Chapter 30 Esag
ESAG
Esag hung back as the group filed out of the van, watching as Tula emerged into the parking garage with Wonder's arm still around her waist. The sisters were inseparable, and he could understand that. They had a lot of catching up to do.
He didn't begrudge them their reunion. He just wished he knew where he stood in all of this.
Someone had made an effort to make the garage welcoming.
A banner hung from the ceiling near the elevator: 'WELCOME HOME' in bold letters, with smaller text beneath that read 'Tula, Tamira, Sarah, Liliat, Beulah, Rolenna, Raviki, Tony, and Elias.'
Tula stopped when she saw it, her hand going to her mouth. "They made a banner."
"Of course we did." Syssi emerged from the elevator with Allegra balanced on her hip.
"The rest of the welcoming committee is up in the pavilion.
Amanda thought to surprise you, but I decided that it would be better to warn you.
You've all had enough excitement to last you for a while.
" She motioned for them to join her inside the elevator.
"I'm Syssi, by the way. Kian's wife. And this is Allegra. We're so happy you're here."
Except for Esag, no one had luggage, and the ladies didn't even have a purse, which, he realized, must be distressing to them. But at least they could all fit into one cab.
"Hi," Allegra said as they all filed in. "Welcome home."
The ladies looked surprised to hear such a small child speak so clearly, but Esag had heard Allegra talking before, so it took him a moment to realize why the others were gaping.
"Thank you, sweetheart," Tula said. "That's very kind of you to say."
"You're pretty." Allegra suddenly turned shy and tucked her face into the crook of Syssi's neck.
"She's usually much more outgoing." Syssi caressed her daughter's back. "I guess she feels a little crowded in here."
Thankfully, the elevator ride was short, and as they filed out, they were welcomed by the rest of the committee.
"Darlings!" Amanda spread her arms, ready to embrace the newcomers in more ways than one.
Tall, stunning, with short dark hair cut asymmetrically, longer in the front and shorter in the back, she had the confident energy of someone who'd never met anyone she couldn't dazzle.
She began hugging each person in turn, whether they were prepared for it or not. "I'm Amanda, Annani's youngest daughter." She turned to Alena. "And this is my eldest sister, Alena. Our mother wishes she could be here to welcome you as well, but she can't be at two places at once."
Where Amanda was all energy and enthusiasm, Alena was grace and composure. Blonde and soft, she was the opposite of her younger sister. She was just as friendly but not as extroverted, which made her less intimidating and more approachable.
"I'm so glad you have all made it out of that horrible place," Alena said. "Welcome to freedom."
The ladies murmured their thanks, and then Tamira stepped forward, evidently taking it upon herself to be the spokesperson for her sisters. "On behalf of all of us, I want to thank you and the entire clan for coming to our rescue. It was a most impressive achievement."
Tamira knew that the clan hadn't come for her and the others, only for Tula, but decency demanded that she thank her rescuers regardless of their original mission.
"You are most welcome, darlings," Amanda said cheerfully.
"Now, before we get started, I need you all to understand something very important.
" She paused for dramatic effect. "This little welcome committee is not the real party.
This is just us saying hello. I'm organizing a grand celebration for you this weekend, and everyone will be there. It's going to be spectacular."
The ladies exchanged glances, and Esag wondered if it was all too much for them to attend a party so shortly after their ordeal.
"Don't worry about what to wear," Amanda said, reading the room much better than he had. "I'm taking you all shopping at my favorite boutique, and you each get to pick something special for the party. My treat. Well, technically, the clan's treat, but I'll work it into the budget somehow."
Syssi arched a brow. "You have a budget? Since when?"
"Shhh." Amanda put a finger to her red-painted lips. "Don't tell anyone. I don't want my new besties to think that I'm a frivolous spender."
"But you are." Alena patted Amanda on her back. "And that's okay. We love you just the way you are."
"That's very generous," Tamira said. "I don't know how we will be able to repay you." Her hand closed over a gold pendant at the hollow of her neck. "All we have is the little jewelry we managed to bring with us."
Esag felt so bad for them. They had nothing. Not even a comb for their hair.
"Nonsense, darlings." Amanda waved a dismissive hand.
"You all deserve to feel beautiful. I've already stuffed your closets with things I ordered online.
Plenty of outfits to choose from, mix and match, see what you like.
But for the party? We're going shopping properly.
But speaking of closets," Amanda turned to motion for Ingrid to step forward, "our interior designer and director of housing is here to show you to your new homes. "
The platinum blonde was impeccably dressed as always, in tailored pants and a cashmere sweater that skimmed her figure.
"Welcome." She smiled warmly. "I'll be helping you get settled. We've prepared residences for you based on what we understood of your situations, but everything is flexible. If you're not happy, we'll make changes."
"Now, let's get you to see the village proper," Amanda said, linking her arm through Tula's and walking out the pavilion's sliding glass doors.
Esag was curious to see Tula's reaction.
The village always made an impression. Nestled in the Malibu mountains, it was steeped in greenery and looked like a modern interpretation of an Italian town.
"It's beautiful," Tula breathed.
As they began walking, Esag trailed along at the back of the group. He didn't need a tour, but he wanted to see where they were taking Tula.
What struck him immediately was the number of people out and about, far more than usual for a weekday afternoon. The café was packed, with every chair taken in the outdoor seating. Pedestrians lined the walkways, waving and smiling. Some were even clapping.
Males significantly outnumbered females, Esag noted with a cynical smile. They were definitely scoping out the new arrivals.
He wondered where Roven and Davuh were. His roommates should have jumped at this opportunity to meet immortal women who were as old as they were and even older. It was difficult for him and his friends to connect with people who hadn't seen and experienced the things they had across the millennia.
Then again, Esag wasn't sure how much the ladies had actually been exposed to while living sheltered in the harem. There was a difference between living for five thousand years and being confined to one place for the same length of time.
Wonder had spent most of that time in stasis, and in a way, so had they.
"That's the café." Wonder pointed to the self-service kiosk with its outdoor seating and crowded clientele.
"I work there most days, but I took a day off to welcome my sister.
I might take another one tomorrow so we can spend more time together.
" She leaned to kiss Tula's temple as if she were still the twelve-year-old girl she'd been when Wonder had last seen her.
"That's the office building," Amanda said. "And that's the clinic." She turned to look at Tula. "You should make an appointment with Bridget. She's at the keep right now to evaluate Navuh, but she'll be back soon. She's our best physician."
They continued walking, and eventually Ingrid led them away from the village center toward a quieter section.
"This is what we call Phase Two," Ingrid explained.
"It's somewhat newer construction, but the style is more or less the same.
Our architect is fond of Mediterranean architecture, which works well in this climate.
There are quite a few vacant houses here, which gave us flexibility in arranging your accommodations. "
She motioned for them to cluster next to her. "I put you all in adjacent houses. After living together for so long, you're probably starving for some privacy, but you're also used to being together, so I didn't want to scatter you across the village."
"Thank you," Beulah said. "I'm not sure we would know what to do with ourselves without each other."
"That's what I thought." Ingrid smiled. "The single ladies will room together, three in one house and two in another. Couples get their own homes. Let me show you."
She led them to the first house, a charming two-bedroom villa with a small front yard where someone had planted rose bushes.
"Tamira and Elias, this is yours."
Tamira's face lit up. "It's perfect."
They were given a few minutes to explore while Esag hung back, his tension mounting. He knew what was coming next. He had pieced it together from Ingrid's comments about couples and housing assignments.
The next house was larger, with three bedrooms. Amanda bounded up the steps ahead of everyone, throwing open the door.
"Sarah, Beulah, and Liliat. This one is yours! I put the clothes I ordered for you in all the closets, but you can switch rooms if you want. Or switch houses entirely if you want. We're flexible."
The three women followed her inside, exclaiming over the space, the furniture, and the thoughtful touches.
Esag had a feeling that they were exaggerating their responses in order to please their hosts and show their gratitude.
From what he'd heard from Yamanu, who had been inside the harem, the place was a palace, and the ladies lived in luxury. These homes were modest in comparison.
Two houses down, Ingrid stopped again. "Rolenna and Raviki, this is yours. I gave you a three-bedroom even though there's only two of you, in case one of the other ladies wants to switch houses."
Then they moved to the next house, and Esag's jaw clenched.
It was similar to Tamira and Elias's. Two bedrooms. A couple's house.
"Tony and Tula," Ingrid said warmly. "Here we are."
Amanda was already bounding up the steps. "I ordered clothes for Tony, too. And the kitchen is fully stocked, so you can play house."
She turned at the doorway, grinning. "Does either of you know how to cook?"
"I used to be a great cook," Tony said with no small amount of pride in his voice. "It's been a while, but I bet I still remember how to make a mean pasta carbonara. I'm looking forward to wowing Tula with my Italian cuisine."
He glanced at Tula, hope evident in his expression.
Tula said nothing.
She just stood there, looking at the house, her hand on her belly, her face carefully blank.
Esag's heart sank into his stomach.
She wasn't correcting the assumption. Wasn't saying that she and Tony were no longer together. Wasn't asking for separate housing.
It seemed that she'd decided to give Tony another chance.
She'd said on the plane that she and Tony needed to end things, but apparently she'd changed her mind.
Maybe the possibility that Tony could be a Dormant had influenced her decision to give him another chance.
Maybe she'd decided that giving their child a two-parent home was worth sacrificing her own chance at finding a truelove mate.
Besides, why did he care?
What was this sudden interest in Tula?
Did he want her because he needed her to forgive him, and he was a glutton for punishment? Or was this thing that had sprouted inside of him after sharing dreams and visions with her real?
"Tula?" Wonder said. "Do you want to look inside?"
"Yes." Tula smiled, but it looked forced. "Of course. Thank you, Ingrid. It's lovely."
She walked up the steps, and Tony followed.
Esag stood on the path, watching the door close behind them, feeling like he'd been punched in the gut.
The Fates were playing games with him, probably to punish him for all his failures.
He'd been so sure that the dreams and visions had meant something. He'd even caught Tula looking at him, not with hatred or resentment over his past sins, nor as one would look at an old acquaintance, but the way a woman looked at a man she found attractive.
But maybe he had misinterpreted it. Perhaps he had seen what he'd hoped to see. Maybe it had just been proximity and loneliness and the strange circumstance of being physically linked during a crisis.
"Esag?" Wonder's voice pulled him from his spiral. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he lied. "Just tired from the long flight. I didn't get any sleep."
"You should go home and get some rest."
"Yeah." He forced himself to turn away from the house where Tula and Tony were probably exploring their new shared bedroom, their new shared kitchen, their new shared life. "I'll see you later."
He walked back toward the original portion of the village where he shared a house with Roven and Davuh, his mind replaying every interaction he'd had with Tula, and every moment he thought had meant something.
The dreams. The visions. The conversation on the plane.
Maybe he just needed to let her go and stop building castles in the air out of a few visions and wishful thinking.