Foretold

by Raine Thomas

  Well, there were the two times in the hot spring, she thought with a slow smile as she caught his eye.

  Grinning at that, he returned, And the time in the shower.

  And when their embarrassed silence was met with a round of hearty laughter from their family, Caleb simply reached for the cheese and crackers and thought that it was nice to be home.

  “You have indicated that they are presently on their way to the Scultresti area of your stronghold,” Grolkinei said to the Estilorian trembling in front of him. “Well, I have a message for you to bring to them in the coming days.”

  He paused and waited for the Estilorian to nod. The movement reflected obvious fear and complacency.

  He smiled, but it was without humor. “I realize you thought you were ingratiating yourself to me with your actions. The truth is, however, that you were simply making yourself convenient. You are a fool. And unless you do exactly as I say, you will pay the price for it while I relish every moment of your pain. Do you understand?”

  Another jerky nod.

  “Excellent. Then listen closely. Here is what I want you to do…”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Welcome to our homeland,” the Scultresti commander, Cadence, greeted them the following morning in a soft voice bearing a distinctly French accent.

  Skye thought the petite female with sunny hair and freckles looked more like a high school freshman than the commander of a race of powerful beings. The frilly burgundy gown she wore resembled a period piece from a movie about courtly life in the eighteenth-century. Beside her stood a male with brown hair pulled back into a stubby tail at the base of his neck. His Scultresti brown eyes were framed by ridiculously long lashes for a male. His skin was the warm tone of freshly turned earth. He wore more modern-looking garb, a white tank with navy blue pants and boots.

  “Welcome,” he said. His tone was cordial, though his expression remained neutral. “I am Finnin, second commander of the Scultresti. It is a pleasure to meet you all at last.”

  Cadence smiled. “Finnin has allowed me to attend both social events while he remained here. I am afraid I took advantage of his kindness.”

  After the two commanders exchanged a look, Skye thought, They’re half in love with each other.

  Caleb raised an eyebrow, but didn’t argue.

  “Lieutenant Gordain also wanted to meet you, but unfortunately he is involved in a complicated formation at the moment,” Cadence explained. “We may be able to greet him during the tour, which we hope you all find of interest.”

  “We encourage discovery and inquisitiveness here,” Finnin added. “We invite you to explore all that our homeland has to offer. We know you will participate in the ritual later this afternoon, but everyone is eager to meet you between now and then.”

  Skye felt Olivia’s excitement. This environment was perfectly suited to her middle-sister’s affinity for nature. At the moment, they were standing on a large platform made of nothing more than brown light surrounding the trunk of a massive tree in the middle of the homeland. Similar bands of brown energy joined all of the many trees that formed the living environment of the creative class. She guessed the energy bands were used to get from one location to another since the tree branches would make flying all but impossible.

  “I’ve got to meet with the other elders briefly about today’s ritual and the plan for the coming homeland visits,” Gabriel said, his gaze moving among his family. “I’ll catch up with y’all in a bit.”

  Then he exchanged a longer, more meaningful look with Amber and rubbed her arm affectionately. Skye had already been given the warning that she and Caleb needed to keep their physical contact to a minimum while in public until Estilorians had more of an understanding about emotions. She imagined that Gabriel conveyed his true message to Amber with his thoughts. When her sister’s cheeks pinkened as Gabriel turned and followed the other elders, Skye smiled.

  “Come on, guys,” she said, hurrying over to one of the many paths leading up into the surrounding forest. “I can’t wait to see how they’ve built their homes among these trees!”

  She took one step onto the first path and suddenly felt herself falling. Caleb caught her around the waist and pulled her back to safety before she could even gasp.

  He looked unsurprised as he said, “You must request permission before you can walk on a Scultresti’s path.”

  Her face filled with color as she looked apologetically toward Cadence and Finnin, both of whom looked quite appalled. “Oops. Gosh, I’m sorry.”

  “There is no need to apologize,” Cadence said, recovering before her second commander. “I am sure we led you to understand that you were free to travel anywhere within our homeland, but we did not think that you have not been oriented to our protocols. Some of these paths lead to private homes or to areas where forms are in development. Not all are accessible.”

  “Gotcha. So, um, how do we request permission?” Skye asked, fiddling with her necklace.

  Cadence walked up to the path Skye had approached. She cast a small ball of light and tossed it down onto the path. The energy was absorbed by the path, making it glow a darker shade of brown and appear more solid.

  “This means that permission has been granted,” she explained, looking at the sisters. “It will allow me and my party access to the path now. If permission had been denied, the light would have been reflected back rather than absorbed.” She waved a hand leading up the path. “Shall we?”

  Skye once again led the way, her enthusiasm unabated by her near-fall. She felt Caleb right behind her and almost laughed, though she was sorry to have caused him such concern.

  The Scultresti were, by and large, very polite and welcoming. They eagerly showed the sisters their work, everything from animal, human and Estilorian forms in mid-creation to trees and flowers ready for planting. They explained that although there were many “natural” species on the Estilorian plane from when it had first been created, there were also those that had been created solely by their class. As they were the class responsible for the creation of everything organic on the Estilorian plane, they worked closely with the Lekwuesti, who used those creations for their domestic tasks.

  Cadence opted to stay behind during their second stop so that she could assist a few Scultresti who were having difficulty with a particular formation. Olivia asked to stay and watch, as she was fascinated by the creation process, so she and James also remained behind. Finnin continued on with Amber, Skye and Caleb, leading them along several other paths and introducing them to more members of his class.

  On their fifth path, they ended up in a room containing ten seated Scultresti. A single female with shoulder-length, wavy brown hair wearing flowing robes stood before the seated beings. She glanced up as they arrived, her gaze shifting between Skye and Amber.

  “Hello, commander Finnin,” she said with a bow. Then she stood without expression.

  “Greetings, Maya. I would like to introduce you and your students to some special visitors. This is Amber, Skye and Caleb.” He glanced at Amber and Skye and explained, “Maya is instructing some of the newest members of our class. Most of these Scultresti have only a few years of existence.”

  Skye had to admit that the intense and unblinking gazes of the students were a bit disconcerting. Still, she smiled and said, “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Why is it these two females look so much alike?” one of the male students asked. He was speaking to the teacher, but staring at Skye and Amber. “Were they created by the same Scultresti? I thought all forms are supposed to look different.”

  “They are not full Estilorians,” Maya responded.

  Skye’s smile faded as the stares continued.

  “What are they then?” asked a female with long, curly black hair and milky skin. She asked it in a way that sounded like she found their very presence distasteful.

  Skye and Amber exchanged a look over being discussed like a class science project. Skye rolled her eyes and A
mber crossed her arms over her chest.

  “They are half-human,” Maya answered. “Their father was a Corgloresti and their mother was human. We have not yet studied the story of their origins, but we will.”

  “Their eye colors are unusual,” another student commented. This one was a female with white-blonde hair. Her garb as well as her accent resembled a Scottish female’s. “As are their markings.”

  “Yes,” Maya agreed. “Again, this is a result of their blended heritage.”

  “Why are they traveling with a Gloresti?” asked the first male who had spoken.

  “I can appreciate all of your curiosity,” Finnin interrupted from behind the sisters. “But I did not bring our visitors by to become a part of your lesson. They are our honored guests.”

  There was an awkward pause as the students processed this, continuing their studies of Amber and Skye. Then Amber reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear.

  The female with curly black hair gasped and made a face as her gaze focused on Amber’s arm. “Oh, what an atrocious scar,” she said, pointing. “Why would she not cover such a hideous thing?”

  Amber’s golden eyes flashed and narrowed dangerously.

  “Oh my gosh,” Skye gushed in an excessively dramatic tone, her eyes wide, “that is so funny!” And here, her tone frosted as she stared at the Scultresti female. “I was just thinking the same thing about your face.”

  And then she hooked arms with Amber and turned, walking straight out of the classroom.

  “That was a good one,” Amber said when they were a few feet outside the door.

  Skye grinned at her. “I know.”

  A few words issued in a raised voice filtered out to them. She realized Caleb was getting a few biting comments in, too. She caught “sister” and “archigos Gabriel” among whatever it was he was saying. When he strode out a few seconds later, she thought he looked quite fierce. She was sure the Scultresti back in the classroom were trembling in their seats.

  “My sincerest apologies, Amber,” Finnin said as he hurried out behind Caleb. His expression was quite distraught. “I would never have had you insulted that way.”

  Amber waved a hand in dismissal. “They’re young. They’ll learn.”

  “And if they don’t, she’ll kick their asses,” Skye added.

  They approached another path and spotted Gabriel, Olivia and James walking with Zayna and Cadence. Skye realized Finnin looked very uncomfortable and guessed he was concerned about Gabriel’s reaction should he learn about the young Scultresti’s comment. She didn’t intend to say anything, but he shared thoughts with Amber and Caleb, too.

  “It is time to begin the ritual,” Zayna told them when they were standing as a group. “We have accommodations ready for all of you to rest after the ceremony’s conclusion.”

  They all followed Zayna to the site selected for the ritual. It was up among the high tops of the trees on another energy platform. Skye found the walk invigorating. Although she hated to admit it, she had gotten used to the rigorous daily workouts imposed on them. Being out of that routine made her feel off-kilter.

  The other elders awaited them. Now that they knew the most effective way to perform the ritual, it took little communication among the group. They simply joined wings and began.

  She was relieved to realize that Caleb was right. If anything, her connection to him made the ritual go even more smoothly. She was able to draw on his added strength to more easily manage the power in the way she needed to. He also experienced more of the ritual’s power now than he had before their connection.

  And this time, when unconsciousness claimed her, she knew it wouldn’t be for long.

  Caleb was truly awed by Skye’s abilities. He had never felt anything as incredibly powerful as what she funneled for the ritual, and he knew he had only experienced a portion of what she controlled so effortlessly.

  Alongside Gabriel and James carrying her sisters, he carried Skye to their sleeping accommodations. The circular chamber was contained within the branches of a huge tree. Brown Scultresti energy created the chamber, pushing the branches back to frame the space. The floor was also made only of energy. There were three beds and a dining table inside the chamber. Because there weren’t any inside walls or a bathroom, Caleb understood that these were truly only meant to be temporary accommodations.

  “We’re flying to the Orculesti homeland once the girls awaken,” Gabriel explained. “We’re trying to complete these rituals as expediently as possible.”

  Caleb frowned as he settled Skye into the bed on the far right-hand side of the room. “Skye needs more than a few hours between rituals to recover.”

  “I understand that,” Gabriel said patiently as he pulled Amber’s boots off. “But they can rest just as well at the Orculesti homeland and we’ll be ready to go once they are.”

  “Do you think they’ll awaken more quickly this time?” James asked. He smoothed Olivia’s hair away from her face.

  “I think so,” Gabriel said. “But I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

  He was proven correct. After only a matter of hours, Skye sat up in bed and looked around with a curious expression. Caleb rose from his seat at the table where he had been playing cards with his brothers and walked over to the bed.

  “How long was I out this time?” she asked as he sat beside her on the bed.

  “Only about three hours.”

  “Cool! Maybe by the time we finish all of the rituals, we won’t sleep at all.”

  He raised a corner of his mouth over her enthusiasm. “Maybe.”

  She joined them in playing cards. It only took about twenty minutes more for Amber to awaken. Gabriel went to her as she stretched. He stroked her belly and gave her a kiss, but whatever words they exchanged were done in silence.

  Olivia slept for almost twenty more minutes, causing James some concern. She finally woke as they were playing Poker.

  “Ugh,” she said as she jerked into a sitting position. “Where’s the bathroom?”

  They all realized she looked a little green. James hurried over to her. “There isn’t—”

  She threw up all over him.

  “—one,” he finished weakly.

  Caleb blinked in surprise. He got to his feet as his siblings did.

  “Oh, God,” Olivia said, covering her mouth with her hand and staring at James with a mix of horror and embarrassment. “I’m so sorry!”

  “Are you okay?” he asked, standing awkwardly beside the bed because he couldn’t touch her now without getting her covered in the mess, too.

  She nodded miserably. Amber walked over to the other side of the bed and touched Olivia on the top of her head. She sent out a bit of her healing energy in a soft wash of gold light. Olivia gave her a grateful look.

  Caleb noticed Gabriel exchanging a look with Skye. They both smiled.

  “I didn’t know you could get morning sickness in the middle of the day,” Gabriel commented conversationally with a wink at her.

  “I guess it’s because she just woke up,” Skye said equally as casually.

  They turned to look at Olivia, whose eyes were wide. “Morning sickness?” she repeated in disbelief.

  “What’s morning sickness?” James asked with a worried expression. “Is it dangerous?”

  Skye, Amber and Gabriel all laughed. Amber said, “I guess the answer to that is all in how you look at it.”

  Now James looked both confused and desperate for an explanation. Caleb still had no idea what everyone was talking about, and Skye was keeping her thoughts carefully contained. When Olivia’s eyes filled with tears, he grew alarmed.

  But then she turned to James and smiled through her tears. “What they’re saying is that I’m pregnant.”

  They all watched the play of emotions cross James’ face. Then Caleb caught his brother under his arms before his weakened knees dropped him to the floor.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  The sun was low in the sky as they flew to the Or
culesti homeland. Caleb flew as close to Skye as his wings would allow. She still tended to get distracted and veered at unexpected times. With the sun setting in its usual palette of brilliant color, he knew her mind was more captivated by the beauty around her than in focusing on her flying.

  Sure enough, her wings locked just enough while she was staring at the horizon that she jerked sideways until she was almost upside-down. The sound she made was a lot like a squeal.

  He found himself laughing as her wings winked out and he dove and grabbed her.

  She sighed as she clung to him. “I couldn’t help it,” she confessed.

  I know.

  Do you suppose if we kissed while flying you’d crash us both?

  He raised an eyebrow at the question and caught her twinkling gaze. His eyes moved to her smiling lips. Then he looked up and gauged how close they were to everyone else. Her tumble had put them a bit behind.

  She sensed the second he decided it was safe enough to try it. Her hand guided his head closer. He eagerly brought his lips to hers. Although it took a huge amount of focus to keep them in the air while kissing her and feeling her warmth against him, it was a remarkably invigorating experience. She left him struggling for breath when she finally let him go and once again extended her wings to fly beside him. Her smile was radiant.

  I sure as hell hope we’re sleeping in our own room tonight, he thought with feeling when his head cleared.

  “Welcome to our homeland, Amber, Olivia and Skye,” the Orculesti commander, Ailfrid, greeted them upon their arrival. “We have your accommodations ready for you.”

  Skye didn’t know him very well, but Ailfrid had been very nice to her and her sisters ever since the first time he met them. Unfortunately, that had been almost immediately after some of the members of his class had almost killed them through a poorly designed prank by an Orculesti named Dacian. Still, Ailfrid had done what he could to assure them that his class was most certainly not represented by those members.