Over the past few months, Conis had neared her due date. Rubick knew, since he still came back from time to time.
His parents had taken it all remarkably well. They had accepted that they were in another world, and even that Rubick had another wife.
What else could they do? Their granddaughter had an eye in each palm, and that alone had scared them half to death. By comparison, the wings on Conis's back no longer seemed strange.
Sure enough, a month later, Conis gave birth to a son. He took after her in looks and had a pair of little wings, but golden light also flashed from his body throughout the day. That was clearly a sign of his powers.
In the courtyard outside the Shrine, Rubick sat on a stone stool, staring into space.
Robin came over with Conis, carrying her daughter, whose eyes were open and who could already babble. Rubick's father held his grandson. The whole family looked at Rubick.
Rubick scratched his head. "Well, I'm really no good at naming children."
"Let's call her Alice."
Robin handed her daughter to Rubick's mother, who had been waiting impatiently for a turn to hold her. Even if the girl had eyes in her palms, she was still her granddaughter.
Rubick said, "Then our son will be Alex."
His father grumbled, "I still think New Sun and New Moon sound better."
Rubick coaxed him. "Dad, when in Rome..."
Before long, though, the problem resolved itself. By the time the children were three months old, the visible signs of their powers had disappeared. They could control their abilities.
Alex no longer flashed like a light bulb, and the eyes in Alice's palms had vanished. But whenever she wanted, she could grow them there again.
Every so often, she