Chapter 16
“Welcome to our home base,” said the Lekwuesti commander, Caoilinn.
Clara Kate joined the others in thanking the commander as they stepped off the platforms into Central’s landing bay. They’d met the beautiful, red-haired female several times when she ventured to the Kynzesti homeland for various gatherings, but Clara Kate didn’t know her very well. She’d met a handful of the class commanders over the years. Only the Waresti commanders had spent any significant amount of time with the Kynzesti, and that had been for training purposes.
“It will be my pleasure to show you all to your accommodations,” Caoilinn continued. “We are thrilled you have made the trip, regardless of the reason.”
Falling into step beside Quincy and Sophia as they all followed Caoilinn through the enormous tunnel comprising the landing bay, Clara Kate looked around and tried to absorb everything. She’d been told about the huge floating city with its tall, colorful buildings and an underbelly that looked like ripped up chunks of earth, but seeing it herself was really something else.
“As
archigos
Sebastian may have mentioned,” Caoilinn said as they walked, “we have moved the date of our annual masquerade ball to coincide with your visit. It seemed like a fun way to introduce you to many Estilorians at once.”
“It’s an unnecessary distraction,” Zachariah countered.
Tate smacked him on the arm and gave him a warning look. He quirked an eyebrow.
“Well, we hope you will all enjoy the event,” Caoilinn said, though Clara Kate noted she avoided looking Zachariah in the eye. “I will have several Lekwuesti here in the morning to prepare all of you.”
“Will one of them be Penelope?” Sophia asked.
Giving Sophia a curious glance, Caoilinn replied, “She isn’t one of the Lekwuesti I’ve selected for this, no.”
“Oh, okay.” Sophia looked disappointed. “Will she be at the ball?”
“I believe so.”
It was an odd interaction, Clara Kate thought. There had to be a reason for it, though. Sophia didn’t ask random questions.
It took them nearly fifteen minutes of walking, transitioning in specially-powered tubes and climbing stairs before they reached their destination. Clara Kate wondered why they hadn’t seen a single other being during the trek, then guessed the elders had wanted them escorted through private passages. This was much like it was for her mother and her aunts the first time they came to Central, she thought. She and her cousins had grown up listening to stories about their parents’ experiences shortly after they transitioned to this plane.
When they finally reached the corridor housing their rooms, she noted that it looked much like a hallway in a plush hotel on the human plane. Thick rugs lined gleaming wood floors. Gilded mirrors sat at both ends of the hall. High windows stretched along the left side of the corridor, while intricately carved wooden doors lined the right.
“We’ve found that when your parents stay here, adjoining rooms work best,” Sebastian said, now stepping forward and joining his commander. “These rooms all have doors that join them from the inside. That way you don’t have to venture into the hallway if you wish to communicate with each other.”
“Thanks,
archigos
,” Clara Kate said on everyone’s behalf.
Nodding, Sebastian looked at Ariana. “Although you have your own rooms here at the base, Ariana, we thought you would be more comfortable staying here with your companions.”
“I do appreciate that,
archigos
,” Ariana said softly.
Clara Kate wondered over the Lekwuesti’s sad and withdrawn demeanor, as she had seemed better before they arrived at Central. Then she glanced at Tiege. He was shifting his weight from foot to foot and running a hand through his hair as though anxious about something.
Sebastian opened the door to the first bedroom. Clara Kate caught a glimpse of dark wood and creamy linens before her attention was turned by the Lekwuesti elder’s next words.
“Ini-herit will also stay with your group. Since we believe your fates are tied together, we think it’s best that you have as much time as possible to connect right now. He will also be able to communicate with me should any of you need something.” Waving toward the open door, he said, “This will be your room, Ini-herit.”
“Thank you, Sebastian.”
“Of course. Clara Kate, as the eldest Kynzesti, you will have the room next to this one. It is equally appointed to see to your every comfort.”
Wonderful. She’d now be rooming next to the male who already caused her unhealthy obsessions. Smiling to mask the thought, she just said, “Thanks.”
“Quincy, your room is next to Clara Kate’s, and Sophia will be next to you, followed by Tiege, then Ariana, then Zachariah, with Tate’s room at the end of the hall.”
“My room won’t be needed,” Zachariah said. “I sleep where Tate sleeps.”
Caoilinn’s eyebrows lowered in a frown. “You can leave the connecting door open—”
Zachariah cut her off with a single look.
Sebastian placed a hand on Caoilinn’s arm and said, “Of course. I will ensure suitable sleeping arrangements are made so that you don’t have to lie on the floor.” Turning his calm lavender gaze to the rest of them, he said, “Each room has an attached bath, which has been stocked with your preferred toiletries. You will find an assortment of refreshments in each of your rooms, as well. I took the liberty of generating sleepwear and one spare set of clothing for you. As Caoilinn mentioned, several Lekwuesti will be here in the morning to aid you in preparing for the ball.”
“I can’t wait!” Tate said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “We never have a chance to dress up.”
Clara Kate smiled over her cousin’s enthusiasm. It was true. Maybe it would be a fun experience.
“We’ll leave you all to enjoy some rest this afternoon,” Sebastian concluded. “Please don’t hesitate to tell Ini-herit if you need anything.”
As everyone thanked the elder and moved to their rooms, Alexius approached Clara Kate. “I will come and pick you up here to escort you tomorrow evening,” he said. “If you need me in the meantime, you can always send a message through
archigos
Ini-herit.
Archigos
Uriel will ensure I receive it.”
“Sure thing,” she replied, highly conscious of Ini-herit’s gaze on them from where he stood a few feet away. “Thanks, Alexius. Have a great night.”
He smiled. “I will. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
“Me, too,” she said.
When he walked away, she caught Ini-herit’s eye. He had just heard her making plans with another male. She longed for a reaction from him—any reaction. But nothing flickered in his placid silver gaze.
It was really incredible, she thought, opening the door to her room as tears stung her eyes, how much pain could be inflicted with no emotion at all.
Metis didn’t have to feign disorientation as she returned to her senses and noted all of the Waresti surrounding her. She realized she had assumed the female Orculesti’s form as well as her abilities because a number of voices now ran through her head.
Where did the giant come from?
Is this the giant
archigos
Uriel warned us about? If so, where is Caesar?
The giant must have killed Raymond.
What is that dark pile? It looks like blood mixed with sand. Are those…remains?
Was Jocelyn harmed?
“What happened?” she asked, staggering to her feet. Then, wanting to add credibility to her role, she added, “Where is Raymond?”
“He has fallen,” replied a Waresti with fiery red hair and a number of orange markings lining his skin. “It appears he was attacked by this giant, which took all of us to defeat.”
“Did you not perceive anything?” asked another male.
“I—I do not remember,” she said, careful to maintain her confused state. “Is this the giant we were warned about?”
More thoughts circulated. She did what she could to interpret them as they rushed through her mind, rubbing her temples as she concentrated. After a brief moment, she picked up a thought that caught her attention.
At least the Kynzesti are safe at Central for now.
Metis realized that the females she needed were at the Estilorian stronghold. That made things decidedly more difficult.
Why is she just standing there?
Realizing she was acting strangely and drawing attention, Metis glanced at the body of Raymond. She wondered how the Orculesti would react. Hoping it was the right response, she widened her eyes and put a hand to her throat.
“Holy light!” she exclaimed. “The giant did that?”
“Yes. There is also a weapon here that does not belong to him.”
Caesar’s sword.
The stray thought had her realizing that the male whose form she had recently assumed was Caesar, and they wondered how his sword had come to be there.
“I am trying to remember what happened,” she said haltingly. “This beast came out of nowhere, wielding multiple weapons.”
Perhaps he killed the being acting as Caesar
, one Waresti thought. Metis hoped he voiced the idea to the others. Having them believe that she was dead would make the rest of her plans come together more easily.
“I—I believe I was shoved and hit my head on a tree,” she said, rubbing a nonexistent pain at the base of her skull. “I am not sure.”
She is clearly not well. I have never heard Jocelyn speak so formally.
“Are you in pain?” the red-haired Waresti asked. “Do you need to travel back to the main base for treatment?”
Metis considered this. Would she, in the Orculesti’s form, be able to travel to the location considered off-limits to Mercesti? She had killed numerous beings for reasons other than defense, which typically converted Estilorians into Mercesti. But she wasn’t in a Mercesti form now.
Well, there was only one way to find out.
“I believe I do need to return to the base,” she said at last, infusing her voice with as much weariness as she could muster. “How soon can we depart?”
Chapter 17
After passing an uneventful evening in their rooms, during which time Clara Kate showered, ate an unwanted snack and went to bed, the group gathered down in Ini-herit’s room to meet the Lekwuesti who would be assisting them before the ball. Like hers, Ini-herit’s bedroom was very spacious and contained not only a bed large enough to sleep four adults, but a seating area with a sofa, loveseat and two cushioned chairs. She deliberately sat in a chair facing away from the bed so she didn’t humiliate herself with fantasies involving Ini-herit and that particular piece of furniture.
“Clara Kate, Sophia, Tate and Tiege, I would like to introduce you to four of our most talented Lekwuesti,” Caoilinn said once they were all together. “Sun-Mae, Yasmina, Ellsbeth and Gregory.”
Clara Kate glanced at the Lekwuesti and offered them a smile. Sun-Mae was quite delicate-looking with petite features, flawless ivory skin and long, dark hair. She wore a deep purple kimono-style garment decorated with embroidered flowers. In contrast, Yasmina stood nearly a head taller, several inches broader, and had dark skin and short hair. Her outfit was a practical tank and floor-length skirt, but she wore an abundance of complementing jewelry. Ellsbeth’s ginger-colored hair matched the freckles dusting her cheeks and nose. The clingy dress she wore revealed more skin than Clara Kate was used to seeing among Estilorians. She noticed the only male, Gregory, glancing her way more than seemed usual and figured the outfit had something to do with that.
“They will each have an assistant when the time comes to outfit you,” Caoilinn said. “For now, I thought it best to acquaint you so we can decide who will work with each of you.”
When Clara Kate got to her feet, she noted that none of the Lekwuesti smiled. She supposed she should have expected the lack of expression, but she had thought that her mother and aunts had helped most of the Estilorians at Central re-learn human emotions. Maybe these Lekwuesti were older beings who hadn’t yet grasped them.
She also realized that they kept sliding glances in Zachariah’s direction. It must be unsettling to have the first ever Mercesti within the vicinity, she supposed. Still, the looks seemed unwelcoming. She hoped that was only because of their lack of expressions.
“Hi,” she said, approaching the quartet. “I’m Clara Kate.” She glanced at her cousins, who all rose from their seats and joined her. “This here is Sophia, and the twins are Tate and Tiege. It’s so nice to meet you. We really appreciate your help.”
“We look forward to assisting you, daughter of
kyria
Amber and
archigos
Gabriel,” Yasmina said with a formal bow. “I would appreciate the opportunity to work with you.”
“Sure—”
“As the only male in the group,” interrupted Gregory, “I shall assist you, Tiege.”
At the same time, Sun-Mae and Ellsbeth said, “I would like to work with you, Sophia.”
In the clamor that followed, Clara Kate struggled to understand who was saying what. All she managed to piece together was that the three females were all debating who would work with her and who would work with Sophia. When she glanced at Tate and saw her hurt expression, Clara Kate suddenly understood. They didn’t want to work with Tate because she was paired with Zachariah.
Indignation surged through Clara Kate. These beings had no right judging Tate or Zachariah. He’d made it to Central, hadn’t he? Why wasn’t that enough to prove the strength of his character? She opened her mouth, prepared to defend her family.
Ariana beat her to it.
The Lekwuesti stepped forward, her lavender eyes casting darts of anger at her peers. All conversation silenced at the look. Then she turned her back on them and addressed Caoilinn.
“Commander, I would like to request your permission to work with Tate,” she said. “We’ve been through a lot together. And, well…” She trailed off and turned to face Tate. “I was actually hoping you might be willing to pair with me.”
Tate’s eyes widened. “Really?” A slow smile spread across her face. “You’d like to be my paired Lekwuesti?”
Clara Kate glanced at Tiege, whose expression was strangely unreadable. She sensed there was still something unresolved between him and Ariana. The two hadn’t interacted with each other since they arrived at Central. When she shifted her gaze and noticed Ini-herit studying her, she realized she had plenty of unresolved issues of her own to handle.
“Yes,” Ariana confirmed. “It would be an honor to pair with the daughter of
adelfi
Skye and
adelfos
Caleb…the niece of
archigos
Gabriel and
kyria
Amber, and the avowed of the Mercesti, Zachariah, who has saved my life more than once.”
When Clara Kate saw the other Lekwuesti exchanging uncertain looks, she barely contained a smile. She knew very well why Ariana had gone through the trouble of listing all of the important people connected to Tate. She was subtly reminding her peers just who they were insulting with their behavior. Since Tate’s eyes filled and she hurried to pull Ariana into a tight hug, Clara Kate figured her cousin understood, too.
“As it appears Tate welcomes this idea,” Caoilinn said, “I will discuss it with
archigos
Sebastian. Should he also approve, we will guide you both through the pairing once we travel to the Lekwuesti homeland. For now, I certainly approve of you working with Tate before the ball.”
Ariana smiled. “Thank you.”
“I’m wondering if you have a few other Lekwuesti we could meet, commander,” Clara Kate said. “Tiege, Sophia and I are rather…particular about the company we keep.”
“Of course,” Caoilinn said, not batting an eye. “I apologize for any—”
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Clara Kate interrupted. “You’ve treated all of us with courtesy and respect. That’s all we ask.”
Bowing her head in acknowledgment, Caoilinn used her power to open the bedroom door and indicated that the four Lekwuesti leave the room. They did so with a combination of huffs, lifted chins and snide looks, which earned them an earful from their commander as she closed the door behind them.
Clara Kate glanced at her family. One corner of her mouth lifted. She held out her fist. Sophia, Quincy, Tiege and Tate all tapped it. When Clara Kate looked at her, Ariana grinned and did the same. Then Zachariah surprised her by unfolding his crossed arms and touching his fist to hers. That prompted a giggle from Tate and the first smile of the day from Tiege.
She started to lower her fist, but realized Ini-herit had stepped closer. His gaze was focused on her hand. Her breath caught. Did he possibly remember that they used to exchange fist bumps on the human plane?
His gaze moved to hers. “You share your father’s sense of loyalty,” he said.
Lowering her hand and ignoring the pain in her chest when she realized he didn’t intend to touch her, she murmured, “Yeah.”
Even when that loyalty was to a completely lost cause.
“You’ll be the most spectacular being at the ball,” Ariana declared.
“If you do say so yourself, right?” Tate said with a grin.
Returning the smile, Ariana stepped back to eye her handiwork with Tate’s hair. The mass of colorful curls had been a challenge to tame even with her Lekwuesti abilities, but they were now all arranged into a beautiful up-do, secured with gleaming jeweled pins. A few select curls tumbled free, making the look less formal and more like Tate.
Because she and Tate had decided on a deep garnet red for her ball gown and jewelry, her cosmetics were designed to complement the look. Ariana was convinced Tate’s lush lips had been made to wear the dramatic shade of lip color she’d created. Her deep blue-green eyes were a brilliant, seductive contrast to the smoky eye shadow Ariana applied. Even though Tate would be wearing a half-mask, Ariana hadn’t wanted to overlook even the smallest detail.
“Perfect,” she said with a nod.
“Everything really is perfect, Ariana,” Tate said, catching her gaze in the mirror. They were using Tate’s bathroom to prepare her. “Thanks again for asking to pair with me.”
Blushing, Ariana shrugged. “It really is an honor for me. I wasn’t just saying that.”
“I know. I can see the truth, remember?”
“Oh, right.” She shrugged again, fighting her embarrassment. “Well, I appreciate you agreeing to the pairing.”
Reaching out, Tate took Ariana’s hand. “You know why Tiege refused to pair with you, don’t you?”
Frowning, Ariana shifted her gaze to the ground. “No. He has yet to explain himself.” She didn’t add that she had deliberately kept her door closed to him since they arrived at Central, not wanting to deal with her confusion and heartache when she was still so exhausted.
“Ariana, Tiege seeks more from you than just that kind of pairing.”
Blinking at that, Ariana again looked up. “What?”
“Look, I understand that to you, pairing with someone as their lifelong Lekwuesti is the most significant bond you think you can offer another being. By asking Tiege to pair with you, you were trying to convey how much he means to you. Right?”
“Yes,” she murmured.
“Well, he wants more than that with you, though he’s apparently terrible at conveying it.”
Finally, Ariana understood. Tiege didn’t want her for her abilities. He wanted her heart.
When her eyes filled with tears, Tate reached out and pulled her into a hug. “None of that, or I’ll start crying and ruin the amazing job you did with my makeup.”
Ariana sniffed and let out a watery laugh. “I know. You’re right. Thank you for helping me understand.”
“Sure thing. It’s what sisters do.”
Sisters
. That had Ariana waving a hand in front of her face to try and keep the tears back. She didn’t know how her heart could feel so full when just a minute ago she swore it would never heal.
“Okay, we need to decide on your shoes before I size your gown,” she said in an effort to turn her attention from her emotions. “With your long legs, you don’t need much of a heel.”
After a moment of consideration, she used her power to create a pair of dancing slippers with low heels. Giving them a careful study, she decided that the shoes were a bit too ordinary to suit Tate’s usual style. With another surge of her power, she added three-inch heels and deep red ribbons that laced up ballet-style around Tate’s calves and tied in little bows behind the middle of her thighs. The effect they had on Tate’s legs was exactly right, Ariana thought.
“Why don’t you walk around in those for a minute or two and make sure they’ll be comfortable enough to wear all evening?” she suggested, waving toward the open door.
“Sure,” Tate agreed with a shrug.
Following Tate into the bedroom, Ariana assessed the other female’s stride with a Lekwuesti’s eye. Although the shoes wouldn’t be visible under the long ball gown once Tate was dressed, they were an important part of the ensemble. As she watched Tate stroll in a slow circle and perform a few dance steps without any hitches, she decided the shoes would work well.
“Ariana, would you give us a minute?”
Belatedly, she remembered that Zachariah stood just outside the bathroom door. His gaze had latched onto Tate, who now paused in the middle of a dance maneuver and glanced at him over a bare shoulder. Dressed in only a lacy red bustier, matching panties and the heels, she had definitely caught the Mercesti’s attention. The look in his eyes was downright predatory.
“Um, sure,” Ariana said.
She went back into the bathroom and closed the door. Unable to fight her curiosity, she got as close to the door as she could without actually pressing her ear against it. She thought she heard a gasp and a muted thud, but then nothing.
A minute later, the door opened. Tate stumbled in, her cheeks flushed and her eyes glazed. Concerned, Ariana reached out to steady her.
“Oh, dear.” She frowned as she second-guessed herself. “These shoes just won’t do.”
“Lekwuesti,” Zachariah said from somewhere in the bedroom, “if you do nothing else in the course of this bloody day, don’t change those shoes.”