Central (26 page)

Even as they moved, they heard Malukali bellowing at her Orculesti, ordering them to refrain from their attempted mental intrusions. That was when he realized what had happened.

Sebastian suddenly appeared in front of him. “This way,” he said, and led them through a doorway into a small lounging room. It had one sofa, a desk and two guest chairs. James had no intention of putting Olivia down. His heart was slamming against his breastbone.

Gabriel hurried into the room behind them with Amber in his arms. James could feel his leader’s intense fear, knew it mimicked his own. He laid Amber on the sofa and immediately pressed his lips to hers.

After a long moment, she responded.

“Ugh,” she said, sitting up with Gabriel’s assistance. Her eyes were slightly bleary. Still, she got to her feet and grabbed one of each of her sisters’ hands, closing her eyes, bowing her head and concentrating.

Shortly thereafter, Olivia stirred in his arms. James was so relieved that he had to lean against the desk to help stay standing. She slowly lifted her head and blinked at him.

“What was that?” she asked in slightly slurred confusion. She tightened her hold on him so he wouldn’t bear her dead weight.

Next to them, Skye blinked and looked around, catching Caleb’s gaze. “Ow,” she said.

Sebastian hurried over to Skye. He had a white cloth in his hand. Before she could protest, he held the cloth against her face.

“Hey!” she complained, trying to push him away. But when he pulled the cloth back from her face and she saw the blood, her face paled considerably. Her grip on Caleb tightened. “Oh.”

“Can you clean her gown?” Caleb asked calmly.

“My gown?” Skye squeaked, looking down. “They ruined my gown!”

Fortunately, she had grown angry instead of teary. Equally as fortunate, Sebastian simply had to wave his hand to use his power and clean the blood away.

James tried to command himself to put Olivia down, but he couldn’t. The feel of her against him, aware and alive, flooded him with such emotion after seeing her fall that he thought he might not ever let her go again. Since Caleb continued to hold Skye even though he was all but suffocating in the skirts of her gown, James reasoned he felt much the same way. Gabriel and Amber were standing in a corner kissing, and because Gabriel wasn’t taking particular care to guard his thoughts just then, James knew it wasn’t because she needed further healing.

They had come so close to losing them, and so suddenly.

“Are they all right?” Knorbis asked, hurrying into the room.

The other elders piled into the small room behind him. Malukali had evidently stayed behind to continue her censure of her class, as she was notably absent. The others all looked relieved when they saw the sisters conscious and apparently fine.

Gabriel took one more moment to convey a thought to Amber, then turned and stepped in front of her. He was obviously far from pleased.

“Each of you assured me you would put protections in place to keep them safe,” he said, anger in every word. “They weren’t even in there a full minute, for all holy’s sake!”

“There are protections in place,” Ini-herit replied matter-of-factly. “If there were not, the sisters would be dead right now. Very few can survive an undiluted mental assault by so many Orculesti at one time.”

That was exactly the wrong thing to say. James and Caleb glanced briefly at each other before they both moved to put Olivia and Skye on the ground and urged them over to stand beside Amber. Then they stood with their arms crossed on either side of Gabriel and assisted him in lighting into the council of elders.

A few minutes later, Malukali swept into the room. Her expression was a blend of anger and concern. Everyone silenced as she hurried up to Gabriel.

“My deepest apologies on behalf of all Orculesti, Gabriel,” she said, putting the palms of her hands together and bowing her head. “I have discovered that the intrusion was coordinated by one male. He has been removed from the hall and will be dealt with appropriately.”

“Dacian,” Gabriel, James and Caleb said darkly at the same time.

She started. “How did you know that?”

Gabriel frowned darkly at having their suspicions confirmed. “I should have anticipated this,” he said, running his hand through his hair in agitation. “His comments earlier…but he sounded sincere when he said—”

“I do not know what occurred earlier,” she interrupted. “But he did indicate when I spoke with him alone that he had planned this group intrusion a while ago. He had forgotten about it and did not participate in it himself. I was able to determine his sincerity through his thoughts.”

Gabriel sighed. “It’s apparent that we haven’t determined all of the risks involved in introducing the sisters to everyone as a group like this. Perhaps we should—”

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Skye interrupted, stepping forward with a stubborn look on her face. “I did
not
go through all of this training and preparation, never mind all of this primping, to just back out now.”

“Skye’s right,” Amber said, also moving out from behind them. She caught Gabriel’s gaze and reached out to touch his arm with an understanding expression. “We’re going to have to do this at some point. I say we go out there now and get this done.”

“Let us prove ourselves to them,” Olivia added.

James caught her gaze. He nodded.

“All right then,” Gabriel responded, seeing that everyone was in agreement. He looked at the other elders. “But you know now what we’re up against. Be on better guard, would you? I’ve had enough excitement for one evening.”

Olivia was very familiar with the phrase, “Could have heard a pin drop.” But the absolute silence among the thousand-plus Estilorians in the grand dining hall took that phrase to a whole new level. She truly didn’t think she had ever experienced a room so still and hushed. It was almost as though no one was even breathing.

The elders entered the hall first and resumed their places at the table in the center of the floor. Jabari sent a hard and powerful look around the stadium. She realized the Gloresti were still standing.

“That was unexpected,” Jabari said in his commanding voice, “and such behavior will most definitely not be tolerated from anyone else or it will invoke the power of all elders. Saraqael’s daughters have come here at our request, though they are fully aware that some of you are less than open to their presence. They risked their very lives to come to this plane and have done nothing but accept us and work to learn our ways, which differ greatly from those of humans. In this manner and many others you have yet to learn, they put all of us to shame. They have displayed amazing resilience and courage and deserve nothing but our acceptance and respect.

“If this is something you are unwilling to give, then you are to leave this hall immediately.”

Olivia wasn’t sure what she expected after the recent stunt by the Orculesti. Maybe a mass exodus or shouts of argument against Jabari’s statements. There was neither.

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.