"Do as you wish," Kith said quietly. "If you decide to leave, I'll take care of Didi for you."
Finch stared toward the cave, lost in thought.
Should he stay?
Even though the little female had said to pretend that night never happened—that she and the cubs had nothing to do with him—could he truly walk away from them?
More than an hour passed before the match inside the cave finally ended.
The cubs were panting from exhaustion, but their eyes shone with excitement.
Playing ball was so much fun!
The phoenix males were equally exhilarated. Even Odian had shed his usual dignified, restrained priestly demeanor. For a brief time, he had simply been himself.
In the end, the Egg Cubs Team won by one point.
The losing team looked regretful—but still delighted.
Nina handed Yinny, Didi, and Odian each a lollipop. "These are called lollipops. They're today's prize!"
They were specially made nutrient candies from the system—safe for cubs.
