Amber scrambled back and away from him, her heart somehow soaring to an even greater speed. It was a wonder it didn’t just blow up in her chest. She backed right into one of the other males on the other side of the bed. Jerking away from him, she ended up in a tight, sitting ball, pressed against the headboard with the sheet grasped to her chest with both hands. It was a hard struggle not to start hyperventilating.
Simon, noting her reaction, once again stood tall. He looked puzzled. “Humans do not hug and kiss as signs of welcome?”
Swallowing hard to control her reaction, Amber answered through a clamped jaw, “I can only say that this human doesn’t.” And—did she mention?—she wanted to see Gabriel.
“Ah.” Simon nodded, then gave her another winning smile. She was beginning to hate that smile. “Well, would you like me to show you around?”
“I want to see Gabriel,” she repeated, not caring if she sounded ungrateful. She could feel herself beginning to shake, a delayed reaction to the panic Simon had caused her. But she refused to come apart in front of this group of males who appeared to be soldiers of some kind. She guessed maybe they were the Waresti Ini-herit had mentioned.
“Simon,” came a female voice, “for all holy sake, give the girl some breathing room. Can you not see she is uncomfortable?”
A couple of the males beside Simon shifted, allowing the speaker to approach the bed. Amber noticed that Simon didn’t look away from her, even at the newcomer’s approach, and found his unwavering stare unsettling. Maybe his focus was due to him being her Gloresti, she thought. To avoid looking at him, she turned her attention to the female.
Appearing to be around Amber’s age, she stood nearly a head shorter than the males around her, but commanded all of the attention in the room. Her hair was long, straight and as black as a moonless night. A silver circlet rested on her head, a dark red jewel in the shape of a tear hanging from the headwear over her forehead. In contrast to her dark hair, her skin was pale and luminous. Her eyes were a darker green than Amber could ever remember seeing on a human. Small, coordinating green markings—some kind of hieroglyphs, Amber thought—decorated the outside edges of her eyes, giving her even more allure. The round curves of her body were perfectly displayed in a ruby-colored bustier and a flowing, light pink skirt made of many thin sheets of fabric. Amber guessed that when she moved, the fluttering panels swept aside to reveal her legs. Large silver hoops swung from her ears and numerous bracelets lined both of her wrists
She looked like she had just stepped off the set of Lawrence of Arabia.
“I am Kanika,” she said in a lightly accented voice that spoke of ancient ruins and hot desert nights. “The Elphresti assigned me as the Orculesti to be present when you transitioned.” She gave a rueful smile. “It appears I managed to excuse myself at the worst possible time. Please forgive me.” When Amber didn’t reply, Kanika turned to Simon. “I will take her to the spring.”
Simon nodded. “Are you hungry?” he asked Amber.
She shook her head. Although she probably should have been ravenous, all she could think about was her painfully full bladder.
“Very well,” Kanika said with a cordial nod. “Please come with me, Ambryl.”
Edging carefully toward the side of the bed while keeping the sheet around her, Amber glared at the Waresti blocking her path until he moved aside. When she got to the side, she realized that she was on a mattress supported by a stone altar. It looked like a fairly significant jump to the ground without any stairs.
“May I assist you?” Simon asked.
Since he didn’t just grab her without asking and he was, after all, supposed to be dedicated to her safety, Amber gave a short nod. He reached under her legs, braced her back and swept her easily to the floor. She was rigid with tension as her feet touched the ground.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, clutching the sheet around her as tightly as her grip would allow.
Kanika started wordlessly in the direction of a tunnel, so Amber swiftly moved to follow. The sheet made walking an ungraceful experience, but she wasn’t about to shed it and go without, especially since she could sense the eyes of all of the males in the room watching them walk away.
Her gaze swept their surroundings as they walked. The cave was made out of an unusual, glittering type of stone in a rosy brown color. There appeared to be a series of tunnels leading off from the main chamber they had left behind. Glowing balls of energy floated up near the high, craggy ceiling, lighting the way. She almost tripped after staring up at them for a long minute and wondering how they got up there.
It wasn’t long before they entered a chamber that made her forget all about the lights. It was circular on the left side but flattened out on the right. The stone appeared to have been specially carved on the rounded half of the room, as it surrounded a swirling, bubbling pool of water. Holes on either side of the pool allowed the water to flow through, a perpetual spring. An arrangement of colored glass bottles sat on a flat-topped rock on the edge of the pool, and a series of carved stairs led down into the water. On the flat side of the room was a wall-length mirror over a stone vanity. It appeared, due to the nozzles over the single basin, that it was an operating sink. Immediately to Amber’s right as she entered the chamber, enclosed in a small stone niche, was a sight that warmed her troubled heart.
“Please feel free to make use of the facilities,” Kanika said lightly. “I will be over here when you are done to assist you with your bath.”
Without bothering to comment on the whole bathing part of the statement, Amber hurried over to the toilet. There was no door, but Kanika had walked out of sight, so Amber dropped her sheet and grabbed her hair to pull it out of her way. It fell nearly long enough to brush the backs of her thighs and felt heavy and cumbersome. The earliest opportunity she had, she was taking a pair of scissors to it.
As she emerged from the toilet niche once again wrapped in the sheet and started to walk over to the sink, Kanika moved forward. “You may wash your hands, along with the rest of you, in the pool. I will assist you. I think it would be enjoyable for you to wait to see your new form until after we get you ready for the Becoming ceremony.”
Becoming ceremony? Curse Ini-herit and his lack of detail!
Flushing uncomfortably, Amber said, “Thanks, but I don’t need any help.”
Kanika’s dark brows lifted. “But the anointed bath is a part of our welcome to you, as is the adornment of your custom-designed clothing afterward. We have been preparing for your arrival for more than eighteen years.” Sweeping her hands in the direction of the pool, she said, “All of the oils and cleansers have been specially crafted for you, as were the clothes and decorations you will wear. It is our honor to welcome you.”
An image of Mrs. B flashed through Amber’s mind. Don’t ever turn down gracious hospitality, child.
Sighing, she nodded in surrender.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Amber was more than a bit relieved when Kanika added the contents from one of the colored glass bottles to the pool and golden, bubbling foam covered the entire surface. When the Orculesti told her to get into the water, Amber removed the sheet and all but jumped in before the other female could see anything. Perhaps her modesty was a bit ridiculous, but she couldn’t help it.
Kanika seemed to catch on to the fact that Amber wasn’t entirely comfortable with her nudity…or, in point of fact, the entire situation. So she remained clothed on the edge of the pool, dangling only her bare feet and calves in the water, and had Amber situate herself near the edge where she could reach her to wash her hair.
“You really have nothing to be shy about,” Kanika said as she selected a bottle from her collection and leaned forward to gather Amber’s hair for washing.
“Things are different on the human plane,” Amber responded. “Especially for females.”
“Ah, yes. I have gotten that sense. Some humans are very peculiar about such things.”
Not knowing what to say to tha
t, Amber merely shrugged. Kanika expertly gathered her hair and applied the contents of her selected bottle, gently massaging it into her scalp and all the way to the ends of each strand. Amber felt herself relaxing a bit. The scents floating around her were somewhat familiar. Was that lemon oil? It made her think fondly of her home in Newnan.
“We are very impressed that you successfully made the transition,” Kanika said as she worked. “It is supposed to be a very difficult process, especially without any training.”
“Mmm.” Amber closed her eyes and slowly reopened them. Something in the water was proving so relaxing that she stopped paddling to keep herself buried under the water. Instead, she floated, limbs loose, as Kanika finished cleansing her hair.
“There are those who did not think that half-humans would be strong enough for the transition,” Kanika continued, her tone soft and soothing. “Will they not be surprised?”
“They shouldn’t be,” Amber found herself saying, her speech slower than usual. “Humans are stronger than you give us credit for.”
“Ah, but you are not entirely human, are you?” Kanika pointed out. “We must rinse your hair.”
They spent some time in silence completing that task. Then Kanika added the contents of another bottle to her hair, insisting that it would add sheen and conditioning. So tranquil that she couldn’t argue, she just let Kanika take care of it.
After a while, Kanika broke the silence by saying, “Once you are dressed in your ceremonial garb, we will take you to the destination revealed by the Elphresti elder, Jabari, to Simon once you transitioned so that you can meet again with your sisters.”
“And Gabriel?” Amber asked. She wondered why her voice sounded a bit slurred.
“Oh, well, that I cannot say,” Kanika replied with a shrug in her voice.
“Why?” Amber struggled to regain some focus. The conversation had taken a disturbing turn.
“Well, it depends, of course, upon how archigos Gabriel fared during the transition.” Kanika started rinsing the last combination of solutions from Amber’s hair. “There is a high possibility he will be in no mental condition right now to participate in the ceremony. It might take time for him to reorient himself to our plane. And no one believes that he will come through remembering anything of his human experience, so he might not understand the significance of the ceremony in time to attend.”
Alarmed, Amber’s eyes widened. She started paddling again, her mind sharpening at this news. Was that why she couldn’t hear him in her thoughts anymore? “What do you mean? Ini-herit said there was at least a fifty-percent chance that he would—”
Kanika interrupted with a humorless snort. “Fifty percent? The Corgloresti elder was lying.”
All sense of relaxation abandoned her. Amber sat, taut as a bowstring, as Kanika finished her work on her hair. Her mind tumbling from one thought to another, she accepted the washcloth that Kanika handed her with the contents of the next bottle all over it. She numbly used it to wash herself as she considered the exotic Orculesti’s words.
Had her worst fears come true? Was Gabriel somewhere right then with absolutely no memory of her? No memory of their love for each other?
The bitter sting of tears hit her behind the eyes and she fought to keep them back. She had joked with Gabriel about making him fall in love with her again on this plane if he forgot her, but what if she couldn’t? What if he was incapable of experiencing that level of emotion, as Ini-herit expressed was the case for older Estilorians? Or worse, what if he was entirely different and didn’t like her at all? Would her heart be able to withstand that rejection?
She took a deep, calming breath. Despite Kanika’s concerning words, she felt pretty confident that she would sense it if Gabriel was gone from her in more than just a geographic sense. And she was still wearing the ring he had given her. That had to have some significance, didn’t it? On top of that, since he was the first of his kind to have ever attempted this, then there had to be at least a fifty-fifty chance of it succeeding. Although she absolutely hated math, Gabriel had forced her to learn at least enough that this thought calmed her back down.
“I think you will like the ceremonial garb that our most talented Lekwuesti have created for you,” Kanika said conversationally. “They have been working on it for years.”
“Years?” Amber couldn’t contain her surprise. “How could they possibly know what size I would be when I transitioned?”
“Hmm. How do I explain? You see, the essence of your Estilorian form has been fully matured for some time. Although we did not know the exact final details that your physical shape would assume, we knew enough to determine measurements for tailoring.”
“Wait a minute. What do you mean, ‘fully matured?’”
“I mean, your Estilorian form is…how do you say it? In its adult stage. You will not change from what you see in the mirror today.”
Amber nearly dropped the cloth in her hands. She was sure her jaw was hanging open. “Ever?”
“That is correct.”
“But we’re only eighteen!”
“In your human age, yes. But Estilorians never change from the form they assume when they transition. You will find that most of us are very young in appearance. We have come to believe that when they transition, human souls assume a shape that to them represents the most vital age at the time of their human existence. Thus, many of our oldest Estilorians are the most youthful in appearance, because life expectancy was much lower thousands of years ago. We were not sure what would happen with you and your sisters due to your half-human natures, but when your forms on this plane grew at such a rapid pace and then stabilized for a number of years, we realized what had happened. Regardless of what age you think you are due to your human upbringing, you are fully mature on this plane.”
Amber handed the washcloth back. “So, we can live as long as any other Estilorian?”
“Well, that remains to be seen, does it not?”
Unable to argue, she ascended the steps and allowed Kanika to wrap her in the soft towel she held out for her. They were silent as Amber dried herself. Kanika directed her over to a tall, flat stone beside the pool, out of range of the mirror, so that she could begin brushing her hair.
“Please, can you get some scissors—hell, a knife—and cut some of this off?” Amber implored.
Kanika clucked her tongue. “We must not change a thing about you until after the Becoming ceremony. That would not be tolerated.”
Rolling her eyes, Amber relented. It took a tremendous amount of time to get her hair combed, so much so that it was dry enough for Kanika to style when she was finished combing it. She sang softly as she worked, which helped distract Amber from freaking out about Gabriel. It also made her very much miss her guitars. Did they even have instruments here?
When Kanika finished styling her hair, she went to work on Amber’s makeup. She wouldn’t accept any argument, once again citing the upcoming ceremony.
“You do not understand,” she said as she applied color to Amber’s eyelids. “You and your sisters are a heralded presence on our plane. I know you are aware that not all of us think of you as a blessing, but many of us do. On this plane, a male can look at a female with appreciation for her form, but not truly understand why. The depth of true passion—and all other strong emotions—is missing, especially among the elder males.”
Amber thought of Gabriel and simply couldn’t reconcile what Kanika was saying with the young man she loved.
“It is our hope that you will introduce new blood to our people. And, in doing so, help those of us who most need it to remember those emotions.”
Before Amber could analyze that thought, Kanika sat back, studied her work and then nodded. “I will get the ceremonial garb.”
The “ceremonial garb” was little enough material that Kanika brought it back in one hand, and Amber’s eyes widened. “Uh, just how many Estilorians are expected to attend this ceremony?”
“Oh, do not worry abou
t that,” Kanika said with a wave of her hand. “The important thing for you to know is that this is ceremonial. The makers of these garments wanted to display at the Becoming ceremony what they considered your finest attributes.”
Unconvinced, Amber reached out to see just how little fabric was in the other female’s hands. Before she made contact with the clothing, Kanika grabbed her hand. Her eyes flashed in a way that had Amber blinking in confusion.
“How is it you still wear this ring?” she demanded.
Amber snatched her hand back, surprised and uncomfortable with Kanika’s reaction. At first she wondered how the Orculesti knew about the ring at all. Then she remembered the Big Brother monitoring methods Ini-herit had described and realized Kanika must have mentally viewed the vow exchange. She didn’t see a reason to respond to Kanika’s outburst, though, and just stared at her in silence. It was, quite frankly, none of the other female’s business.
After a moment, Kanika’s gaze again grew calm. She gave Amber a small smile. “How interesting. Well, let us get you ready, shall we?”
The Gloresti standing behind you right now is James. He worked very hard to bring both of us over to this plane, Aurora thought to Olivia. Beside him is the Waresti second commander, Alexius. He is the larger of the two.
With a mental nod, Olivia held the sheet to her chest and rolled so that she could see the Estilorians Aurora referred to. “Hello, James and Alexius,” she said, giving them each thankful smiles.
Alexius tilted his head, but said nothing. She was surprised to note how young he looked. No more than twenty human years old, if she had to guess. He stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest. His burnt orange eyes were quite intense. She noticed that his daunting muscles were covered in orange markings and wondered at their significance. His dark hair was worn close to his scalp. His expression was unreadable, making him even more intimidating. Her smile faltered.