“And as far as marrying Michael and having little Traveller babies, I’m only twenty years old.”
I remembered my upcoming birthday and slapped myself on the head. Anselina looked up at me in surprise.
“What is it?”
“Crapity crap. Excuse my French. I need to ask you a favor.”
“I’d do anything for you, Emerson.” Her complete sincerity almost made me forgive her for the sexual Spanish Inquisition I’d just experienced.
“I’m turning twenty-one on Friday, and promised my friends I’d go out with them. I obviously can’t do that now.”
Anselina’s face lit up. “It’s your birthday? How lovely. Don’t worry. I’ll plan it all. And your friends are more than welcome to come here.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Leave it to me.” She pulled me into a big hug, smelling just like the lavender in my sheets.
“Thank you, Grandmother.” The word still felt a bit funny on my tongue, but it grew easier each time I said it. I just hoped Michael reacted to the news about my birthday in the same way Anselina had. Somehow, I doubted it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Kiss my go-to-hell.
~Grandma Sugar
I managed to catch Michael before he left the compound. He dressed in full battle gear with knifes and other weapons. A leather strap crossed his body with a sword sheathed in the back.
“I hope you aren’t going to an airport, because you will not get through a metal detector in that get up.”
“What is it, Emerson?”
The other boys awaited him, armed to the hilt as well. Michael scowled, not in the mood to play. He was impatient and ready to rumble.
“Are you going to ask me not to hurt Leo again?” His voice was a growl.
I sighed in exasperation. “You can hurt him. In fact, please do hurt him. I just don’t want you to kill him. But this isn’t about Leo. It’s about my birthday.”
The look of complete confusion on his face was adorable. “Your birthday?”
“It’s on Friday. I forgot about it, truth be told, with the Moktar, the Travellers, and the long lost grandparents and all. But Lucinda and Poppy reminded me. They insist we go out.”
Watching Michael’s face reminded me of watching the dark clouds roll over an English sky. “You aren’t going out.”
I tried to remain patient. It wasn’t easy. “I’m not an idiot. I realize that, but I’m in a pickle. They’ve been talking about this for ages, since it’s my twenty-first birthday and kind of important. They won’t accept it if I brush them off this time. I talked to my grandmother, and she said they could come here. Would that be okay?”
“Yes. How many people?”
I blinked. That was easier than I thought. “Just four. Lucinda, Poppy, Nigel, and Sven.”
Michael gave me a curt nod. “Not a problem. We have a section of the courtyard blocked off for outside visitors with a separate entrance. It’s necessary on occasion. There are security measures in place so they can’t access the main compound. Anselina knows this.”
“Great. I wanted to check first with you, and also make sure you could come.” Suddenly, I was a little shy. We’d been thrown together, but we never really had a date, and this kind of felt like one.
Michael gave me a puzzled smile. His friends called for him to hurry up, but he gave me a kiss so sweet I almost melted like stick of butter on a hot sidewalk.
He brushed his thumb against my cheek and laughed at the bemused expression on my face. “I’ll be there.”
After he left, I was at a loss. I hated this feeling, knowing he was going out to fight, and not being able to help him. I strolled around the compound until I found Audrey and her friends.
“Sorry I haven’t returned your dress yet. I can get it for you now.”
She waved off my apology. “No worries. If you’d like, you can wear it for your party.”
“My party?”
Audrey laughed. “Your grandmother spread the word. News travels fast.”
“I guess so. Can y’all come?”
“Anselina already invited everyone.”
“Everyone?”
I looked around the compound. A woman I didn’t know smiled and waved. “Many happy returns, Emerson,” she called from across the courtyard. Several other people did the same. I shook my head. Audrey was right. News traveled fast.
“You have to understand.” Audrey linked her arm through mine. “It’s boring around here. It was exciting enough to have a Dweller in the compound. Now you’re one of us. This kind of thing just doesn’t happen.”
“A few of my Dweller friends are coming to the party. Will that be okay with everyone?”
“Of course. And don’t worry. We’ll tone it down a bit.”
I gave her a skeptical look. She wore a silver lame spaghetti strap tank top with a white micro-mini skirt, and the other girls were dressed about the same. These were their casual clothes. I couldn’t wait to see what they wore for a party. I might have to tell Poppy and Lucinda it was a stripper themed birthday. Lucinda would love it.
“Could you teach us some more of that kung fu stuff?” Audrey struck a pose that wasn’t half bad, and the other girls nodded eagerly. She leaned forward. “In private, of course. If any of the men see it, they might get the wrong idea.”
“Because you want to learn self-defense?”
Audrey blew on a strand of hair that had fallen across her face. “They might not see it as that, but what they don’t know won’t hurt them.”
I studied her face. “Am I going to get into trouble for this?”
She thought about it. “It’s possible, but the good outweighs the bad. The men have protected us so long they don’t realize we might be strong enough to protect ourselves. The only way to make them understand is to show them. Are you willing to help us?”
I looked at their faces. They weren’t asking for much, just for the right to defend themselves against monsters. I couldn’t refuse them, but I saw a lot of potential problems on the horizon, most of them in the form of Michael Nightingale.
“I’d be happy to.”
“Let’s get some dinner first, and then we’ll start.”
Audrey and her friends took me to the dining hall. I’d never seen it before. Inside, it looked like just about every school cafeteria I’d ever known. We got our food and found a table in the corner. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail to keep it from falling in my face.
“What happened to you?” Audrey narrowed her eyes. The other girls, busy talking and eating, didn’t hear her question. My hand went to my neck self-consciously.
Honesty was the best policy, even if the story was hard to talk about. “A Dweller attacked me. Someone I knew.”
Audrey shook her head. “Michael will kill him.”
I swallowed hard. The bit of bread I’d eaten almost got stuck in my throat. “He promised he wouldn’t.”
Audrey shrugged. “You’re his now. Traveller men are very protective of their women. You’ll get used to it. It has its benefits.” She gave me a little wink.
I picked up my fork and played with my food. “I won’t be here long enough to find out. I have to go home soon.”
Audrey snorted. “That’s not going to happen.” Audrey acted the same way Anselina had, and it made me nervous.
“What do you mean?”
“She doesn’t know what she means. She never knows what the hell she’s talking about.” Nella and her posse of mean girls came up to our table. Audrey glared at her.
“Bugger off, Nella.”
Nella raised her hand as if to slap Audrey, but thought better of it. She leaned in and spoke to her through clenched teeth. “I’ll deal with you later, dirt lover.”
“Dirt lover? How creative. Whatever does she mean?”
I pushed back my plate and folded my hands together on top of the table. Bullies were the same everywhere. If you let them get away with it once, it only made them worse.
Nella leaned close to me. “Dirt lovers are Travellers who lower themselves to socialize with Dwellers, and we all know Dweller girls are a bunch of sluts and whores.”
I picked up my napkin and daintily dabbed the corners of my mouth. “Dwellers? There aren’t any Dwellers here, but there is some gypsy garbage. I think it’s time we took out the trash. Ladies?”
Before Nella could even respond, I’d jumped up and twisted her arm behind her back with one hand, grabbing a handful of her hair with the other. She made a startled grunting noise, and I twisted her arm just a little farther. Not enough to break it, but far enough to hurt. As I led her out of the dining hall, Audrey and the other girls followed.
“Where does the trash go?” I asked, and Audrey grinned. She pointed to some large bins next to the door. One of them didn’t have a lid on it, the natural choice. “It’s always important to clean up when you see garbage lying around.”
“Don’t you dare.” Nella spoke through gritted teeth. Her friends stood around, looking nervous. They weren’t going to back her up. She tried one final strategy. “You’re not even a true Traveller. You’re a half-breed mutant. You shouldn’t be allowed to stay here. You shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near us.”
Her words stung, but I leaned forward and whispered in Nella’s ear, “Then why don’t you just try to make me go away, you nasty bit of rubbish? Remember this the next time you try to bully someone. If I can fight off a Moktar, I can certainly handle you.”
“You’re a bitch.”
“Maybe. But Michael is mine. Don’t forget that, either.”
I pushed Nella over until she went head first into the garbage. Her legs stuck up in the air, and she had on granny underpants. Audrey and her friends almost fell on the ground laughing. Several of the younger Traveller boys saw it, too, and starting making catcalls. Nella’s friends had to push over the garbage can to get her out. She was filthy and mad, but with a healthy dose of fear in her eyes. Fear was good. And the fact her friends didn’t even try to stand up for her was also a good sign. She wouldn’t bother me again anytime soon.
Chapter Twenty-Two
They go together like moonshine and mason jars.
~Grandma Sugar
The next two days were as ordinary as days inside a gypsy compound could be. I taught self-defense to the ladies who wanted to learn and went to classes at the university during the day, usually accompanied by one of the younger Traveller boys if Michael was busy. No one had seen Leo, but they weren’t taking any chances. Michael hunted at night. Nella kept her distance. No one else mentioned my half-Traveller mutant status. The two-week limit on my visit no longer applied, and I felt more and more like part of the community.
When Friday came, I couldn’t wait for the party to begin. Michael would meet Lucinda and Poppy at the apartment and bring them to the compound. I’d planned to wear Audrey’s gold dress, but my grandmother surprised me with a different one, a soft, white dress that shimmered with every step I took. Sexy and strapless, but more my style, it had a wide sash that tied around my waist, and a skirt that floated gently down to hit just at mid-thigh length.
“I love it,” I said, spinning around in front of the mirror. Classy and elegant, but with enough sparkle to make it gypsy.
Anselina smiled. “It’s custom for girls to get a new dress on their sixteenth birthday. It’s a little late, but it’ll have to do.”
She reached behind her and picked up a small box. “This is also for you. It belonged to your mother.”
Inside the box rested a very simple silver necklace, a dove hanging on a delicate chain. The dove sparkled with one small diamond for an eye, but otherwise was bling-free.
“Doves are very lucky things in our culture. I hope this one brings you luck.”
“Thank you.”
“You look like her, you know.” I glanced up at her in surprise, and she smiled. “Her hair was red, and her eyes were blue, but otherwise you could be carbon copies. You have her personality, too. As warm and as welcoming as a fire on a cool day.”
Anselina’s voice cracked, and I looked at myself in the mirror. I couldn’t really see the resemblance, but I felt closer to my mother now than I ever had in my entire life.
Audrey and her crew came bounding into my grandparents’ caravan. Audrey lugged a giant suitcase. “Time for hair and makeup.”
“Uh, oh.”
Audrey laughed and pulled out an assortment of bottles and creams. “I told you we’d tone it down. Stop looking so scared.”
Surprisingly, it wasn’t overdone. Audrey figured out exactly what would bring out my eye color and accentuate my skin tone without being gaudy.
“You should be a professional. You really know what you are doing. I was in the pageant circuit for years, and I’ve never seen anyone with your skills.”
She blushed. “I wish I could.”
I bit my lip and winced. “Sorry, Audrey.”
She couldn’t quite meet my eyes. “Oh, it’s fine. I have enough to keep me busy around here. There’s nothing a Traveller girl likes as much as makeup.”
“Except sequins,” said one of her friends.
“And men,” said another.
We all laughed. When they finished, my hair shimmered and fell in a waterfall of curls against my bare shoulders. My makeup was perfect, the dress divine.
“Thank you,” I whispered, and everyone smiled. I kissed Anselina on the cheek.
“Happy Birthday, dear child. Now go and have fun with the young people,” she said. “Matthew and I will see you when you come back.”
That was her not so subtle way of telling me to return to her caravan tonight. I’d been hoping to stay with Michael again, but being a Traveller made things trickier, not that things had been any easier under Grandma Sugar’s eagle eye. This trip to England had been the first time I’d lived away from home, and I enjoyed every minute of it, but now my newfound independence had come to a grinding halt.
We walked together, and more young people joined us along the way. Soon quite a crowd had assembled. Nella was absent, fortunately, but a few of her friends came. When they gave me shy smiles, I smiled right back, not wanting to hold a grudge.
We passed through a gate in a stone wall and entered a smaller courtyard strewn with twinkle lights. Small tables surrounded a fire pit. Flowers in vases graced tables covered in pristine white tablecloths. Music was being piped in from somewhere. Margaret and Leah stood next to Patrick and Ryan, proud of their handiwork. I looked around in wonder.
“It’s amazing.”
A door opened to the outside, and Michael came in with Lucinda, Poppy, Nigel, and a tall blond man who had to be Sven. Lucinda and Poppy carried bottles of champagne and wrapped parcels. They screamed when they saw me, pulling me into a group hug and handing me their gifts. Poppy had used her designing skills to make me a beautiful woolen cape, and Lucinda gave me a gorgeous pair of earrings. After I thanked them, Leah took them to a table for food and drinks, and Michael finally came to my side.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, his voice deep and rich. He wore a dark suit and tie, and looked completely yummy.
“So are you.” My heart swelled at the sight of the festive courtyard, the lights, and the happy people. “Thank you for tonight.”
He shrugged. “The women did it,” he said, but he slipped his hand into mine and squeezed it.
Soon, we were all dancing and singing and drinking. A lot. I lost track of how many people asked me to do shots. Before long, I was completely toasted.
Michael supplied me with water and food, and also kept a watchful eye on me the whole night. He rescued me several times from people trying to make me drink more, and finally pulled me onto the dance floor for a slow dance. I reached up, twining my arms around his neck, and gave him a loopy smile.
“You said you couldn’t dance.”
He gave me a crooked smile. “I can make an exception. For you.”
“You’re lovely, you know. Lovely, lovely, love
ly man.”
He touched his nose with mine. “And you’re drunk.”
“I’m supposed to be drunk. It’s my birthday.” I began to sing. “Happy Birthday to me, I can drink legally, but not in Kentucky, I live in dry Warren County.”
He laughed. “Beautiful and musically talented.”
I sighed happily. “This has been the best night ever. Thank you for letting my friends come.”
I looked over at Poppy and Nigel. They danced, completely in their own world. Lucinda and Sven made out in a corner, and judging by the intensity of it, it wouldn’t be long before she finally conquered Antarctica. I was glad they were happy. I was happy. I wanted everyone to be happy. I was very drunk.
“I love this place.” The twinkle lights were a blur as Michael twirled me around in his arms. The people were a blur, too, but they all looked so sparkly and pretty. “I love these people, too. But do you know what I love most of all?”
“Chocolate?” Michael’s lips grazed my ear when he spoke, making me shiver.
“Yes. But do you know what else?”
I unlaced my hands from around his neck and ran them slowly down his body. No one could see what I was doing because he had his jacket on, and we stood very close. I caressed the hard muscles of his abdomen, enjoying the noise he made deep in his throat when I touched him. I got all the way to the waistline of his pants before he stopped me.
“Emerson.” His voice was a deep, shaky plea. He shook his head and brought my hands up to his lips to kiss them.
Everything sort of shifted and swayed. “Oh, wow. I’m drunk as a skunk.”
Michael swung me into his arms as easily as lifting a feather. I sighed and snuggled into his chest. “Don’t take me home yet. I want to play with my friends.”
After more food, water, and a bit of black coffee, I felt much better, still buzzed and happy, but not falling over drunk. The party was quieting down. Many of my gypsy friends had gone home. My Dweller friends remained. We sat around the fire with Michael’s family and a few of the gypsies I’d grown closest to and talked and laughed until very late, then everyone stood to leave. Sven wobbled a little, and Lucinda wrapped an arm around his waist.
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