Chapter 17 Tula
TULA
The dress was perfect.
Tula turned in front of the mirror, admiring the way the deep emerald silk hugged her growing belly before flowing out in soft waves that swirled around her knees when she moved.
Amanda had helped her choose it, insisting that the color would bring out the golden undertones in Tula's skin and complement her dark hair.
She'd been right, of course. Amanda had great taste in fashion.
The delicate strappy sandals with a modest heel completed the look. It might be a little too cold for sandals in the evening, but they were beautiful, and she just couldn't resist.
"You look beautiful," Esag said from the doorway.
He was leaning against the frame, watching her with a besotted expression that made her stomach flutter.
He'd cleaned up nicely himself and wore a pair of dark slacks and a crisp white shirt open at the collar, and he had even trimmed his beard.
His eyes traveled over her slowly, appreciatively, and she felt warmth pool low in her belly.
"Don't look at me like that or we are not going to make it to the party."
He grinned. "Is that supposed to be a threat?"
"Yeah. Our attendance is not optional." She smoothed her hands over the silk. "I don't even know how much this dress costs. Amanda paid for everything and refused to tell us. How are we going to pay her back?"
"She's not expecting you to repay her." Esag pushed off from the doorframe, crossed the room to stand before her and took her hands in his. "It didn't come out of her own pocket. I assume it came from the budget allocated to helping newcomers settle in the village."
"So, I'll replenish the budget when I can. I need to find a job."
"There is no rush." He lifted one of her hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to her palm. "And there's nothing wrong with accepting help from family in the meantime."
Family.
The word sent a pang through her chest. For millennia, the closest thing she'd had to family were Areana and the other harem ladies, bound together by shared captivity rather than blood or choice.
Now she had Wonder and a clan full of strangers who happened to share her godly heritage, and Tula felt more at home than she ever had, but that had more to do with Esag than anyone else.
They left her house and stepped out into the late afternoon sunshine. The village was beautiful in the golden light, all manicured greenery and charming houses and tree-lined pathways. It looked like something out of a storybook, almost too perfect to be real.
The problem was that it was a tiny community, and she had no idea what job she could have here. Maybe she could work in the café? It would be nice to spend time with her sister. But as her pregnancy progressed, it would be difficult to stay on her feet all day.
What else could she do?
She had no useful skills. Well, she'd learned how to restore books, and she enjoyed the work, but she doubted there was much demand for that particular skill in the village.
"What are you thinking so hard about?" Esag asked.
"I need to earn money, but the last time I actually worked was as a lady-in-waiting for Areana.
But that was a long time ago, and I don't think positions like that exist anymore.
Women today don't need a servant to help them get dressed and do their hair.
The only other skill I have is restoring old books.
After the harem library got damaged in the flood, we spent weeks trying to save the books.
Some of them were very old and very valuable. I'd gotten quite good at it."
"I've seen the library and the tables laden with books through your eyes."
She winced. "I still think of that as creepy. Anyway, I enjoyed doing it, and I wouldn't mind doing it here." She thought of the crumbling leather bindings, the faded pages, the careful work of preservation. "The other ladies enjoyed it too. We made a good team."
"I don't think the village even has a library," Esag said. "If it does, I haven't seen it."
Tula sighed. "I don't imagine there's much demand for book restoration in a small village like this."
"There might be other options." He guided her around a bend in the pathway, the village green coming into view in the distance. "You could start a business online. People from all over the country could mail you their old books, you'd restore them and mail them back."
"An online business." Tula turned the idea over in her mind. "I don't know anything about running a business. Or about the internet, for that matter."
"I can help you, but I don't know if it would make much money, at least not at first. But if you enjoy doing it, then you should pursue it." He let out a breath. "I'm facing the same predicament."
She turned to look at him. "I thought your figurines were in high demand."
"They are, but soon I will exhaust my clientele. How many figurines do people need?"
She chuckled. "More than old books that they need to restore."
"Maybe." He didn't smile. "I'm considering joining the Guardian force."
Tula stopped walking, surprised. "You want to become a warrior?"
"Want might be too strong a word." Esag stopped beside her, his hand covering hers where it rested on his arm. "Guardians are well paid, even during training. It would be enough to support us both handsomely. You wouldn't need to worry about finding a job."
"Support us both," Tula echoed. The words sent a wave of warmth through her chest, followed immediately by a prickle of unease. "Esag..."
"I know what you're going to say." He turned to face her, taking both her hands in his. "You want to stand on your own feet. I understand and respect that. But we're partners now, and partners support each other."
"We've known each other for a week."
"We've known each other for much longer than that." His voice was gentle. "I knew you five thousand years ago, and I've never forgotten you."
"Yeah. You've never forgotten the annoying little sister of the girl you were trying to charm into your bed, who was sending you baleful looks because she saw right through you."
Esag laughed. "That too. But I wasn't angry at you for that. I admired your loyalty to your sister and your fierceness. There was nothing timid about you. You were fire."
She looked into his smiling eyes. "Aren't you afraid to be burned?"
"Not at all. Your fire warms my heart. I want to build a life with you. A home."
Tula never had that before, and she hadn't even dared to wish for it.
"But if you join the Guardian force, you won't have time for your art. You'll be training, fighting, and rescuing victims of trafficking, which is very noble, but I don't want you to sacrifice something you love just so you can support me."
He smiled, that gentle, slightly lopsided smile that made her want to kiss him. "I can always carve as a hobby."
"You've already decided, haven't you?"
He nodded. "I've been drifting for thousands of years, and carving fit that lifestyle. I'm not drifting anymore, and I need a change of occupation."
Tula studied his face, searching for signs of regret; there were none. Just a quiet determination.
"You'd be good at it," she said. "I still remember you when you squired for Khiann. You were magnificent with a sword in hand."
"Well, thank you, my lady." He executed a perfect bow. "I was quite skilled with the sword. Not that it would do me any good as a Guardian now, but some things don't change no matter the weapons used."
"Like what?"
"Basics like how to assess a threat, how to protect what matters, how to stay calm under pressure.
" He lifted one hand to cup her cheek. "I've spent five millennia wandering, Tula.
Searching for purpose, for meaning, for something worth fighting for.
Now I've found it. I have found you. If becoming a Guardian is what it takes to build a life with you, then that's what I'll do. "
Tula's throat tightened with emotion, and she rose on her tiptoes to press her lips to his, right there in the middle of the pathway where anyone might see.
She didn't care.
The kiss was soft and sweet, a promise rather than a demand.
When they parted, Esag rested his forehead against hers, his breath warm on her skin.
"I love you," he murmured. "I know you're not ready to say it back, and that's okay.
But I need you to know. Making a home for you, for our family, is more important to me than anything else. "
Our family. The words wrapped around her heart like a warm blanket.
"I have strong feelings for you," Tula whispered. "Very strong feelings. I just need more time to figure out what to call them."
"Take all the time you need." He kissed her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere."
They stood there for a moment longer, wrapped in each other's arms, before Tula reluctantly pulled away.
"We should go. We'll be late for the party."
"Would that be so terrible?"
"Yes." She swatted his arm lightly. "This party is for the ladies and me. We can't skip it to go back home and have more wild sex, no matter how much I'd prefer it."
Esag laughed and offered her his arm again. "Then let's not keep your adoring public waiting."
They'd almost reached the village green when Tula spotted two familiar figures walking toward them from a side path. Raviki and Sarah, both dressed in new outfits that they had gotten from the same boutique.
Raviki wore a flowing red dress that matched her fiery personality, the fabric swirling dramatically around her ankles as she walked.
Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in an elaborate arrangement.
Sarah, by contrast, had chosen something simpler, a soft blue sheath dress that brought out the color of her eyes, her blond hair hanging loose around her shoulders.
"Tula!" Raviki's voice carried across the distance as she waved enthusiastically. "Look at you! You're ravishing. Practically glowing."
"It's the pregnancy," Tula said. "It makes everything glow, including my ankles."
"Oh, stop it." Raviki pulled her into a hug, mindful of her belly. "You look gorgeous, and there is nothing wrong with your ankles. They look amazing in these sandals, and this dress is perfect on you."
Tula stepped back and looked her friends over properly. "You both look beautiful. It's strange seeing you in dresses that are not floor-length gowns but still look good."
"I know." Raviki smoothed her hands over her skirt with obvious pleasure. "I feel like a different person."
Sarah nodded in agreement. "It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?"
"It is." Tula reached out and squeezed her hand. "But in a good way."
As they started walking again, the four of them falling into step, Raviki's gaze drifted to Esag, who had hung back to give the ladies space to talk.
"So," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper that wasn't really a whisper at all. "Are you going to introduce us to your handsome companion, or are we supposed to pretend we don't notice him?"
Tula rolled her eyes. "You know who he is. You met Esag on the submarine, we stayed in the same dormitories in Safe Harbor, and you've seen him around the village."
Raviki's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I want a proper introduction now that things seem to have progressed between you."
"Fine." Tula gestured for Esag to join them. "Raviki, Sarah, this is Esag my new partner. Esag, these are my friends Raviki and Sarah."
"Ladies." Esag inclined his head. "It's a pleasure to meet you again."
"The pleasure is ours." Raviki gave him an appraising look that was entirely too thorough for Tula's comfort. "So, Esag. What exactly are your intentions toward our Tula?"
"Raviki!" Sarah hissed, looking mortified.
"What? Someone has to ask."
Esag, to his credit, didn't seem fazed by the interrogation. "My intentions are to make her happy. Is that acceptable?"
Raviki considered this for a moment, then nodded. "For now. But I'll be watching you."
Tula shook her head, torn between embarrassment and amusement. "Can we please continue to the party now?"
"What about Tony?" Sarah asked after a moment.
Tula had known this question was coming. "Tony and I aren't together anymore, but we parted on good terms, and he's going to be part of my life and his son's life."
Sarah nodded. "I feel sorry for Tony. He's nice."
"He is, and he'll be a good father to our child." Tula placed a hand on her belly.
"Well." Raviki gave Esag another appraising look. "I'd say you traded up."
"Raviki!" Sarah looked scandalized, but there was a hint of laughter in her voice.
"What? I'm just being honest. Tony's adequate, I suppose, but Esag is..." She gestured vaguely at him. "Look at him. Those shoulders. That jawline. Those eyes."
Esag was doing an admirable job of pretending not to hear any of this, though Tula caught the slight upturn at the corner of his mouth.
"Tony is the father of my child," Tula said, her voice sharpening. "He's not just 'adequate.' My baby might look like him someday. So, when you insult Tony, you're insulting my child."
The words came out more heated than she'd intended, but she didn't regret them. Tony deserved better than to be dismissed like that.
Raviki laughed. "There she is. There's the Tula we know and love. I was wondering when she'd show up."
"What do you mean?"
"You've been too quiet, too mellow. I was starting to worry that the pregnancy had changed you." Raviki grinned. "But you're still combative and fierce, still ready to fight for what matters to you. It's nice to see you still have fire in you."
Tula didn't know what to say to that. Had she been subdued? She supposed she had. Everything was so overwhelming—the freedom, the choices, having to figure out what she wanted her life to look like when no one was telling her how to live.
"Don't worry. I haven't gone soft. I'm just saving my energy for the battles that matter."