked them.
    It should have seemed ridiculous to have such a small elderly woman carry an old man, but somehow, it was right. At least for them, given what they were. If I tried, I might have been able to lift one of Gem’s long legs, but not much else.
    His mother muttered something in Japanese. At first, I thought it might have been another Taran dig until Gem motioned to the horizon. In the near distance, I saw them: two climbers speeding down the side of a mountain. They were
weres
—they must have been, given the agility and speed with which they descended along the ropes.
    Each push off the stone wall caused snow to drift on their heads, and while the high incline appeared long and treacherous, it seemed to tempt the Hamamatsus closer. From where we stood, I could hear the
weres
laughing, drawing more of Momma and Pop’s attention. They watched in keen fascination as the
weres
propelled downward and disappeared behind a large mound of snow.
    Lex beamed. “You want some of that?” He didn’t wait for us to answer. “I can tell that you do—
whoo!
There’s three tiers to climb and land on. That there’s the longest.” He pointed to where the trail grew steeper. “Follow that path—it’ll take you to the highest peak, where you can take in the view and start your adventure. One
were
’s positioned at each post, ready when you are—
whoo!
”
    Lex ran ahead of us when we didn’t “whoo” back, appearing only slightly deflated, which was more than I could say about me. I looked to Gem’s parents, hoping they were willing to go forward.
    A small conversation ensued, in Japanese of course. I might have been mistaken, but I thought I heard my name followed by something that sounded like “whore.”
    I glanced at Gem when they stopped yapping. “Did your mother just call me a whore?” I whispered.
    “Ah, no.”
    “Oh, good.”
    “But she can hear you.”
    Her glare told me that yeah, she could.
    Awesome.
    Gemini grimaced before speaking carefully. “Mother is concerned the climb may be too much for Father, but finds the region beautiful and would like to take in the view. Once there, they will consider descending down the wall.”
    “Oh, that’s what I thought she said.” I turned to his folks and forced a grin. “Ready to rock and roll?” I asked like a moron.
    Their knitted brows told me no, and that I was a skanky liar they’d like to leave here to die.
“Hai,”
they said in the same tone I used on Mancuso.
    Gem said something else and crouched. A glimmer of mischief sparkled in Pop’s eyes. He said something in a low voice and patted his wife’s back. For just a split second, I thought I caught Momma’s smile.
    Nah. That had to be my imagination. Until Momma took off like a bullet, with Gem speeding after them. Sweeps of snow drifted along my hair. I huddled closer to him, laughing as he surged forward. “You’re going to let her beat you, aren’t you?”
    Gemini chuckled. “I’m not trying to. My mother was the fastest she-wolf