34. Rob
34
ROB
R ob looked at the village map on his phone to make sure that he was in the right place. This was supposed to be Callie's restaurant, but it was dark like the rest of the village, and no sound was spilling from the inside.
For security reasons, the village was completely dark at night. The immortals had no trouble seeing in the dim moonlight, even when it was obscured by clouds, but for a human, it was literally like stumbling in the dark.
The thing was, Rob didn't even need to be there. As a newcomer, he was beyond suspicion. Those who were required to show up at the restaurant were residents of the village who had been there throughout the occurrences of thefts and sabotage, but he was curious to meet the other humans living in the village.
Besides, he didn't want to be in the house while Toven was interrogating the Kra-ell with Mia's help, and if he was honest with himself, he also hoped to meet Lusha without her Guardian boyfriend. Not that he planned on coming on to her or anything like that. She was just interesting to talk to, and he liked being with her.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and was immediately blinded by the sudden burst of light. He stepped inside and let the door close quickly behind him.
The restaurant was cozy, with warm wood paneling and soft lighting that had only appeared blinding for the first moment when he had entered from the darkness outside.
The air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread and simmering spices, making Rob's stomach growl appreciatively.
As his eyes adjusted to the light, he spotted Lusha sitting at a table at the back with the blue-haired Marina and another older woman.
He made his way over, nodding politely to the other humans he passed. Some faces he already recognized from his brief time in the village, but most were unfamiliar.
Noticing him walking toward her, Lusha waved him over, a warm smile on her face. "Hey there! I'm so glad that you decided to come."
"I figured it was a good opportunity to meet more people and eat free food." He smiled at Marina and the other woman.
Lusha laughed, the sound warm and carefree. "Callie's place is the best, and it's nearly impossible to get a reservation. I was very surprised that she agreed to host this get-together." She motioned at the fourth chair at their table. "Take a seat."
"Are you sure? I'm not taking anyone's place?"
"Nope. It's yours."
The older woman looked him over and then said something in Russian to Lusha.
"She says you are good-looking."
Smiling, he dipped his head. "Thank you."
The woman nodded and turned to Marina to continue their hushed conversation.
"Is Callie human?" he asked.
"She was at some point," Lusha said. "She was a Dormant who got induced by her mate."
"Maybe that's why she volunteered her place." He looked around the restaurant, estimating that there were no more than twenty people there. The older-looking ones were definitely human, but there were a few young faces who could be immortal. "What about the rest of the people here? Are all of them human?"
Lusha nodded. "Aside from the two teenage girls over there, all are former slaves of the Kra-ell."
He arched a brow. "Slaves?"
"More like serfs, but yeah. We have a sordid history with them. After Igor's compound was raided by the immortals and the Kra-ell were released from Igor's compulsion, the humans were freed, too. Most of them chose to go to the clan's other location, which is a retreat called Safe Haven, and only a few chose to accompany their former masters to the village. I chose Safe Haven and then came here for the trial, fell in love with the place, and decided to stay."
He wanted to ask why any of the humans would want to be with their former masters, but then a woman clapped her hands, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
She was strikingly beautiful, with long, honey-hued wavy hair and green eyes that seemed to sparkle with an inner light. She was undoubtedly immortal, which meant that this was Callie, the restaurant's owner.
"Welcome, everyone," Callie said. "Thank you all for coming. We'll get started with the questioning soon, and then we will all enjoy dinner, so let's get the first part over quickly."
As she spoke, a male who looked like an angel walked up to her and put his arm over her shoulders.
The guy had the kind of perfect beauty painters would love to depict and sculptors to sculpt. His long, nearly white, blond hair was gathered with a string at his nape, and his cold blue eyes scanned the small crowd.
There was also an undeniable aura of danger about him.
This was an angel Rob wouldn't want to encounter in a dark alley.
"That's Brundar," Lusha whispered. "Callie's mate. He's a Head Guardian."
Rob nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from the couple. The contrast between Callie's warm approachability and Brundar's dangerous beauty was striking. They were a study of opposites, and yet they seemed to fit together perfectly.
"Most of you are familiar with Arwel." Callie motioned for another male to get up. "But I don't know how many of you are aware of his empathic abilities."
This guy was also strikingly handsome, in the way most of the immortals were, but he seemed less intimidating than Brundar, with kind eyes that looked haunted and an easy smile that looked pained.
"Good evening," Arwel said. "I will be the one conducting the investigation over there." He pointed to one of the booths tucked against the wall. "Brundar will escort one person at a time to the booth, I'll ask a few questions and move to the next. If we manage to do everything in an orderly manner, we will be done in less than an hour and enjoy the tasty feast Callie has prepared for us."
As Brundar began calling and escorting people to Arwel one by one, Rob studied both Guardians more closely.
Brundar never smiled, but he was gentle and patient as he led people to the empath. Arwel smiled warmly and shook every person's hand, but the anguish in his eyes didn't diminish. If anything, it intensified.
Perhaps he had a bad headache?
Did immortals even get them?
When Rob was the last one left, he nodded at Brundar and followed him to Arwel's booth.
"Rob, right?" Arwel said. "You don't actually need to be here for this."
Rob nodded. "I know, but I was curious. And...well, to be honest, I wanted to meet more people." He paused, then added, "Are you alright? You look like you're in pain."
Arwel's smile turned rueful. "Perceptive of you. As an empath, I feel the emotions of those around me, especially those of humans who don't shield anything, and right now, I'm feeling the pain of every human in this restaurant." His gaze seemed to pierce right through Rob. "Yours is particularly raw."
Arwel's words jolted him out of his pleasant mood.
He'd thought he was doing okay, that he was moving past the hurt of Lynda's betrayal, but hearing Arwel describe his pain as 'raw' made him realize he'd just been suppressing his feelings, pushing them down instead of dealing with them.
"I'll be fine," he managed to say. "It's tough, but I'll get over it, and it's for the best." He took a deep breath. "I'm starting a new life that is much better than the one I had planned. I just need to find an inducer."
Arwel tilted his head. "I'd be happy to offer my services."
That was unexpected and incredibly nice of Arwel to offer. "Thank you. I accept." Rob extended his hand.
Arwel shook it. "It's my pleasure. You are honoring me by choosing me as your inducer." He leaned toward Rob. "I hope someone has told you that it means we will have to be friends for life."
Rob grinned. "I would like that very much. I don't have a best friend, and I've always wanted one." He leaned forward. "Don't tell Margo, but I also wanted a brother and was disappointed when my parents told me that I was getting a sister. I wouldn't trade her for anyone now, but as a kid, well, I was lonely."
He was still lonely, but Arwel probably knew that, and that was why he'd offered to be his inducer and his friend.
Arwel chuckled. "I don't have any siblings, so I'm more than happy to adopt you as mine."