That they had been passed up for the greatest pairing in all of Estilorian history.
I see your husband is concerned over nothing. You know your worth.
I do now, Qel’a, she returned as she walked to the vanity to brush her hair. Thank you for helping me understand. I’m sorry that Caleb has been made to feel this way by his own class. But I can tell you that neither he nor our brothers will have to worry about us.
And as she began getting ready for the day, she sent a thought to her sisters.
“Do we have to do the formal introductions?” James asked as he sat with Caleb and Gabriel in the front parlor. “I’m worried about the reaction of the crowd.”
Gabriel nodded. “I understand, and I’m sorely tempted to agree. But there have been a lot of changes in the structure of our class since I was last here. That needs to be expressed to everyone so that there are no misunderstandings in the chain of command and the level of respect that I demand toward my family.”
Caleb and James exchanged a look and then turned again to Gabriel.
“I’m sure it goes without saying that I mean you two as well as the girls,” he said with a flash of a grin. “But getting the concept of family across to a group of Estilorians is going to be quite a challenge. I figure if we start with introductions, we can take it from there.”
Caleb couldn’t argue with him, even if he knew it wouldn’t be the easiest or most comfortable experience any of them had ever had.
There was a knock on the front door. Gabriel rose and held a hand in front of the door, then opened it.
“Good morning, commanders,” he said as he stepped aside and let Hitoshi and Balduin into the foyer. “We’re just discussing today’s plans. Can I get either of you anything?”
“Thank you, archigos, but we just finished our breakfast,” Hitoshi said. “I have actually come to see if you wanted me to join you in your meeting with the other elders shortly. I will leave commander Balduin here with Caleb and James to escort the sisters to you when the time comes.”
“Sure,” Gabriel said. He glanced at his brothers. You’re cool with that?
They both nodded. Caleb registered Balduin’s surprise over the silent communication and realized he was unaware of their connection. He watched Gabriel and Hitoshi go and then turned back to James.
Want to mess with him?
James grinned. No speaking, right?
Yep.
They didn’t speak for the next forty-five minutes as they waited for the sisters to finish getting ready as well as for Gabriel’s summons. They did communicate silently every so often, making sure to exchange glances and nods. Not once did they try to engage Balduin in conversation. He stood just inside the doorway looking highly uncomfortable and irritated by their behavior.
Caleb and James both heard the sounds coming from outside the front door at the same time. Getting to their feet, they moved to either side of the parlor’s window, which was covered by white, sheer drapery. They could see at least thirty Gloresti standing outside.
That looks like Alastair, Caleb thought.
And Tristan, Joseph, Kelly, Troy, Leo…
Okay, okay.
James flicked a glance at their second commander and asked, “Were you expecting company, sir?”
Balduin frowned. For the first time, he seemed to realize they were doing more than mocking him. Turning, he looked out the window. Then he shook his head.
Walking to the door, he opened it and said, “You should not be here—any of you.”
“Our apologies, commander,” Alastair said. “We are simply eager to see our fellow Gloresti again after these past many years away.” He looked into the house. “James? Caleb?”
Caleb inclined his head toward the door. James followed him and they stepped just outside. Balduin also stepped out, the three of them effectively blocking the entrance.
“Hello, Alastair,” James said politely.
Caleb gave the crowd an expressionless nod as he opened his senses and scanned them. James was doing the same thing. Caleb watched the assessing gazes of their audience take in the change to his hair as well as the markings on his right bicep and wrist. Several of them also noticed his ring. There were similar looks scouring James as he verbally greeted the Gloresti he knew. It turned out that they recognized only a fraction of the beings in attendance.
“I am sure you are both glad to be back at the homeland after so much time away,” Tristan said.
Caleb had trained with Tristan for a brief while, but didn’t know him well. His light blond hair gleamed almost white in the sun and brushed his shoulders. He had tan skin and what Caleb figured Skye would describe as handsome features. He was capable of expressing more emotion than most and flashed a smile now, revealing a dent in each of his cheeks.
“Sure,” James was saying. “So, what really brings you all here?”
Caleb fought back a grin over his brother’s bluntness. That was usually his forte. But he could sense James’ unease with the crowd. After what had happened to Olivia, he completely understood. And when he heard Skye’s humming from inside the house and several gazes shifted to the open door, he tensed.
“We must admit curiosity,” Alastair said, trying without shame to see over Caleb’s shoulders. “There are many tales circulating about Saraqael’s daughters, most of them not very flattering. Surely you are not ashamed of the half-human females you are bound to, are you?”
“They will be introduced to everyone shortly,” Caleb said, his voice level. “You were ordered to the central gathering area.”
“And we are headed there,” Alastair continued smoothly. But his dark blue eyes glittered. “I think we have our answer, anyway. Your reactions certainly tell us everything we need to know.”
Caleb was relieved when they all turned to leave. Then he sensed Skye right behind him and all of his tension flooded back. He turned to send her back into the depths of the house. Then he noticed what she was wearing.
And couldn’t think at all.
“Caleb, have you seen my…” she began, but trailed off when she noticed the crowd. “Oh,” she said with wide eyes, stepping out beside him and touching his arm. “I didn’t know we had company.”
He was quite sure she had known, but couldn’t find a stray thought to argue with her. He had never seen her outfit, though that wasn’t unusual. What was unusual was the amount of skin it revealed.
The jewel-toned purple top—he guessed it was technically a top—was a shimmering, off-the shoulder abbreviated tank of some kind that dipped just low enough to reveal the top swells of her breasts. It ended in a band of lace an inch beneath her breasts, leaving her entire waist bare. She wore a thin gold chain around her waist that had a tear-drop shaped sapphire dangling over her navel. It matched the jewelry hanging at her ears and around her wrists and throat. The skirt consisted of a matching purple modesty panel set low on her hips that covered just what it needed to, and long, sheer panels of brightly-colored fabric in shades of deep pink, orange and indigo falling to her ankles.
What struck him most about her ensemble, however, was the belt of throwing weapons that also sat low on her hips. She looked undeniably enticing…and equally ready to defend or attack.
“Well, hello, everyone,” she said, with a bright smile, seemingly not noticing that all of the males were now still and silent and openly staring at her. “I’m sorry to interrupt this happy reunion. I can’t find my shoes,” she explained, reaching to part the panels of her skirt to reveal her bare foot—and long, shapely leg—as if to prove it.
Caleb also noticed the dagger strapped to her thigh. He had to give himself a hearty pat on the back for that observation, since he was pretty sure his brain had melted.
When he glanced up, he noticed a lot of wide eyes and dropped jaws in the crowd.
“Caleb, would you please come back inside and, um, help me find them?” she asked suggestively, trailing a finger down his arm and turning to walk back into the house. She h
eld his gaze over her bare shoulder as she walked.
After indulging in a long study of the sway of her hips, he turned and caught James’ gaze. His brother was grinning widely. Caleb ignored the still-gaping crowd and raised an eyebrow in question.
I’ve got this, James thought in response to the unspoken question, jerking his head to send Caleb after his wife.
Not needing a second nudge, Caleb turned and walked back inside, closing the door behind him. He continued through the house to the bedroom he and Skye were using. She was lying on her side on the bed, facing the door, braced on her bent elbow with her head propped on her hand. The panels of her skirt had parted to reveal her tantalizing legs, dagger and all.
It was a wonder he didn’t drool.
“I know, I know,” she said with a wave of her hand. “But I couldn’t resist. I figured if they thought such nasty things about us, I would just show them how wrong they were.”
He didn’t respond. But he did start advancing on the bed.
“Of course,” she continued ruefully, “I’m sure I didn’t score any I.Q. points with the whole ditzy ‘lost my shoes’ thing, but—”
He cut her off by lifting her up and kissing her senseless.
James was quite intelligent, and he had gotten to know a great deal about human nature in the past few months. So he was pretty sure he knew exactly what Skye had been trying to do. And based on the reactions he had sensed from Caleb, she had been successful. His brother had been worried, then baffled, and ultimately ridiculously proud of the fact that she was his avowed.
“I trust you’ve gotten your questions answered?” he said to the still-staggered crowd a few moments after the front door shut behind Caleb.
“But—” Alastair said, blinking rapidly and staring at the closed door with his mouth unable to fully close. His long, dark hair blew into his eyes, but he didn’t seem to notice. “But that—she—they cannot possibly all be so—”
The door opened behind James as if on cue.
“There you are, James,” Olivia said, stepping outside. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
He seriously doubted that, since she could have simply sent him a thought and he would have answered her. But when he looked down at her, he found his disbelief a suddenly insignificant concern.
Olivia almost always dressed conservatively. She had obviously decided to go a different route today. Instead of her usual short-sleeved top, tank or sundress in soft tones, she was wearing a striking midnight blue, halter-style top similar to Skye’s in that it revealed a hint of cleavage and ended just beneath her breasts. The designer had created thin, light green jewels in the shapes of leaves that hung around the bottom edge of the bra-like garment and caught the light as she moved. The flowing skirt that accompanied the outfit was held in place by a light green belt and sat low at the waist, providing an eye-popping view of her defined midsection. A long slit in the side of the skirt revealed almost the entire length of her leg as she stood on the front step with her hands on the alluring curves of her hips.
The only adornments she wore were her specially-crafted bracers, gifted to her by Uriel for use when she shot her bow. James thought they made her look like a warrior temptress.
“Hello, commander Balduin,” she said with a smile. “Nice to see you again.”
“Olivia,” Balduin returned, inclining his head politely. If James didn’t know any better, he might have thought his second commander was amused.
She turned to glance at the crowd, acting much like Skye had, as though she was entirely unaware of the reactions she had caused. With a small wave, she said, “And hello to all of you, as well. I’m James’ wife, Olivia. Nice to meet you. I hope you don’t mind that I’m about to steal him away. He’s about to help me…string my bow.”
She managed to make it sound like that was actually the last thing he was going to do with her. Incredulous glances shifted from her to James and back again. And when she looked up and gave him a small wink and infectious smile, he felt the same swell of pride that Caleb had experienced.
“Shall we?” she asked, reaching out to link her arm with his.
“See you guys later,” he said, not taking his eyes off her.
And without a backward glance, he turned with her and walked back inside the house, leaving the onlookers standing in shocked silence as the door closed behind them.
Chapter Thirty-Five
An hour later, Caleb and his family gathered with the elders on the large balcony overlooking the central gathering area of the homeland. Below them stood thousands of Gloresti, every member of the class who wasn’t currently paired with a Corgloresti and on the mainland. He stood beside Skye, breathing in her orange blossom scent and thinking back almost twenty years to when he stood among all of them, awaiting his fate.
How had he possibly been so lucky?
“Greetings, Gloresti,” Gabriel said then from the front of the balcony, his voice carrying to everyone with the help of his power. “It’s wonderful to be standing here once again after so many years. For many of you, this is the first time you’ve seen me since my return, and I thank you for your patience as I fulfilled my duties as your elder. For others, this is the first you are seeing me at all. I welcome you and look forward to meeting each of you.
“As those of you who remember me will note, I’ve undergone some changes since my transition. I assure you, this is very much for the better of all of us. After all, the reason I transitioned was for just such a change. While the physical changes weren’t expected,” and he exchanged a brief, amused glance with Amber, “they are inconsequential compared to the knowledge and understanding of human emotion that I managed to achieve through our combined efforts. Already, emotion has begun to return to our kind. I assure you, there is no price too high for this valuable result.
“To that end, as all of you know, the reason we were compelled to relearn human emotion was because one of our kind, Saraqael, fathered three half-human daughters. It is my pleasure to introduce them to you today.”
There was a stirring of movement on the ground as everyone strained to get the best view possible of the balcony. Although the sisters weren’t being sequestered, they were off to the side on the balcony to make room for the elders. Now, the elders moved back and the sisters, along with Caleb and James, filed closer to Gabriel, nearer the edge of the balcony.
“Saraqael’s eldest daughter, Ambryl, known to us now as Amber,” Gabriel said, reaching over and pulling her close to his side, “is now my avowed and my wife. She has been given a formal title by the Lekwuesti. She is henceforth to be addressed as kyria Amber, and treated with all of the courtesy and respect you afford me.”
The crowd bowed as one, right arms crossed over chests. “Welcome, kyria Amber.”
She bowed to the crowd in response and acknowledgement of the greeting. Caleb noticed earlier that she, too, was dressed differently than usual. The black dress she wore—already an oddity on the more casual sister—was secured around her throat by a delicate gold chain. The entire length of her back as well as her defined shoulders and arms were bare. The skirt on the dress fell only to mid-thigh. The sandals she wore strapped up to the bottom of the skirt. The eyes that focused on her now went wide as they absorbed her beauty and the essence of her strength and power.
He had certainly noted Gabriel’s reaction when he saw her before the ceremony. To say his leader had been surprised was a huge understatement. Amber had laughed heartily over his expression.
Now, Gabriel continued, “Saraqael’s second-born daughter, Olaya, known to us as Olivia, and his youngest daughter, Skylar, known to us as Skye, are now my sisters. The Lekwuesti have conferred upon them the title of adelfi. They are also to be treated with all of the courtesy and respect you afford me.”
“Welcome, adelfi Olivia and adelfi Skye,” the crowd said, bowing again.
Caleb felt Skye’s surprise over the honor. Although she had always thought of Gabriel as an older brother, she
hadn’t quite understood what that meant as far as Estilorians were concerned. She and Olivia both bowed to the crowd.
“All of you know that three Gloresti were given the honor of pairing with Saraqael’s daughters. Simon, who is on the mainland, has since been awarded a more advanced position among our class, since his services as Amber’s Gloresti reached an end. He is now a third lieutenant overseeing transition training. The two other honored Gloresti, James and Caleb, are now avowed and married to my sisters. For this reason among others, they are now my brothers. The title conferred upon them by the Lekwuesti is adelfos, and they are also to be treated with all of the courtesy and respect you afford me.”
Caleb had to work to keep his face expressionless. He didn’t think he had ever felt so esteemed.
“Welcome back, adelfos James and adelfos Caleb,” the crowd said with respectful bows.
James and Caleb bowed in return.
Gabriel paused. He turned and exchanged glances with all of them. I think it’s time to tell them about Amber’s pregnancy, he thought. Kind of all at once. What do y’all think?
After a brief moment of exchanged thoughts, he turned back around to face the crowd.
“You will also be among the first Estilorians to learn some very important news,” he said, scanning the crowd with both his eyes and his senses. Caleb felt Gabriel’s hesitation before he took a deep mental breath and said, “Amber is pregnant. Our child will be born sometime in March or April, as best as we can calculate.”
There was a surge of noise as the Gloresti processed this highly unexpected news.
Jabari stepped forward then, prompting the crowd to quiet. “This child represents hope for all of us,” he said in his calm, authoritative voice. “He or she is everything we could have hoped for as a dying people. This news is cause for jubilant celebration.”