Dinner Conversation #2
“Because she’d feel my intrusion and then she’d think I cared!” Rhalyf laughed bitterly.
Finley bit back the statement, “But you do care! So why not go over there and ask her to join us?”
But Finley also knew that there was some complicated history between Rhalyf and Haera.
He didn’t think that Rhalyf was exaggerating when he said that Haera had tried to kill him in the past. Such things between Kindreth royal siblings were actually quite normal and expected.
At least, in the stories that was how it went.
But what would it feel like to have a real sister or brother try to do that?
And it seemed that instead of quashing whatever love Rhalyf might have for her, it appeared he still harbored some.
Haera’s table was mostly filled with humans, but there was one notable exception.
Elasha was with them, evidently being friendly with Cara.
Not that Cara seemed to be paying much attention to her.
Like everyone else at that table–and a fair few around it–Cara was listening intently to some tale that Haera was telling.
Cara’s cheeks were flushed with laughter.
There were even tears in her eyes as Haera flung her arms wide before demonstrating what looked like a wrestling move.
She had one of her powerful arms wrapped around the neck of some imaginary enemy and was pummeling the air.
“Maybe she’s describing her encounter with the draigs? Those were the creatures that ate her rations and tried to eat her, right?” Finley suggested.
“You wouldn’t want to hold a draig against your chest like that,” Rhalyf muttered as scooped up some of the creamy coleslaw on his plate, stared at it speculatively for a moment before popping it into his mouth.
A few moments of thoughtful chewing and he smiled, nodding to himself.
Evidently, he found the coleslaw good. Finley agreed.
“Their skin secretes a poisonous gel that if it touches your skin can cause death.”
“Ah, then no, because she appears to be…” Finley squinted. “Ripping her enemy’s throat out with her teeth. So maybe a thruxx? The things in the lake by your tower?”
“Now she’s just making things up! Thruxx blood tastes the equivalent of liquid rot in your mouth.
No one would ever willingly bite into one,” Rhalyf scowled then his expression cleared.
“Ah, she’s pretending to vomit now so maybe it was a thruxx.
Still it’s ridiculous to make killing some fish into a tale to be told! Overly dramatic!”
Finley was pretty sure that Rhalyf and his sister were equally gifted at being overly dramatic.
But he wasn’t going to mention that. Because he knew that Rhalyf did actual heroic things too.
So likely did Haera or, at least, feats of daring do.
But those likely couldn’t be told to a mostly human audience without revealing way too much about who and what she was.
Yet not everyone appeared to be enjoying her tale anymore than Rhalyf was.
“Elasha seems to think like you do,” Finley pointed out, gesturing with his fork towards the Aravae who was staring, unblinking and arms crossed over her chest, at Haera. “I wonder why? Do you think Haera has said anything to indicate she was in the Under Dark when facing those fish?”
Rhalyf regarded Lady Elasha Fairlynn with narrowed eyes then those incisive gray orbs went to Cara and finally to his sister once more who was leaning over Cara to get a roll. Cara’s eyes seemed to be fixed upon that slice of exposed breasts that Haera’s shirt showed to great effect.
“Ha! Well, I almost feel badly for Elasha,” Rhalyf snorted.
“What? Why?”
Pointing with his knife, Rhalyf carved a triangle in the air, which lit up as if he’d drawn them with highlighters. “Elasha likes Cara. Cara likes Haera.”
“And Haera likes?”
“Attention.” Rhalyf erased the glowing triangle with a wave of his hand. “I don’t doubt that she noticed Elasha’s interest in that poor human woman and decided to go after her for sport.”
Finley studied the three women and, indeed, from the way Elasha kept looking at Cara under her lashes while Cara seemed mesmerized by Haera’s confidence and other assets.
This is why love is so dangerous. It makes one foolish and blind, the professor tutted.
Well, that’s not something that’s going to happen between Rhalyf and me!
Oh? So you wouldn’t be staring daggers at anyone who drew Rhalyf’s eye? The professor sounded too innocent as he said this.
Finley felt a vise suddenly tighten around his heart. His head snapped towards Rhalyf, but the handsome elf had eyes only for his sister and there was no love in them.
“Oh, goodness, I thought we’d never get back,” Shonda said as she and Michael came over with plates of barbeque in one hand and frothing beers in the other. “So many people to talk to and catch up with! Really, we should host more parties like this to truly get to speak with everyone.”
Michael helped Shonda settle down on the bench beside Finley before seating himself opposite her next to Rhalyf. “You’re not wrong. And the grub looks pretty good, too. Gemma is going to be disappointed that she missed this.”
“Where is Gemma?” Rhalyf immediately brightened at the name of his little sister.
Shonda met Michael’s eyes before letting out a sigh. “Though she claimed she was going over to a friend’s house after school, we’re pretty sure that she went out unicorn hunting.”
“Unicorns?” Rhalyf’s eyes widened. “Goodness, she does know that they can magically sense people nearby and avoid them? They’re terribly shy creatures and avoid nearly everyone.”
Shonda shrugged. “Well, I don’t think that would dissuade her. She’s loved them forever.”
“Her first stuffed animal was a unicorn,” Michael explained as he tucked into a rib with an appreciative groan as he chewed the tender, caramelized meat.
“She begged me to buy this terrible book where a photographer had glued horns to horse’s heads and claimed to have captured photos of them in the wild,” she sighed again, but it was fondly.
Finley was frowning. “Gemma would know that if she were to have even the slightest chance of finding a unicorn she’d have to leave the dome.”
Another, much longer sigh from Shonda as she started buttering one of the rolls on her plate. “Yes, we are aware. Very aware of that. But we can’t… we can’t ask her to live her life only under the dome.”
“Instead of her home, it will become a prison,” Michael muttered as he set down a rib bone now stripped of all meat. “There is danger, but–”
“The area around Tyrael is very safe,” Rhalyf quickly chimed in.
Finley wondered if he were casting a spell right there and then to locate her.
And that must have been exactly what he was doing, because Rhalyf’s head suddenly shot towards the tent opening where Gemma and Darcassan, of all people, suddenly appeared.
Her bright eyes scanned the room and immediately landed on him and Rhalyf.
She brightened and hurried over with a very reluctant Darcassan in tow.
In fact, Darcassan looked to be trying to convince her to leave the tent.
But just like she had with Finley in the Athenaeum she had Darcassan by the hand and was pulling him after her like a kite.
A very reluctant kite. But it’s strange he would be with her at all! I didn’t think they even knew one another!
“Gemma?!” Shonda blinked at her daughter as she suddenly appeared by her side, plucking a rib off of her plate.
“Food! Oh, it tastes so good!” Gemma devoured the rib and before she was halfway done, she was reaching for a second.
“You’re eating like a starving wildebeest!” Shonda laughed.
“What are you doing here, honey?” Michael frowned. “And with Lord Darcassan? I thought you were going to spend the night at Rachel’s.”
Something dark fluttered through Gemma’s eyes, but then she was smiling again, maybe a little forced, as she said, “Oh, yeah, she and Laura were being sort of jerks so… I bailed. And then I found Lord Darcassan here and we hung out!”
“You hung out with Darcassan?” Rhalyf enunciated each word very clearly and that just made his disbelief more apparent.
Darcassan, who was doing his best to be invisible behind a thirteen-year-old girl, visibly bristled and snapped, “Better than with you!”
“Oh, I can attest that hanging out with me is infinitely better. Lady Gemma knows this well,” Rhalyf proclaimed haughtily.
“Don’t fight, boys, there’s enough of me to go around!” Gemma grinned. “Anyways, I heard from Helgrom that you all were here so I had Darcassan ride me over.”
“Yes, yes, and now that I’ve done that, I should take my leave,” Darcassan said. “Gemma, we should speak… ah, tomorrow perhaps… or something.”
“Darcassan?!” Elasha’s voice suddenly rose up in delight from behind her twin.
Darcassan froze, looking like a deer in headlights, before he slowly turned around to face her. “E-Elasha? Oh, you did come–”
“Of course, I did! And so did you!” Elasha was beaming. “I admit I didn’t think you would… Well, I’m so glad you did. Come sit down with me. The food is delicious and the music will start soon. I’ll get you a plate!”
Darcassan attempted to wave her off. “Oh, no, I–”
“Go with your sister,” Gemma commanded. “And we will talk. Tomorrow.”
Talk about what? Finley wondered.
And to everyone’s surprise, Darcassan acquiesced. Delighted, Elasha now took Darcassan’s hand and she was flying him over to the food line. Gemma turned back to all of them.
At their wide eyed stares, she blinked. “Ah, what?”
“Darcassan? He… he appears…” Rhalyf stopped as if words failed him.
“Oh! That!” Gemma laughed. “He just needs someone to take charge. Then he’s like a lamb.”
“A lamb going to slaughter,” Rhalyf chuckled. “My Lady Gemma, I bow to you!”
And he did just that, getting up from his seat before doing an exaggerated bow. Gemma curseyed prettily before she sat down at the table beside her mother, already angling for half her biscuit.