by Raine Thomas
He then followed Gabriel and James in leading the sisters to their places at the long table intended for them. Their places were easily identifiable due to the color of their place settings.
“Oh, how lovely!” Skye said as she spotted the light and dark blue plates and glasses delineating her and Caleb’s seats.
He pulled her chair out for her and waited for her to take her seat before he took his own. The noise in the stadium rose again as everyone else also took their seats. The activity on the stadium floor slowed as the various tables acquired occupants and the elders joined them at the center table.
Before any of the elders took their seats, they stopped by Skye and Caleb to extend their congratulations on their avowed status. She was so giddy with joy that he had to forcefully counter the emotion she inadvertently conveyed to him with his own stubborn will. He could hardly fault her for her happiness. It was actually quite humbling knowing how happy she was just because of him. But it did make it harder to focus on staying vigilant and seeing to her protection.
Dinner was served after the elders were seated. The Lekwuesti had prepared a wide variety of dishes. Chicken, beef, pork and fish accompanied by an array of salads, soups, vegetables and breads were passed family-style around the tables.
“I don’t know how I can possibly eat over the butterflies in my stomach,” Skye said, scooping a meager amount of mashed potatoes onto her plate.
“Easy,” Caleb said. “One bite at a time.” He stabbed a piece of chicken and ate it to demonstrate.
“I’ll eat your portion,” Amber said only half-jokingly to Skye, reaching past Caleb to hand a platter of fish to her sister.
The pass might have looked rude to an outside observer, but Amber knew Caleb hated fish. For some reason, the significance of that simple action suddenly hit him. He had never known anyone as well as he knew this group he now considered his sisters and brothers, just as he had never been known so well by anyone. His life had changed in some really amazing ways since the sisters had entered it.
“You’re not going to go getting all emotional on me, are you?” Amber asked when he stared at her. She elbowed him in the side, making him grin.
“You’d never let me live that down.”
“Nope.” She grinned back at him.
They all enjoyed their dinner, making friendly conversation with the elders. While their table was notably the most energetic, there was more conversation noise at this event than there had been at the welcome reception. He knew the elders found this good news.
After everyone had eaten, the tables on the ground level were removed by Sebastian. Then the dance floor cleared, leaving just Skye and Caleb standing alone. The lights slowly dimmed until only a single ball floated over the bridal couple and one over to the side of the dance floor. Skye watched with amazement as Amber stood in that light and accepted her guitar from Sebastian. The Lekwuesti elder touched the guitar’s body, causing it to glow to project its sound. Skye was flooded with emotion when she realized her sister, who hated to be in the spotlight, was going to play for them.
“A wedding present,” Amber said with a small smile. After a few testing strums, she broke into “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Olivia made the gift perfect by singing along with her.
Caleb held his hand out to Skye. She beamed at him.
“Humans normally wait until after the wedding to have the dinner and dancing,” she said as he swept her into the dance. “But then, the groom doesn’t normally see the bride before she walks down the aisle, either.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Then we’re doing it all wrong?”
She laughed as they spun. “No. We’re doing it exactly right.”
As that song ended, he spotted Quincy standing along the edge of the dance floor, watching them. He led her over that way, reading the intent in the Corgloresti’s eyes. They came to a stop just as the last note faded and Amber transitioned to a second song. Skye’s eyes went wide when she spotted her new friend. A bright smile lit her face.
“Hi, Quincy!” she exclaimed enthusiastically, squeezing Caleb’s hand and giving him a grateful look. “Come on, dance with me.”
She took Quincy’s hands before he could even say hello and pulled him onto the floor. Caleb watched them go with a smile.
Time passed quickly. Sebastian conjured a small band when Amber tired, and its music filled the stadium. Skye danced with a number of partners. Gabriel, James and all of the male elders danced with her, as did Harold and Alexius, Hitoshi and the Corgloresti commander, Raphael.
Caleb was fascinated by the things that ran through her head about each one of them. She found Gabriel ridiculously charming and James perfectly adorable. Her love for both of them was evident. He discovered that she had known about Knorbis’ love for Malukali before the elder did himself, and she was extremely happy for both of them. Ini-herit reminded her of Nick, her father-figure on the human plane, and she wished he was as receptive to emotion as the other elders so he could be happier. She was quite intimidated by the giant Waresti leader, Uriel, but found his commanders, Harold and Alexius, very personable and considerate. She was awed by Hitoshi and found his dark blue markings “totally cool.” And she thought, with a laughing apology toward Caleb, that Raphael was a male almost too beautiful in appearance for words.
It was hard to be offended when he knew exactly where her heart lay.
Who’s this?
He glanced to her right as she ended her dance with Raphael and watched her next hopeful partner approach. The tall male wore his blond hair long enough to tie back. Skye was silently comparing his clothing with what she termed the Renaissance period on the human plane.
Raising an eyebrow, he thought, The Gloresti second commander, Balduin.
He hadn’t seen his second commander since he had departed to guard Skye’s Estilorian form during her time on the human plane. He decided to tune completely into her thoughts, curious over the approach of the other male.
“Hello, commander Balduin,” she said politely with a curtsey. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Good evening, Skye,” he said in smooth tones. “I confess that I am flattered you know me.”
Caleb didn’t want her to call attention to their shared connection. He was sure she sensed it when she didn’t comment on it. Instead, she inclined her head and smiled. He was sure he was the only one who noticed her discomfort.
“Did you want to dance?” she asked a bit hesitantly.
“I would be honored.”
They stepped onto the floor. Caleb watched them move among the many pairs of dancers and kept his thoughts connected with her.
“Has Caleb mentioned me, then?” Balduin asked.
“Oh, you know Caleb. He’s very respectful of his leaders,” she said circuitously.
“Of course. He certainly is that.”
She continued to move to the music, but Caleb felt her continued uneasiness. Where she could normally guide anyone in conversation, she remained oddly silent.
How come I’ve never met him before? she wondered.
He’s been in charge of the Gloresti stronghold while Gabriel and commander Hitoshi were away. One of the three of them is usually there at all times because our lieutenant is relatively new to her position and still learning. I guess they made an exception for this.
After a minute, Balduin spoke. “I must congratulate Caleb later on avowing with you before you were introduced to the rest of us.”
Caleb’s expression darkened.
“I beg your pardon?” Skye asked with wide eyes.
Balduin shrugged. “I am merely pointing out that you were on your way to our homeland, but before you reached it, Caleb avowed himself to you. One might presume that he was concerned your interest would be turned by a competitor if you had made it to us sooner.”
What a pompous ass, she thought, though her expression remained politely interested. Caleb felt his anger rising.
“And being avowed to you now gives Cale
b quite a bit of prestige, does it not?” Balduin said.
And with that comment, Caleb started purposefully across the dance floor.
“I see,” she said thoughtfully. “You feel threatened by Caleb.”
Although her perceptive comment caught Caleb by surprise, he didn’t falter in his stride. And then, timing it perfectly, he took her hand when she extended it toward him and then danced her away from Balduin, leaving the second commander stranded in the middle of the dance floor.
That was probably rude, she thought with a smile.
No more so than his failure to address me directly, he returned. His temper was on a slow burn.
We can’t have you unhappy on our wedding day, she decided.
Then she whirled him off the dance floor toward a darkened alcove. And when she had him where she wanted him, she kissed him until the last thing he was thinking about was his commander.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“I, Caleb, take you Skye, to be my wife…”
The wedding ceremony started at the stroke of midnight. The elders generated balls of light to hover right over the bride and groom and their bridal party, leaving the rest of the stadium as dark as a night sky. The silence in the stadium was hushed and expectant. Despite the crowd, there was a distinct air of intimacy surrounding the ceremony.
Skye thought it was the most romantic and perfect arrangement ever. Married at midnight on the dance floor after a ball. Her wedding couldn’t have been designed any better if she had done the planning herself. The only thing that would have made it more perfect would have been to have Nick and her human family in attendance. Fortunately, she had her spirit guardian ever-present with her as a reminder of that family. And his conveyed happiness over her pairing was really more than enough for her.
As Caleb recited his vows, excitement and contentment swirled through her. She felt like the luckiest woman—and Estilorian—in the world.
Jabari officiated the ceremony, as he had Amber and Gabriel’s wedding and Olivia and James’. Skye had asked Quincy to give her away, since he had been such close friends with her father. He had been notably thrilled and touched by her request. He had even kissed her on the cheek before he placed her hand in Caleb’s, obviously having learned a bit about weddings in his time on the human plane.
Amber and Olivia stood behind her and Gabriel and James stood behind Caleb. The elders all sat in the front rows of the many chairs that had been set on the dance floor. Sebastian had produced bouquets of blue and white flowers for Skye and her sisters as well as an abundance of flowers and greenery to decorate the stadium for the human ceremony.
When it was her turn to speak, Skye smiled brightly. She felt happy tears burning behind her eyes, but forced them back. When she spoke, her voice was clear and firm.
“I, Skye, take you Caleb, to be my husband. You are my best friend and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you. All that I am and all that I have, I give to you in love and in joy. I now offer you this vow made in love, kept in faith and honored forever.”
She felt his love for her as he held her gaze while she recited her vows. And they both felt the impressive pull of Fate that had brought them there.
A short while later, Jabari smiled widely and said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Caleb, you may kiss your wife.”
Across the stadium, the observer watched as Caleb kissed Skye.
The happy couple was so absorbed in each other that they didn’t even seem to register the resounding applause that filled the stadium. Not wanting to call unwanted attention, the observer applauded enthusiastically along with everyone else.
This kiss was relatively short and chaste, unlike the several they had exchanged earlier in the shadows. They had thought themselves alone. But they had never been far from the observer’s sight.
Unbidden anger surged as the observer reflected on their happiness. When the observer noticed the grin fade a bit from archigos Gabriel’s face, noticed the elder looking over his shoulder with an assessing gaze, there was a heavy damper placed on that anger. Now was most definitely not the time to rouse suspicion.
The observer could have killed any one of Saraqael’s daughters by now. It would have been ridiculously easy. Their half-human anatomies made them susceptible to all kinds of natural poisons that didn’t harm full-blooded Estilorians. How easy it would be to slip something into their food or water. But it would be better—much better to wait until after Caleb had fully joined with Skye before taking any action. The foolish male thought he knew what it was to be connected to another. Just wait. He would soon be as hopelessly ensnared as Gabriel and James were.
And then the observer would watch gleefully as he broke over his wife’s dead body.
In the early hours before dawn after the conclusion of the ball, Skye stood in the shower and let the water beat down on her shoulders. She sighed happily as the water relaxed her.
She was a married woman. Caleb’s wife.
Wow. She wondered how long that would really take to set in.
They wouldn’t get a long honeymoon like her sisters had. There was too urgent a need to complete the protection ceremonies at the other homelands, and she knew Gabriel was anxious to finish all of them as quickly as possible due to Amber’s pregnancy. She didn’t blame him in the least. In fact, it had actually been her suggestion to curtail the length of her honeymoon.
As a compromise, a special villa had been arranged for her and Caleb to enjoy a few days together following the wedding. It was still within Estilorian Central, but its location assured them a decent measure of privacy. The adorable stone dwelling was surrounded by an abundance of lush greenery and had a private, natural hot spring complete with a waterfall just off the back patio. It also had a nicely furnished dining area, living area, bedroom and bathroom, which she supposed was really all they needed for a few days.
She took her time in the shower. After washing herself in her jasmine cleanser, she stepped out of the shower and dried herself. Caleb had finished his shower ages ago and was probably wondering if she had fallen in.
Smiling, she hummed as she hung her towel and then turned to the vanity to begin applying jasmine-scented lotion to her skin. Caleb was crazy about scent. He would be insane by the end of the night, she wagered. And when she pulled on the white, lacy, abbreviated tank and matching lace panties that had been created as part of her trousseau, she knew that was a sucker’s bet. The poor guy wasn’t going to know what hit him.
She pulled on a modest white robe before she left the bathroom, figuring she would have a little mercy on him.
When she walked out of the bathroom, idly fluffing her hair as she did, Caleb’s eyes rose from where he sat on the edge of the bed with his hands clenched on his knees. He got swiftly to his feet when he spotted her and then stood there awkwardly. She thought he looked unusually pale, the dark blue of his sleep tank and shorts contrasting starkly against his normally deeply-toned skin.
Puzzled, she probed gently at his thoughts. It didn’t take much for her to determine that he was quite terrified. He really didn’t want to screw this up.
The knowledge turned her into sentimental mush.
Keeping her thoughts carefully to herself, she adjusted her posture and deliberately fiddled with the belt to her robe. She stopped a few feet from him and avoided his eyes.
“Are you as nervous about this as I am?” she asked with a hesitant smile.
He raised an eyebrow and walked over to her. “‘Scared out of my mind’ would be the phrase that occurs to me. But you’re not nervous.”
She caught his dark blue gaze and grinned widely, not even denying her pretense. “No, I’m not. Because I know it’s going to be perfect.”
“You sure have a lot of confidence.”
“Oh, yes. In both of us.” She walked right up to him and ran a hand over his arm where their shared mark now rested. “Caleb, do you like kissing me?”
His lips twitched despite his obvious
anxiety. “You know the answer to that.”
“You’re right. I do. Now imagine that feeling times ten. No…times twenty.”
His eyebrows both shot up this time.
She smiled knowingly. “You really should’ve tuned into Gabriel and James at least once to get an appreciation of how it feels.”
“Are you saying you—?”
She interrupted him by putting her hand over his mouth. “You already know I tapped into Amber and Olivia’s thoughts more than I should have. Don’t judge me until we’ve tried this at least once, okay?”
He gave her a wry look, but nodded.
She removed her hand, then wound her arms around his waist. “Now, why don’t we start with a good night kiss and take it from there?”
The Estilorian traitor had saved Grolkinei’s life.
Kanika received the transmission about the rescue of Quincy the Corgloresti while Eloy’s body was still warm on the ground. Not believing that anyone could have gotten past his soldiers guarding the dungeon, Grolkinei had gone himself to check.
The sight of Eloy’s dead body contained within the still-locked cell had shocked him to his core. He had thrown the cell door open, hoping there was still someone lying in wait inside the cell that he could kill. All he found was the hair still clutched in Eloy’s hand and the silver comb that had been jammed into his leg.
He recognized the blue color of some of that hair. Skye.
The shock had only held him in place for a minute. Then he grabbed her hair and the comb and ran back to the stairs leading away from the dungeon, sounding the alarm as he fled.
They had escaped the holding mere minutes before it came under siege by the Waresti. It had taken a great deal of Grolkinei’s power to throw the Waresti trackers off enough to keep them from picking up their trail first on land and then by air. He had been forced to sacrifice a few of his soldiers to keep their pursuers at bay, something that further stoked his fury.
Now, he was holed up in his least-liked residence due to necessity. The huge stone fortress had been built up in the snowy caps of the mountains centuries before. It blended perfectly with the rocky landscape it encompassed, making it all but invisible to those who didn’t know of its existence. As with several of his other holdings, this one had an elaborate series of tunnels embedded in the surrounding rock leading away from the main dwelling. Those tunnels served as escape routes and handy places to keep prisoners when the need arose.
