Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 83946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
There’s a pond in the center of the entryway, strange looking, bright green creatures swimming in it. Two grand staircases on both sides of the room lead upwards, but made of the same stone as the outside. As if the house itself, not just the outside, is made of the mountain. I turn towards the windows to find what I saw glowing before and see that they’re flowers, one in each window, an iridescent light shining from them.
I’m led around one of the staircases, through a dining area, and out a back door. At the contented sigh beside me, I look over at Bothaki to see his eye closed, face tilted up at the sky, a smile on his face. Then, he opens his eye and bends over to take off his shoes.
I grin. “What are you doing?”
“Connecting with the land.”
His parents never had on shoes, but Vabila follows in her brother’s tracks, so I shrug and do the same. It feels different than it did when I was just a child on Earth and was allowed to do such idle things as walking around in the grass shoeless. The land here seems to want your feet to sink in further than the pressure from your body allows, like it’s wrapping around any part of you connected with it to embrace you. To welcome you.
“Do you feel it?” Bothaki quietly asks me.
“I do,” I croak. “But … I’m not Hallan. How can I?”
“Because this is your home now.”
“Please, sit and eat,” Jozay offers. “You have quite a journey to tell us of.”
Vabila and Jozay both fill in parts of Bothaki and I’s story before I even get to it. I wonder if I’ll ever get used to them knowing things they never should. Maybe with time. For now, though, it makes me look at Bothaki aghast each time, which his smile tells me he finds quite amusing.
“Halun sent word that finally reached us just this morning,” Nowas says. “He says The Opposition and Hallans have reached a deal and have begun to form plans to bring down this … New Order that he’s told me is in power on Earth. Apparently, it includes many females who had been making plans for years of ways to destroy … well,” he says, chuckling. “Everything.”
I smile. “I’m glad it’s the women who will be the ones to help bring The New Order down. It’s no less than they deserve. Did Halun say anything about a … sanitorium? Or a place where they hold women captive?”
Nowas’ face saddens, even as his eyes fill with rage. “He did not, but I will ask when I send a message back.”
“Thank you.”
“Father, if I may speak to you for a moment,” Bothaki requests.
Nowas nods and begins to rise, bidding we all excuse him.
“Are you okay?” Bothaki whispers to me.
“I am. Go on.”
He turns my face so his lips can meet, not my forehead or cheek, but my lips. Even as I can feel my neck and face getting hot with knowing his mother and sister are watching, I don’t hesitate to kiss him back. My eyes close at the feel of his lips against mine, somehow made even more special by where we are. When we break apart, my eyes flutter open as his mouth goes to my ear.
“I plan to do much more than that later.”
I have to fight, far too hard, to suppress the shiver that desperately wants to rake through me. He knows it, but just grins at me as he stands. I watch him walk back into the palace, if only to give myself a moment to tear my thoughts away from the temptation to beg him to do any and every thing to me right now. When I hear giggles behind me, I look over my shoulder.
Vabila and Jozay are both watching me, trying and clearly failing, to contain their laughter. My blush deepens and I look away.
“You are with child,” Vabila points out. “We certainly know you and Bo have kissed. And more.”
I cut my eyes at her and chuckle as I shake my head.
“There will be many more kisses in the future,” Jozay says. “And children, for that matter. I just wish …”
She trails off as her eyes close. Confused at the sudden change, I look at Vabila, but she just gives me a tight smile and murmurs, “We all have our fate.”
“So, dear.” Jozay’s smile comes back as she speaks. “Tell me about all the things you want to do here, and I will see to it that it all comes to pass.”
“Is there a way to fly?” I ask. “Not into space, but just around the planet?”
“Of course.”
“Then, the very first thing I would like to do is see those clouds up close.”
“Then, you shall have it.”
“We’ll have a day, just for us.” Vabila suggests. “No males allowed.”