Central

  After a moment of continued silence, Jabari nodded. He turned to the doorway where Olivia and her sisters stood with Gabriel, James and Caleb. When the Elphresti elder nodded, she squared her shoulders.

  Gabriel and Amber walked out first, followed by her and James and then Skye and Caleb. There were murmurs as they emerged. She imagined everyone was rather surprised at their swift recoveries. Good, she thought. Let them wonder.

  Following Gabriel’s lead, they lined up and faced the Gloresti tables. Using their joined thoughts to convey the appropriate actions, Gabriel, James and Caleb bowed. Amber, Olivia and Skye curtsied. The Gloresti bowed as one in response. Olivia spotted Simon, the Gloresti who had guarded Amber’s Estilorian form, standing beside a chair in the front row. He wore an approving and welcoming smile.

  “We celebrate your return, archigos Gabriel, James and Caleb,” said another male standing in the front. He was shorter than several of the others around him, but he sported the same muscular physique. His distinctly Asian features were all the more striking with his dark blue eyes. Amber conveyed the thought that his formal black and midnight-blue garb, resembling a skirt over a kimono, was called a hakama on the human plane. His intense gaze moved to Amber. “And we welcome your avowed as well as her sisters.”

  “Thank you, commander Hitoshi.”

  Beside the Gloresti were the Scultresti. Olivia and the others repeated the bowing and curtseying and received bows in return. At the forefront of the brown-eyed class was a diminutive female with sunny blonde hair worn in an knot at the nape of her neck. The freckles dusting her nose and cheeks gave her a decidedly childlike look.

  “Welcome home, archigos Gabriel, James and Caleb,” she said, her accent heavily French. “And a sincere welcome to you, Amber, Olivia and Skye. We are all looking forward to getting to know you.”

  The unexpected warmth in her tone made Olivia smile when she caught the Scultresti’s gaze.

  “Thank you, commander Cadence,” replied Gabriel.

  Next was the Wymzesti. Their commander was the tallest, thinnest female Olivia had ever seen. She had reddish-brown skin and hair almost the exact same color. Her deep purple eyes seemed to stare right through them. “Welcome,” she said, her voice soft and soothing. “We are so pleased you are here tonight. Your presence gives all Wymzesti hope for the future.”

  “Thank you, commander Meda.”

  The tall, muscular Waresti male with burnt orange eyes inclined his head respectfully as they bowed and curtsied. He wore a black tunic with elaborate gold etchings woven into the fabric, paired with black pants and boots. When he moved, the lights shone on his closely-shorn blond hair. His message was short and to the point. “The Waresti welcome you, Amber, Olivia and Skye.”

  “Thank you, commander Harold.”

  The commander of the offending Orculesti had fiery hair and creamy skin along with his signature dark green eyes. He wore a strange combination between a white toga and a robe with a white undershirt. Olivia idly wondered if he wore sandals and had a laurel wreath to wear around his head and noticed both of her sisters giving her amused grins. She felt heat building in her cheeks and returned her attention to the commander.

  “We Orculesti have obviously failed to make the best first impression,” he began. She couldn’t place his accent, but did appreciate the ire in his gaze when he glanced behind him. He had evidently not been a part of the mental assault. There were a number of downward gazes from the guilty. He turned back around to face them. “However, I heartily welcome you. We have followed your progress on the human plane and know you each have tremendous traits to share with us.”

  “Thank you, commander Ailfrid.”

  Olivia knew from the silver eyes of the next group that they were about to meet the Corgloresti commander. When he met her gaze, she blinked.

  Lord, was he ever breathtaking. Like Ini-herit’s, his hair was raven black. He wore it cut in a shorter, more modern style that flattered his sculpted face. His tuxedo fit him perfectly, making him look like a twenty-one-year-old James Bond. When she mentally heard Skye’s hubba hubba and Amber’s silent agreement, she knew her opinion wasn’t unshared.

  “The Corgloresti have learned much about humans over the centuries,” he said in a smooth, cultured voice.

  Heavens, he even sounded like James Bond.

  Would you stop that? Amber thought, fighting back a laugh.

  Olivia flicked a gaze over to her eldest sister and bit her bottom lip abashedly.

  “And with this knowledge,” he continued, ignorant of their byplay, “we can say unequivocally that the three of you bring everything that is good about humanity to this plane with you. We are honored to welcome you.”

  “Thank you, commander Raphael.”

  The last group was the Elphresti. Their commander was another female. She wore a beautiful black and gold sari. Her dark skin and black eyes combined with her curling black hair made her look like an exotic Middle-Eastern princess. She wore a gold headdress and a delicate gold stud in her nose. Her every movement tinkled musically with the many rows of bracelets she wore.

  “Archigos Jabari has experienced more depth of feeling in the few months he has known the three of you than he had in his entire previous existence,” she said, looking at each of the sisters in turn. “This is something none of us ever anticipated. It is also something all of us long to experience. We are none of us perfect and beg your patience as we learn your ways, much as you have learned ours. We are confident that we can build a harmonious future together.”

  “Thank you, commander Khalidah,” Gabriel said. Then he turned and offered Amber his arm to lead her to the table with the elders.

  Olivia took James’ arm and followed them, listening to Skye’s clicking footfalls behind them as her glass-like slippers connected with the wood floor. There was a moment of whispering sound as everyone around the hall settled into their seats. Olivia felt all of the curious eyes on them as James pulled her chair away from the table and she sat down. She wondered if she could actually eat anything while being the object of such scrutiny.

  Won’t stop me, Amber thought in response. I’m starving.

  What if they serve us sautéed monkey brains? Skye thought. Will you still eat then?

  Oh, gross, Skye. Seriously.

  Olivia covered her mouth to prevent her laugh from escaping, but her shoulders shook with the effort. James reached over to touch her shoulder, but when she caught his gaze he realized there wasn’t anything wrong.

  “We asked each of your Gloresti to select a meal that you would enjoy,” Sebastian said from his end of the long table. “All of us will be partaking of these same menu options as a way to begin familiarizing ourselves with you and your human experiences.”

  She raised her eyebrows and glanced again at James, who winked at her. The action surprised her, but she kept her reaction to herself to keep him from feeling uncomfortable. Instead, she gave him a smile. Curious as to what he told them to prepare for her, she turned and watched the Lekwuesti walk out of two sets of doors on either side of the hall. Three of them walked up behind each of the sisters and placed covered silver platters in front of each of them. And then, with a great flourish, they pulled the lids away.

  The scent was amazing. Olivia felt her entire mouth flood with saliva. When the steam cleared, she studied her plate with no small amount of amazement.

  “An Italian beef sandwich?” she asked, not believing her eyes.

  She leaned closer and breathed in its aroma. It was exactly like she recalled from her life in Chicago. It had been weeks since she mentioned the foods she missed to James, but he had clearly remembered, just like he had remembered that she had collected unicorns as a child. When she turned her gaze to him and saw him watching her with an expectant smile, she had to swallow against the emotion in her throat.

  Of all the things, she thought ruefully, being careful to keep the realization to herself, it would be a sandwich that prompted her to realize
how very much she loved him.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Gabriel had ordered up a meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, collard greens and fresh biscuits for his wife. Olivia thought that Amber might actually start crying right there at the table, especially when an assortment of condiments from butter and fresh jam to salt, pepper and vinegar were set on the table before her. The look she exchanged with Gabriel spoke volumes.

  Skye, on the other hand, gasped and brought her hands to her face at the sight of her cheeseburger and fries.

  “Oh, Caleb, this is perfect! The only way it could possibly be better is if it came with—”

  She stopped when another Lekwuesti set a frosty glass filled with something pink topped with whipped cream and a cherry in front of her. Then her face registered astonishment.

  “…a strawberry milkshake,” she finished. She caught Caleb’s gaze. “You remembered. Right down to the cherry.”

  When Caleb saw the tears fill her eyes, he blinked in surprise, his gaze lighting with alarm. James evidently conveyed a thought to him to ease his worry, as they exchanged a look and Caleb nodded.

  “You are happy,” he said when he looked back at Skye.

  “I am,” she replied, giving him a bright smile as she dabbed at her eyes with her napkin. “Truly beyond words, Caleb. Thank you.”

  The hall then filled with the noise of Lekwuesti placing platters of food on all of the tables. Brenna was among the Lekwuesti serving the first tier of Estilorians. Olivia noticed her getting many curious glances and imagined some of the beings around her didn’t even recognize her. When the Lekwuesti female caught Olivia’s gaze, she nodded with a twinkle in her eye.

  “I’m looking forward to trying this sandwich,” James said, drawing her attention.

  She realized then that he had been served the same meal as she had. Similarly, Caleb and Gabriel each had the meals that they had ordered for Skye and Amber. And then she thought about what he had just said. More specifically, how he had said it.

  “You just said ‘I’m,’” she pointed out in a low voice.

  He nodded. “Yes, I did. I’ve found that contractions are a convenience. See? I did it again.”

  Her mouth opened, but she couldn’t think of a thing to say. So she grinned. “There are a few ways to eat a traditional Italian beef sandwich,” she said. “Let’s start with ‘hot.’”

  She spent some time explaining the different toppings that the Lekwuesti had brought out: Giardiniera (a spicy pickled relish of mixed vegetables), provolone cheese and some sweet roasted Italian peppers. They sampled each of them. She got tremendous enjoyment out of watching him experiment until he found a combination of flavors that appealed to him. In the end, he finished every bite of his sandwich and the thin, crispy potato chips that had been served with it.

  “I like these, too,” he said around a crunch. “I don’t know if they match your Jay’s chips, but they seem good to me.”

  She laughed. He had even remembered the name of her preferred brand of chips. “Yes, well, I wouldn’t recommend getting used to them. They’re really not all that good for you.”

  Have you realized how quiet it is in here? Skye thought toward her from across the table.

  Olivia tuned into the atmosphere around her for the first time in at least fifteen minutes and realized what Skye meant. She fought her discomfiture when she noticed that nearly everyone was still looking down at them. She wondered if she had said anything loud enough to be overheard and figured she probably had, it was so quiet. Now that all of the food had been delivered to the tables, the noise was barely above a slight murmur. Several Lekwuesti circulated with pitchers of water, refilling glasses as needed. Other than that, it didn’t even appear that many of the guests were eating.

  Gabriel was sitting next to Zayna on Sebastian’s end of the table. Amber sat beside him and across from Caleb, who sat next to Uriel. Skye sat between Caleb and Malukali. James sat beside Amber, and Olivia was on his other side next to Ini-herit. She leaned forward and caught Amber’s gaze.

  Yeah. Not awkward at all, her sister thought sarcastically. She had put her fork down and was pulling a biscuit apart.

  Olivia took a sip of her water and looked around again. It wasn’t even so much the stares as the lack of expression in those stares that she found disconcerting. The silence was eerie.

  And then Skye started humming the Jeopardy! theme song. It was so unexpected that Olivia choked on her water. James reached over to pound her on her back as she issued a cross between a cough and a laugh. Then Amber started laughing and the three girls were soon giggling like loons.

  They’re going to think we’re absolutely nuts, Amber thought as she wiped a tear from her eye.

  They already do, Skye rejoined.

  Their fit of laughter lasted for several minutes. It was compounded by James and Caleb exchanging shrugs that conveyed bewilderment and resignation. They looked at Gabriel, who was smiling. He silently conveyed the general idea of what had cracked the girls up. They didn’t seem to understand it any better.

  “So, does everyone speak telepathically here, or what?” Skye asked Caleb in a quiet voice after their humor had abated. “I mean, why isn’t anyone speaking? Is this normal?”

  Olivia watched Caleb for an answer, as well, since she was wondering the same thing.

  “No, it is not normal,” he said in a slightly raised voice, and he looked around them with a glower. “They’re too busy staring to talk.”

  “Oh.”

  Jabari heard the comment. He had been conversing with Knorbis and Ini-herit and finally clued into the conversation. He looked around and realized what was causing the girls’ concern.

  “Perhaps some music is in order, Sebastian,” the Elphresti suggested.

  All of the sisters perked up at that. They exchanged interested gazes as Sebastian nodded and waved his hands toward the far end of the ground floor. A collection of instruments appeared in the corner, floating and playing themselves. Olivia felt the amazement on her face, but couldn’t help it. She noted several stringed instruments that looked very similar to a traditional human string quartet, if not exactly like one. There were some instruments she didn’t even recognize.

  Is that a Pan flute? Amber thought with a raised eyebrow.

  I have no idea, Olivia responded. But I think that’s some kind of bongo drum over there.

  I guess expecting an electric guitar and keyboard was a bit of a stretch, Skye mused.

  But it was still an improvement, no matter how different it was from what they were used to. The sisters gave their thanks to Jabari and Sebastian and finished their dinner in relative peace.

  When the dishes were cleared, everyone got to their feet. Sebastian waved his hand again and the elders’ table disappeared. Their chairs were all moved to one end of the room. The girls walked over to stand near their seats, joined by Gabriel, James and Caleb.

  “Please feel free to interact socially,” Jabari called out to the crowd. “If you would like to dance, archigos Sebastian is open to taking requests.”

  There was a flurry of movement as everyone rose from their seats.

  “What kind of dancing?” Skye asked curiously.

  Her question was drowned out by the sound of rising voices and movement throughout the hall. It wasn’t long before the floor began filling with Estilorians. They paired up and began a dance that made Olivia think of the movie A Knight’s Tale. She imagined it was something from the period where courtly dancing was the fashion. She noticed Skye watching with an observant eye.

  Olivia stood awkwardly, seeing that some of the guests had gathered along the railing leading down to the dance floor. She couldn’t determine whether they wanted to speak with them or were simply staring out of their continued curiosity. She wasn’t sure if she should approach them on her own to break the ice, or whether that was some kind of breach of propriety. Deciding to follow everyone else’s lead, she took hold of James’ arm and watched as the da
nce morphed into a waltz.

  She had seen some competitive ballroom dancing before, and, of course, Dancing with the Stars. This group seemed to have the mechanics down like pros, she thought. But it seemed like there was something stilted about it.

  “Well?” Caleb asked then, holding a hand out to Skye.

  Her eyes lit up and she flashed a brilliant smile. “Yay!” She reached out and took his hand.

  They moved onto the dance floor and Caleb turned her so they were facing each other. And when he pulled Skye so close that there was barely a sliver of light visible between them, Olivia instantly realized what all of the other couples were missing. Emotion. From the moment Caleb stepped them into the first beat of the dance, the floor belonged to just to him and Skye. Their gazes never parted. It was about the most romantic thing Olivia had ever seen.

  “Might as well work off some of that fried chicken,” Gabriel said, taking Amber’s arm and leading her onto the floor. Although Amber protested, he completely ignored her. He simply grasped her around the waist, pulled her up so that her feet were barely touching the ground, and twirled onto the dance floor. Amber’s breathless laughter floated across the hall.

  “Do you dance?” James asked Olivia.

  “I’m afraid not,” she admitted. “I only took the most basic lessons in school.”

  “I can teach you.”

  She smiled up at him. “Well, I am an avid student.”

  Returning her smile, he led her to the edge of the dance floor and showed her how to position her arms. He explained the steps and the beat as the song transitioned to another waltz. Some of it she already knew from the televised dance competitions. The trick would be to actually try and implement the knowledge. She lacked Skye’s natural grace and Amber’s precision of movement.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  She nodded, praying she wouldn’t make a fool of herself.

  And then he pulled her against him. Suddenly, it didn’t matter to her whether she tripped over her own two feet, as long as he continued to hold her. They moved into the first twirl and she was no longer thinking about what beat it was or how she was supposed to hold herself.