Elder

by Raine Thomas

  In any case, she also picked up a few more tidbits. Their typical procedure when an Orculesti suffered any kind of trauma that impacted his or her thoughts was to bring that Orculesti to archigos Malukali for assessment. That knowledge didn’t please Metis. She had recently overseen the torture of the Orculesti elder, and was fairly certain her thought signature would be recognized by the perceptive female. If Malukali somehow didn’t recognize her, Metis imagined her perceptive husband would. He wasn’t likely to forget anything about the being who had hurt his wife and blackmailed him.

  Fortunately, there was some kind of gala that very evening. The Waresti were wavering on whether or not to interrupt the festivities and the elders over this situation, or just have Metis rest until after the event and tell them then. This was exactly the chink in the security she needed.

  She sensed when they were slowing down and pretended to blink back to awareness. Stretching, she caught the eye of the closest warrior and did what she could to raise the corners of her mouth.

  “I feel surprisingly better after resting,” she said. “Perhaps I spoke too soon when I asked to come back here. I hate to think we have come all this way for no reason.”

  Using her new abilities, she sensed the mild sense of relief that flowed among the Waresti as they gave her a scan with their perceptive eyes and then drew their own conclusions that she was faring better. One of them—she gleaned from their thoughts that his name was Patrick—still thought she was speaking strangely and she wondered what she was doing wrong. She pulled the word “contractions” from his thoughts, but didn’t know what he meant.

  “I am still a bit out of sorts,” she said, rubbing her temple, “but archigos Malukali can surely assist me after the ball.”

  “Do you feel you can wait that long?” the male called Carl asked.

  “Certainly. It will only be a few hours, correct?”

  Patrick frowned. She sensed his continued doubt about her speech pattern and decided to test another of her abilities on him.

  “I would appreciate it if you would escort me to my accommodations,” she said, exerting her mind control toward him.

  “Of course, Jocelyn,” he said.

  Unfortunately, she couldn’t tell if he was responding to her efforts to influence him or acting of his own accord. Keeping her frustration contained, she nodded and made another attempt to lift the corners of her mouth. It seemed to appease him.

  Her first glimpse of the main base had her staring. They docked at a huge floating island topped with numerous tall buildings. Eight smaller islands spiraled up and out from that one. The array of colors and stylings of each island had her undeniably intrigued. Tethys hadn’t known much at all about the base that had become known as Central in recent years. Thus, Metis was going to have to learn as she went along.

  “You’re probably too weary to fly,” said Carl. “We’ll escort you to the platform leading to the Orculesti homeland.”

  If she stays here, we could attend the ball, another of them thought.

  “I hate to be any more trouble than I already have,” she said. “Is there somewhere here that I could stay for tonight? This would keep me closer to archigos Malukali for whenever she is free, as well.”

  There was a brief flurry of thought, but eventually, they all nodded. “We can ask a ranking Lekwuesti to identify a room for your use,” Patrick said.

  “Thank you,” Metis murmured, containing her satisfaction and offering another demure smile. “That would be just perfect.”

  Clara Kate stood in front of the full-length mirror in her room and studied her appearance. Paulina, the Lekwuesti who assisted her in preparing for the ball, had requested her input in the design of her ball gown. Not having any experience with such things, Clara Kate gave her what ideas she could.

  Was it just a coincidence that she looked like the human version of an angel? Or had she consciously guided the Lekwuesti in this direction? It was a toss-up.

  She’d told Paulina that she typically wore pastels and wasn’t particularly fond of clothing that clung to every part of her body. She also said that she wasn’t used to anything elaborate and wouldn’t be comfortable in something too flashy or ornate.

  As a result, she now wore a white, floor-length gown with a soft silver overlay to make it glimmer. Since her date was a Waresti, she also wore a broach of orange and deep blue-green gems between her breasts, which the high-waisted gown displayed in what she thought was a flattering way. Accenting the long sleeves, flowing panels of sheer white fabric had been secured to her shoulders and wrists with delicate straps. Whenever she raised her arms, the panels gave her the appearance of wings.

  The circlet on top of her head also added to the angelic image, she realized now. That had been Paulina’s suggestion since Clara Kate didn’t want to wear any other jewelry. Her hair otherwise looked much like it usually did. Even her makeup was about as basic as it could get.

  One element of her ensemble seemed less than angelic to her mind, though. The intricate white mask covering the top part of her face gave her an element of mystery that she supposed was the point of an event like this.

  A knock sounded at the door. Since Paulina and her assistant had left to get themselves ready for the ball, Clara Kate strode across the room to answer the door herself. Her shoe caught on the edge of her rug. She barely stopped herself from falling. Flushing over her clumsiness and briefly touching her waist, she fixed the bunched rug with her toe and hurried the rest of the way to the door.

  Sebastian had created peepholes, so she saw Alexius standing in the hall. She realized that he wore a nicely-tailored tuxedo and a black half-mask. The combination suited him.

  Her gaze moved to the door that connected her room to Ini-herit’s. She couldn’t help but remember the one time he’d taken her to a school dance on the human plane. It had been so much simpler and more thrilling than this.

  Taking a deep breath and shaking off the memory, she opened the door. When Alexius saw her, his mouth fell open. The reaction contributed to her lingering blush.

  “You look amazing,” he greeted her as a smile touched his lips.

  “Thanks,” she said. “You do, too.”

  He just stood there for a moment, staring at her. Then he seemed to jog himself and pulled his right hand out from behind his back. She realized that he carried something.

  “Your mother and your aunts contributed their knowledge of modern human traditions during the planning of the first ball,” he explained. “Now it’s a tradition for a male to bring his date a floral token.”

  She realized that he held a small corsage of white flowers. The sight of it once again prompted her to think of her high school dance with Ini-herit. To mask the discomfiting thought, she smiled.

  “That’s so sweet of you, Alexius,” she said. “Thank you.”

  While he was securing the corsage to her wrist, the door to Ini-herit’s bedroom opened. She told herself not to look over. Alexius deserved her attention right then.

  Still, when she heard Ini-herit step into the hall followed by a period of silence, curiosity got the better of her. She lifted her wrist to smell the flowers in the corsage and glanced a few feet down the hall. Ini-herit stared back at her. Although she half-expected him to turn and walk away without a word, he surprised her. His lips moved on a murmured word.

  “What did you say?” she asked. Her heart thudded into her throat. Had she understood him correctly?

  “Angel,” he repeated more loudly. “You are dressed like an angel.”

  “Yes,” she said, taking a single step closer to him even though it made her feel guilty to turn her back on Alexius.

  “That is a clever play on one of the human myths about our kind.”

  She forced herself to ask, “Is that the only significance my costume holds for you?”

  Once again, silence fell in the hallway. Behind her, doors opened as her family made their appearances so they could all go down to the ball together. Ini-heri
t gazed at her from behind his black and silver half-mask without any kind of reaction. She knew she wouldn’t receive the answer she sought.

  “Are you ready to go to the ball, C.K.?” Alexius asked.

  Hoping her mask helped hide her tears, Clara Kate nodded. When Alexius offered her his arm, she took it. Then she walked past Ini-herit without looking at him again, determined to enjoy the ball with a male who actually wanted to be with her.

  Chapter 20

  Ini-herit walked with the others from their rooms to the ballroom. He had never been to the space before, as it had been created after he transitioned to the human plane. Alexius took the lead and guided them through the halls with a confident stride.

  Seeing Clara Kate dressed as she was, holding the arm of another male, had Ini-herit recalling the memory of her in the restaurant with the human male, Brent. For the briefest moment, when he emerged from his bedroom and first saw her in the hallway, he even experienced a flash of the emotion he’d felt as a human. The feeling caught him off-guard. He’d stood there trying to recapture it, but realized when Clara Kate finally looked at him that he wasn’t going to succeed.

  There had been many things he’d wanted to tell her when she asked him whether her ensemble held any significance to him. He considered telling her about the memory Malukali and Knorbis recovered. He also thought about mentioning the twinge he’d felt when he spied her in her costume.

  Then he’d noticed Alexius looking between the two of them. Although Ini-herit wasn’t entirely sure what he read in the other male’s expression, he knew that it held more emotion than he could possibly give Clara Kate.

  She deserved better than Ini-herit could give her. So he hadn’t said a thing.

  Seeing her tears made him rethink his decision, but by then it was too late. Everyone else had emerged from their rooms and they all headed out in a bustle of conversation and activity.

  He noticed as they walked that the other females in their group had all dressed in very different gowns. Whereas Clara Kate’s gown resembled something from the late nineteenth century on the human plane, Sophia’s silver and deep blue-green garb was medieval in style, as though from a fairy tale. Ariana had opted to wear a Renaissance-era gown in shades of rose and violet. Tate’s satin gown was the most contemporary, having a sleeveless, form-fitting bodice and full, floor-length skirt. The dark red garb was sure to garner attention. Red was a color rarely worn by non-Mercesti.

  Ini-herit realized that Zachariah had chosen not to wear a mask. The Mercesti had donned a tuxedo, but that was apparently the extent of his attempt to blend in. Even his blond hair looked as untamed as usual. With his intent gaze moving constantly from one shadowed corner to the next, Zachariah made it clear he wasn’t comfortable with their location.

  “The plan is for all of the Kynzesti to be announced into the ballroom once most of the guests have arrived,” Alexius explained as they walked. He looked down at Clara Kate. “Archigos Sebastian felt this would be the best way to introduce you to everyone at once.”

  “I would prefer to avoid that direct attention,” Zachariah said.

  Alexius glanced at him. Ini-herit knew that both Alexius and Harold had maintained strong relationships with Zachariah when he had been the Gloresti second commander. Both Waresti had accepted Zachariah without judgment after discovering his conversion to Mercesti. The look exchanged now between the two males had a distinct sense of camaraderie. After a moment, Alexius nodded and turned to Ini-herit.

  “Would you please convey this to archigos Sebastian? We believe it would be better to just enter the ball with everyone else and blend in with the crowd.”

  “Of course,” Ini-herit replied.

  As he sent the thought out, he considered Zachariah’s possible reasoning for the change in plans. In his mind, it made more sense to introduce the Kynzesti at one time. There would be a great many beings present at this event. Making many separate introductions seemed inefficient.

  Oh, well. He might not understand their reasoning, but he saw no reason to argue.

  When they arrived at the grand ballroom, it was filling up with beings. Alexius led them through the main entrance, which was marked by two enormous wooden doors. Several Waresti currently stood guard. They bowed to Alexius and Ini-herit as the group entered the room.

  It was larger than any other social gathering space at Central, Ini-herit realized. His gaze lifted to the high ceiling, which was currently enchanted to look like the night sky. Thousands of stars winked down on them. Candles glowed from long, linen-covered tables lining every side of the room, highlighting an impressive spread of food and drink that scented the air with mouth-watering aromas. On the other end of the room, a group of instruments played themselves, guided by a Lekwuesti’s power. Bright music filled the air, blending with the hum of conversation as Estilorians from different classes caught up with each other. The dance floor was already occupied by a number of beings.

  “We had better identify a meeting point,” Alexius said to Zachariah. “Somewhere we should all gather at an established time.”

  The Mercesti nodded. “The base of the clock would work well,” he said.

  They all glanced over to the right side of the room, where a large clock, supported by an ornate, black, wrought-iron base, stood almost as high as the ceiling and at least fifteen feet wide. It was impossible to miss.

  “We should meet there hourly,” Zachariah suggested.

  No one argued with him. With the parameters of their evening now established, the group broke off into smaller pairings. Ini-herit only then considered the fact that he was the only one without a companion. His instincts had him wanting to follow Clara Kate as she moved away, but for some reason, the idea of spending an evening watching her interact with Alexius made him—

  What, exactly? He didn’t even know what the odd sensation in his chest meant. But as he watched Clara Kate disappear into the crowd and he then turned to begin his version of socializing, he knew he didn’t wish to continue experiencing it.

  In truth, he’d rather feel nothing at all.

  “I have been to every one of these balls,” Ariana said as she and Tiege moved away from the others. “The Lekwuesti, especially, enjoy the diversity among the costumes and the elaborate décor.”

  “Do they change the setup every year?” Tiege asked as his gaze moved around the room.

  She sensed he wasn’t really curious about the décor and she couldn’t blame him. Although she had hoped to experience her usual enthusiasm while attending the masquerade, she felt only a sense of obligation. How could she revel in an event like this when there was so much more in the balance?

  A few months ago, her existence would have revolved around clothing, music, food and hospitality. Were it not for her recent experiences, she would likely even now be standing with a group of her friends, including her best friend, Tisha. She might be judging the costumes of the attendees, pointing out things she liked and disliked about each of them. She would likely sample the food and offer similar judgments, thinking her opinion was of such importance. Perhaps she might have even accepted an offer or two to dance.

  Now, Tisha was dead. Now, Ariana knew what it meant to live outside of any level of comfort…to live within the confines of abuse and torture. She was no longer an innocent and naïve young female who couldn’t see beyond the surface.

  “The theme changes,” she said at last, her grip on Tiege’s arm tightening as she spotted a group of familiar faces. “It appears they’ve gone with ‘Victorian Romance’ this year.”

  Tiege touched her hand on his arm and looked down at her. They stopped walking as he got a good look at her face. “Are you all right?” Before she could reply, he said, “Ariana, I’m sorry I didn’t do a better job of explaining myself before. I’ve wanted to talk to you for weeks, but something has always come up.”

  “Ariana, is that you?”

  She recognized the voice of Elena, a fellow Lekwuesti. Knowing that a response wo
uld cause a lengthy delay, she ignored her.

  Tiege continued, “I think it’s great that you’re going to pair with Tate. Thank you for offering that to her. I never thought about how her pairing with Zachariah might impact her potential relationships with other Estilorians.”

  “Ariana?”

  Again, she ignored the greeting, this one from a Lekwuesti named Bridget. She chose instead to focus on Tiege, whose gaze was shadowed by his black half-mask.

  “I love you,” he said. “I love you more than I know how to express. I don’t want you obligated to serve me in any way. When the time is right, I want to avow with you. I want to marry you.”

  Tears filled her eyes. How had she ever gotten so lucky?

  “Ariana. That is you.”

  This time, there was no avoiding Elena and Bridget or the group of other female Lekwuesti approaching with them. Turning with a polite smile, Ariana said, “Hello.”

  “I figured you might not have heard me over the music,” Elena said, her gaze moving to Tiege. “Hello. I’m Elena. This is Bridget.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he responded. “I’m Tiege.”

  “Ah. The son of adelfi Skye and adelfos Caleb,” Elena said.

  Bridget ran her eyes over him and added, “The twin brother of the female who paired with the Mercesti.”

  Ariana was sure Tiege heard the frost in the tones of the other females. She felt him stiffen. Then Elena quirked an eyebrow and looked back at Ariana.

  “Are you together, then?” she asked, lifting her chin as she spoke.

  Irritated by the other Lekwuesti’s behavior, Ariana replied, “Yes. Tiege is my fiancé.”

  When he turned to look at her, she met his gaze and smiled. They both heard the indrawn breaths from the group beside them.

  “Really?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said, feeling more joy than she had ever thought possible. “I love you, Tiege.”