“Momma! Momma!” A little voice called.

Akira looked up from the artifact she was unearthing. She stood just in time to catch the little boy who was barreling towards her.

“Momma!” the little boy cried.

“Arran, where’s your brother?” she asked the child.

The boy said nothing. Icy talons of fear gripped her heart. She knelt down in front of the boy.

“Arran, where’s Loxley?” she asked again. “He was supposed to be with you.”

“I don’t know where he is momma,” Arran cried. “We were talking about how we missed papa and suddenly he was gone.”

Akira folded the boy into her arms. She knew what had happened, at least she hoped she did.

“Shhh, Arran” she soothed. “You did nothing wrong, ok?”

“But he vanished and I was supposed to look out for him,” he sniffled.

“And you have,” she told him gently. “He probably just went to see your father.”

“But papa’s so far away!” Arran wailed.

“Am I now?” a deep voice asked from behind Akira.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. She’d know that voice anywhere. She turned to face him.

“My prince,” she greeted.

“Mon petit pirate,” her replied.

“Momma!” a little voice squealed.

“Loxley, you shouldn’t go scaring your brother like that it isn’t very nice,” she told the little boy the prince held.

“I know momma but I didn’t mean to scare him, I promise,” Loxley replied.

Akira nodded and hefted Arran into her arms, even though he was already five.

“Momma, are we going to get a little sister?” Arran asked.

Akira looked at him in surprise. She hadn’t even gotten the results back from Master Arrhenius yet, though she suspected. The prince looked at her confused.

“I don’t know but Uncle Arri might,” she replied. “Why don’t we go ask him?”

The boys nodded eagerly. Akira smiled and extended her hand to the prince. He took her hand wordlessly, still giving her a confused look. She shook her head telling him she would explain later. The prince nodded and then they left the dig site in a small swirl of dust.