Sirius returned home to chaos but no sign of Amanda.

  “Get off the computer!” Katrina demanded of her brother.

  “I was on it first,” Salem shot back.

  “Dad, Salem’s hogging the computer,” Katrina complained.

  “I only just got on,” Salem butted in.

  Sirius ignored them both. “Where’s your mother?”

  “She went to look for you. Bobby said you were back,” Katrina explained.

  Sirius frowned. “She went to the port?”

  Katrina shrugged. “Where else would she go?”

  “The bar,” suggested Gemma with a scoff from half way down the stairs. Less snarkily she added, “Hi dad. How was your trip?”

  Salem gave them each a cursory glance and then with a satisfied smile he returned his focus to his game.

  Katrina turned on Gemma. “Why would she go to the bar when she was looking for dad? It’s more likely she went to the police station.” She turned back to her dad and explained, “Aunt Cat got arrested.”

  “What’s she going to do at the police station?” Gemma interrupted.

  “I don’t know, maybe bail Aunt Cat out.”

  “She murdered somebody. They don’t just let you out on bail for murder.”

  “Yes they do.”

  “Not this soon.”

  “You don’t know when she was arrested.”

  “Dad!” Sasha appeared then with a big smile on her face. For a moment it looked like she might run up and hug him like she used to, but she held herself back, too old for such childish affections, too young to not care what others thought.

  “Hey kiddo,” he replied with a tired smile.

  Bobby joined them a moment later as well. “Hey dad.”

  Gemma and Katrina continued arguing.

  Sirius held up his hands in an attempt to create some order.

  Sasha beat him to it. “I can’t find Fred.”

  Silence descended like a hammer and all eyes turned her way.

  “How do you lose a python!” exclaimed Gemma. She glanced up toward Kate’s room with a look of worry and then took off up the stairs.

  “Sash, you were supposed to keep it in its cage,” chided Bobby.

  “She doesn’t like being locked up. You have to help me find her!”

  Fred only a few minutes earlier, had been slithering her way up the side of a cot. The small pudgy thing inside smelt strange. It lured her in. It begged ‘come closer’ but it was also new, different to anything the snake had encountered before, and yet so strangely comforting. Fred felt a need to investigate.

  Slowly, ever so slowly Fred arched up and over the side of the crib. She looked down at the creature inside. It was warm, not as warm as that place downstairs. That place was too warm, just as the other place had eventually gotten too cool. But this creature. Its warmth was just right. The scent of the creature was overpowering and its movements welcoming. Everything was perfect.

  Down into the crib Fred went. She slithered around the small, pudgy creature. She brought her body in close and tight. This creature was no threat to her. She curled up close to it, letting its warmth fill her skin. Its hands stroked her scales and the vibration felt right, like she was meant to be here.

  She felt no desire to eat it as she had when she’d first entered the room. Rather, everything about it made her want to protect it, like it was her own nest. The scent that emanated from it wasn’t like the other, bigger creatures. Fred didn’t wonder how such things came to be. She didn’t have the capability. She didn’t question. She just accepted.

  Side by side they lay, until suddenly vibrations shook the second floor. Someone coming up the stairs. Coming very fast.

  Fred did not move at first, not until she smelt the scent of fear. Fear from the little creature next to her. And then its little hands moved. They vibrated. Tap tap tap. Fred knew what that meant too. Danger was coming. Flee. Flee. Flee.

  And so Fred moved fast. Like a slippery noddle spilling out of a bowl she found herself on the floor in seconds. Under the bed she went, to hide from whatever danger the baby had warned her of.

  It was a curious thing, or would have been had the snake been more aware, that once Fred was safely hidden and once the door to the room opened, the baby’s scent changed once again. From a warning to a welcoming, a happiness at the sight of this bigger creature, and a joy that her new friend had managed to hide just in time.

  It took them all a good hour before the python was safely located and returned to its cage.

  After getting a quick recap of the afternoon’s events from the kids, Sirius ran one hand through his hair and asked, “Where’s Lily?”

  “She went to a friend’s house Bobby answered.

  Sirius checked the time and frowned. It was nearly dark outside. “Anyone got their phone number?”

  “It’ll be in mum’s notebook by the phone. I wrote them down that time they stayed over,” Katrina answered. With a sideways glance at the computer, which Salem had quickly claimed even before the search for the python had ended, Katrina started, “Dad-”

  Without missing a beat, and in a tone that invited no argument, Sirius remarked, “Salem, give your sister a turn on the computer.”

  Salem growled but did as he was asked.

  Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Smiling, Katrina jumped on the computer, opened up the internet, and typed in the name, ‘Nolan Perninski.’

  In the kitchen, Sirius frowned down at the list of names, unsure which one of Lily’s friend’s she was with. He was just about to dial the first number when the main door to the house opened and Lily walked in.

  He put the phone back down. “Hey, you alright?” he asked.

  Lily nodded and smiled.

  “Good...” with a frown he turned toward the kitchen and checked the time again. Amanda still hadn’t returned either but the kids probably needed dinner.

  Evidentially food was also on Salem’s mind and catching the direction his dad was looking as he entered the kitchen he remarked, “Mum said there’s dinner in the fridge, we just have to heat it.”

  “Ah good.” Still Sirius hesitated although he wasn’t sure why. He glanced toward the door.

  Sasha, Bobby, and Lily had headed upstairs. Katrina looked lost in some online article. The kids had food.

  “We’ll be fine,” Gemma told him as she took a seat at the dining table, and gently bounced baby Kate. To Salem she said, “Hey, heat me a plate would you?”

  “Heat your own plate,” Salem shot back.

  “Can’t, busy holding the baby,” Gemma replied.

  “Fine,” Salem grumbled.

  Gemma’s gaze slid toward her father again, who was lost in thought halfway between the kitchen and main entrance hall. “She probably just got distracted by a poker game or a client or something.”

  Sirius wasn’t so sure though. While they did often leave the kids to their own devices, it wasn’t like Amanda to not do what she said she was going to, especially given the current circumstances. And she rarely left Lily for very long without checking in on her. Had she simply missed him when she’d gone to the port? If so then why hadn’t she returned home? He had feeling he knew where she was, he just wasn’t sure why she would be there if she knew he was here, which she probably did.

  He could have given her a call, and it certainly would have been the easier option, but Sirius hated talking over the phone, and it wasn’t like it was that far into town.

  “I’ll be back soon,” he told the kids.

  Gemma nodded absently.

  On he way out the door he heard her say, “Hey Salem, can you pass me the Jack?”

  He paused briefly to frown but then continued on his way.

  He found Amanda exactly where he thought she’d be, but there was no poker game. She was simply sitting at the bar in The Rusty Nail, nursing a dark spirit, probably a whiskey. There was no sign of how many she’d already had.

  The place was relatively empty tonight, only a few patrons scattered around tables, all chatting quietly. He recognised a few of them as sailors from other ships. With the exception of one grey-haired fellow at the end who looked half into his grave already, Amanda was the only one who was seated around the bar bench.

  “Hey,” he said softly as he approached.

  She heard him because she did glance his way. But then she turned away again and proceeded to ignore him.

  He took the seat next to her sensing she was angry. Whether it was at him or something else he wasn’t sure.

  “Cat got arrested,” he ventured.

  She gave a curt laugh and didn’t look at him. “I know.” Barely giving him a moment to reply she then followed up with, “A policeman came by to interrogate Katrina.” This time she met his eyes, albeit only briefly before she returned to stare down her drink as if some answer might be found at the bottom of it.

  Sirius studied her. He knew if he waited long enough she’d eventually tell him what was wrong. She wasn’t one to just let things stew. He tried to gauge how drunk she was. She wasn’t outright slurring her words but she’d definitely had a few. Apart from the slight bitter note in her tone, she otherwise sounded and looked pretty relaxed.

  After another moment of silence she sighed and then scoffed. “Kass knew and didn’t even have the fucking decency to give us a warning call.”

  He frowned. “She came and told me at the docks.”

  Another laugh. “I know. I saw.” She didn’t look at him. She just stared straight ahead at the many coloured bottles lining the shelves behind the bar. The bartender was down the other end, cleaning glances and occasionally shooting them a look, but it seemed he could read a situation well enough to know when he wasn’t needed.

  “Ah.” Sirius replied. Now he understood why she was unhappy.

  Amanda smiled at that but it wasn’t a happy smile, it was more of a ‘see I told you’ sort of a smile. And still she kept her eyes straight ahead. “You two looked pretty cozy together.”

  Sirius reevaluated his assessment of her state. She had slurred that time and raised her voice, enough that a few nearby patrons were now glancing their way.

  In a quieter tone he replied, “She was just telling me what happened to Cat. The port’s closer than our house.”

  “Not closer than a phone call.” She’d lowered her volume now but only slightly and her tone was snappy.

  He didn’t reply that he hardly ever had his phone on him because he knew she didn’t mean that Kass should have called him and he couldn’t really argue with that.

  “How’d she even know you were back? And before I did” Her tone shifted now, from angry to sad. Her last four words were so quiet he almost missed them.

  “I don’t know,” he replied honestly. He knew there was no point in arguing. He could understand why she was upset, even though he knew nothing had happened. Kass probably should have called Amanda first but he couldn’t really blame her for that either. He knew Kass felt more comfortable talking to him than she did Amanda, plus Cat was his sister so it also made sense coming to him first. It wouldn’t do any good saying that to Amanda though. He knew all she needed was reassurance and maybe to sober up a bit. The fact she’d left Lily so long without checking on her worried him. The fact that Lily was home with only his own kids to supervise, as much as he did trust them, worried him too but there was no point in worrying about what had been done beyond figuring out how to ensure it didn’t happen again.

  “Come on, the kids are home alone,” he reminded her. He hated that pointing it out would probably make her feel guilty for being where she was right now, but it was also the most likely thing to get her moving.

  She sunk down a little on her elbows at his words and then nodded.

  When she didn’t immediately move he got to his own feet, hoping she’d follow.

  After a small sigh she stood up, and downed the last of her glass in one go before he could stop her. It had been more full than not and he knew that wouldn’t help.

  She followed him out of the bar without a word or a glance at anyone else. He’d left his larger black horse next to her chestnut one and they mounted them in silence. There seemed a tenseness in her posture though and he wasn’t convinced she’d said all she’d wanted to.

  It wasn’t until they were half way down the road and away from people that he glanced back and asked, “Do you want to yell at me?”

  “You didn’t do anything,” she replied simply but the bitter tone had definitely returned to her voice.

  He wasn’t certain if she meant that she was frustrated that there was nothing to yell at him for, even though she wanted to, or if she meant he should have done more. He took a punt at the latter. “I told Kass I wasn’t interested in her that way. I made it very clear.”

  He watched her expression closely. She still wouldn’t look him in the eyes for more than a brief second.

  His response made her face darken.

  “I know she should have called you first and she didn’t but I was coming home to tell you right after she told me,” he added.

  She was dragging behind a bit so he pulled his horse up short and waited for her to come along beside him.

  Her expression had softened slightly by the time she reached him. She pulled her horse to a halt beside his. “I know, but that doesn’t make it any easier... when she...” she trailed off, her voice catching like she was trying not to cry.

  He reached out for her hands and squeezed them gently. “I love you, and only you.”

  She sniffed and swallowed her tears back, then she turned to look him dead in the eyes. “You still find her attractive though don’t you?”

  She didn’t look away now at all and he knew there was no way he could lie to her. She would read him like a book, and the truth was she was right. The truth was the only thing he could reply with. “It doesn’t matter,” he told her meeting her gaze. Her eyes had a sheen to them in the light of the moon, a sheen of unshed tears. Tears because of him, whether it was his fault or not didn’t matter either. He hated that he was the cause and he wanted nothing more than to make her feel better because he did love her. That was the truth too. “Yes, I find her attractive, like her even, but not as much as I like you, not as much as I love you. And I have absolutely no intention of doing anything with her beyond what has already been done and which you already know about.”

  She blinked then and a few tears fell from her eyes. She swallowed and turned her face away.

  He reached over and brushed her tears from her cheeks and then gave her hand another squeeze. “Hey?” he whispered softly, fearing he’d lost her.

  She pulled her hands from his to wipe her own face and then she nodded. “Yeah.” After a couple of deep breaths to regain her composure, she gave his hand a brief squeeze back and then reached for the reins. “Let’s head home.”