Elder (13 page)

Chapter 20

Ini-herit walked with the others from their rooms to the ballroom. He had never been to the space before, as it had been created after he transitioned to the human plane. Alexius took the lead and guided them through the halls with a confident stride.

Seeing Clara Kate dressed as she was, holding the arm of another male, had Ini-herit recalling the memory of her in the restaurant with the human male, Brent. For the briefest moment, when he emerged from his bedroom and first saw her in the hallway, he even experienced a flash of the emotion he’d felt as a human. The feeling caught him off-guard. He’d stood there trying to recapture it, but realized when Clara Kate finally looked at him that he wasn’t going to succeed.

There had been many things he’d wanted to tell her when she asked him whether her ensemble held any significance to him. He considered telling her about the memory Malukali and Knorbis recovered. He also thought about mentioning the twinge he’d felt when he spied her in her costume.

Then he’d noticed Alexius looking between the two of them. Although Ini-herit wasn’t entirely sure what he read in the other male’s expression, he knew that it held more emotion than he could possibly give Clara Kate.

She deserved better than Ini-herit could give her. So he hadn’t said a thing.

Seeing her tears made him rethink his decision, but by then it was too late. Everyone else had emerged from their rooms and they all headed out in a bustle of conversation and activity.

He noticed as they walked that the other females in their group had all dressed in very different gowns. Whereas Clara Kate’s gown resembled something from the late nineteenth century on the human plane, Sophia’s silver and deep blue-green garb was medieval in style, as though from a fairy tale. Ariana had opted to wear a Renaissance-era gown in shades of rose and violet. Tate’s satin gown was the most contemporary, having a sleeveless, form-fitting bodice and full, floor-length skirt. The dark red garb was sure to garner attention. Red was a color rarely worn by non-Mercesti.

Ini-herit realized that Zachariah had chosen not to wear a mask. The Mercesti had donned a tuxedo, but that was apparently the extent of his attempt to blend in. Even his blond hair looked as untamed as usual. With his intent gaze moving constantly from one shadowed corner to the next, Zachariah made it clear he wasn’t comfortable with their location.

“The plan is for all of the Kynzesti to be announced into the ballroom once most of the guests have arrived,” Alexius explained as they walked. He looked down at Clara Kate. “
Archigos
Sebastian felt this would be the best way to introduce you to everyone at once.”

“I would prefer to avoid that direct attention,” Zachariah said.

Alexius glanced at him. Ini-herit knew that both Alexius and Harold had maintained strong relationships with Zachariah when he had been the Gloresti second commander. Both Waresti had accepted Zachariah without judgment after discovering his conversion to Mercesti. The look exchanged now between the two males had a distinct sense of camaraderie. After a moment, Alexius nodded and turned to Ini-herit.

“Would you please convey this to
archigos
Sebastian? We believe it would be better to just enter the ball with everyone else and blend in with the crowd.”

“Of course,” Ini-herit replied.

As he sent the thought out, he considered Zachariah’s possible reasoning for the change in plans. In his mind, it made more sense to introduce the Kynzesti at one time. There would be a great many beings present at this event. Making many separate introductions seemed inefficient.

Oh, well. He might not understand their reasoning, but he saw no reason to argue.

When they arrived at the grand ballroom, it was filling up with beings. Alexius led them through the main entrance, which was marked by two enormous wooden doors. Several Waresti currently stood guard. They bowed to Alexius and Ini-herit as the group entered the room.

It was larger than any other social gathering space at Central, Ini-herit realized. His gaze lifted to the high ceiling, which was currently enchanted to look like the night sky. Thousands of stars winked down on them. Candles glowed from long, linen-covered tables lining every side of the room, highlighting an impressive spread of food and drink that scented the air with mouth-watering aromas. On the other end of the room, a group of instruments played themselves, guided by a Lekwuesti’s power. Bright music filled the air, blending with the hum of conversation as Estilorians from different classes caught up with each other. The dance floor was already occupied by a number of beings.

“We had better identify a meeting point,” Alexius said to Zachariah. “Somewhere we should all gather at an established time.”

The Mercesti nodded. “The base of the clock would work well,” he said.

They all glanced over to the right side of the room, where a large clock, supported by an ornate, black, wrought-iron base, stood almost as high as the ceiling and at least fifteen feet wide. It was impossible to miss.

“We should meet there hourly,” Zachariah suggested.

No one argued with him. With the parameters of their evening now established, the group broke off into smaller pairings. Ini-herit only then considered the fact that he was the only one without a companion. His instincts had him wanting to follow Clara Kate as she moved away, but for some reason, the idea of spending an evening watching her interact with Alexius made him—

What, exactly? He didn’t even know what the odd sensation in his chest meant. But as he watched Clara Kate disappear into the crowd and he then turned to begin his version of socializing, he knew he didn’t wish to continue experiencing it.

In truth, he’d rather feel nothing at all.

“I have been to every one of these balls,” Ariana said as she and Tiege moved away from the others. “The Lekwuesti, especially, enjoy the diversity among the costumes and the elaborate décor.”

“Do they change the setup every year?” Tiege asked as his gaze moved around the room.

She sensed he wasn’t really curious about the décor and she couldn’t blame him. Although she had hoped to experience her usual enthusiasm while attending the masquerade, she felt only a sense of obligation. How could she revel in an event like this when there was so much more in the balance?

A few months ago, her existence would have revolved around clothing, music, food and hospitality. Were it not for her recent experiences, she would likely even now be standing with a group of her friends, including her best friend, Tisha. She might be judging the costumes of the attendees, pointing out things she liked and disliked about each of them. She would likely sample the food and offer similar judgments, thinking her opinion was of such importance. Perhaps she might have even accepted an offer or two to dance.

Now, Tisha was dead. Now, Ariana knew what it meant to live outside of any level of comfort…to live within the confines of abuse and torture. She was no longer an innocent and naïve young female who couldn’t see beyond the surface.

“The theme changes,” she said at last, her grip on Tiege’s arm tightening as she spotted a group of familiar faces. “It appears they’ve gone with ‘Victorian Romance’ this year.”

Tiege touched her hand on his arm and looked down at her. They stopped walking as he got a good look at her face. “Are you all right?” Before she could reply, he said, “Ariana, I’m sorry I didn’t do a better job of explaining myself before. I’ve wanted to talk to you for weeks, but something has always come up.”

“Ariana, is that you?”

She recognized the voice of Elena, a fellow Lekwuesti. Knowing that a response would cause a lengthy delay, she ignored her.

Tiege continued, “I think it’s great that you’re going to pair with Tate. Thank you for offering that to her. I never thought about how her pairing with Zachariah might impact her potential relationships with other Estilorians.”

“Ariana?”

Again, she ignored the greeting, this one from a Lekwuesti named Bridget. She chose instead to focus on Tiege, whose gaze was shadowed by his black half-mask.

“I love you,” he said. “I love you more than I know how to express. I don’t want you obligated to serve me in any way. When the time is right, I want to avow with you. I want to marry you.”

Tears filled her eyes. How had she ever gotten so lucky?

“Ariana. That
is
you.”

This time, there was no avoiding Elena and Bridget or the group of other female Lekwuesti approaching with them. Turning with a polite smile, Ariana said, “Hello.”

“I figured you might not have heard me over the music,” Elena said, her gaze moving to Tiege. “Hello. I’m Elena. This is Bridget.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he responded. “I’m Tiege.”

“Ah. The son of
adelfi
Skye and
adelfos
Caleb,” Elena said.

Bridget ran her eyes over him and added, “The twin brother of the female who paired with the Mercesti.”

Ariana was sure Tiege heard the frost in the tones of the other females. She felt him stiffen. Then Elena quirked an eyebrow and looked back at Ariana.

“Are you together, then?” she asked, lifting her chin as she spoke.

Irritated by the other Lekwuesti’s behavior, Ariana replied, “Yes. Tiege is my fiancé.”

When he turned to look at her, she met his gaze and smiled. They both heard the indrawn breaths from the group beside them.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, feeling more joy than she had ever thought possible. “I love you, Tiege.”

When he leaned in to kiss her, she met him halfway. She knew better than to make a scene in the middle of the ball, but she took a moment to enjoy the feel of his lips against hers. He made her feel like the most important female on the plane and knew that was because he believed it to be true.

“I suppose that your pairing is rather fitting,” Elena said when they parted. When Ariana glanced at her, she added, “No respectable female would want to be associated with someone so closely connected to the Mercesti. And no other male would want a female who had been kept by the Mercesti for as long as you. You are clearly damaged—”

“You should stop talking now,” Tiege interrupted, his voice soft. When his gaze met Elena’s, she took a step back. “Neither of us wants to hear what you have to say. Your words are crafted by ignorance and stupidity. And I’ve decided it isn’t a pleasure to meet you, after all.”

“Well, I—”

Tiege took Ariana’s elbow and pulled her away as Elena sputtered behind them. Not sure whether to laugh or worry, Ariana did neither. She nodded at a few beings who spotted her and tried to greet her. Just as she was about to ask Tiege to stop so she could catch her breath, he whirled her around and pulled her against him. Then, to her surprise, he guided her into a dance.

“I hope you aren’t upset that I interrupted your conversation,” he said after a moment.

She felt the tense muscles in his arm. “Of course I’m not upset. Are you okay?”

“No. I’m seriously pissed off.”

Blinking, she said, “Oh.”

“I should have expected this,” he said. Ariana realized his gaze moved among the crowd, so she also began looking around. There were many eyes on them. “We know Zachariah. We understand what was done to him to cause him to convert. Most of the beings here don’t. They’re judging Zachariah and Tate. It seems they’re judging us, too.”

She didn’t know what to say. Dancing without much thought as the music continued, she looked over to where Tate danced with Zachariah on the other side of the dance floor. There was a three-foot circle around them as beings shifted away. The couple, their focus on each other, didn’t appear to care.

Well, if the other Estilorians wanted to judge, so be it. Ariana was determined to enjoy her dance with Tiege. In her mind, this was the beginning of their future together. No one would take it away from her.

Zachariah was only too aware of the attention he drew as the sole Mercesti in attendance. He was a curiosity, a being who left Central fifty years ago and converted to something most Estilorians abhorred. He caught the gazes of many beings who once knew him as the Gloresti second commander. Nearly all of them failed to hide their disgust.

That, he could have handled. He’d been prepared for it. With his murderous past, he could hardly fault them for their holier-than-thou attitudes.

But what he couldn’t deal with was the treatment of his avowed.

The behavior of the four Lekwuesti initially assigned to work with Tate and her family had blindsided him. Up until then, it hadn’t occurred to him that Tate would be treated differently because of him. He’d been trained to respect all of the elders and those of importance to them. Tate fell within that category as Gabriel’s niece. In his mind, she and her kin deserved the upmost respect.

That obviously wasn’t the case in the minds of other Estilorians. Tate hadn’t let him dwell on it, though. When his temper threatened to get the better of him and he envisioned physically tossing the offensive Lekwuesti out of Central, she calmed him with her thoughts. He knew she was happy with her pairing with Ariana, so he supposed it had all worked out in the end.

Now, however, he had to deal with the crowd in the ballroom. Rude looks were one thing. The hungry stares of most of the males in the room when they looked at Tate were quite another.

He knew what caused the reactions. His avowed was naturally beautiful. Add in Ariana’s cosmetic enhancements, a great deal of well-toned skin bared to the soft candlelight, and the unique color of her gown, and there was no denying she was the most stunning being in the room. Her effortless grace as they moved along the dance floor also drew attention.

She had removed her mask when she realized he wasn’t wearing one. She asked him about it before they left their room, wondering why he didn’t want to wear it. His answer was simple: he was tired of hiding who he was.

Now, he caught her gaze as they completed another turn. With the colorful markings curving around her magnificent eyes, she didn’t need a mask. She devastated his senses enough as it was. Her bright smile and obvious adoration for him only added to the impact she made.