Chapter 37
The room went silent as they traded weighted glances among themselves—within their respective groups, of course.
Soraya narrowed her eyes. “Well?”
Lestis spoke first. “Soraya, you’ve been through a lot this past week—”
“No thanks to any of you,” she snapped.
Sorenth continued, ignoring her outburst. “Your body is under a lot of stress right now, and I get it—this all must be pretty confusing to you.”
She snarled, “You think! And back off.” She waved the bat in Sorenth’s direction. “I’m warning you.”
Sorenth sighed, but did as he was told. Leaning against the nearest wall, he folded his arms across his chest while his gaze swept over her.
“Trust us—”
“Trust,” Soraya cut Tariq off skeptically. He winched as if sensing his mistake. “You want me to trust all of you?” A manic laugh burst from her chest. “Why should I?”
“A moment ago, you demanded we take you through to our world. How would you accomplish that without trusting us?” Makoto drawled as he leaned back against the wall, taking another sip from the bear cup.
She pointed her bat with vengeance at him, no longer afraid. “Don’t get cute with me.”
He raised a single brow at her snippy comment, cup poised at his lips.
“He’s right, we should take a moment to gather ourselves,” Alkimos prompted. “You just woke up, and you need to replenish your strength.”
Her eye twitched. “Did you just tell me to calm down?” she asked with venom as the bat leveled out toward his chest.
The thought of slamming her weapon on top of his food tray did cross her mind. But when her eyes flicked down, she saw a mouthwatering spread of little finger foods scattered across a silver platter and thought better of it.
There were squared pieces of puffed, flaky pastries and colorful garden vegetables glistening with some kind of vinaigrette, next to skewers with steaming roasted meat stacked on top of each other.
And tucked at the edges of the tray were little bowls filled with an array of sauces—some looked creamy, others had the consistency of soy sauce.
Her mouth started to water against her best wishes. How could she possibly think of eating at a time like this? She didn’t have time to waste, or time to imagine what those flaky pastries were filled with—probably some kind of savory blend of spices and herbs. Was it more meat? Vegetables?
She took a subtle deep breath to see if she could smell anything, but was disappointed to smell nothing at all.
With how sensitive her nose had become over the last few days, she was mystified as to why she couldn’t smell a thing now.
“How about we put the stick down and have something to eat?” Raz offered as he watched her eye the tray of food. “Though if you really want to hit something with your weapon—if that’s what you call it—” His eyes skimmed her bare legs. “I will happily volunteer,” he murmured.
Her skin tingled against the fabric of the shirt, and she became suddenly aware of how naked she was in a room full of strange males.
She glowered at him for his stupid suggestion and for making her realize her predicament. “There’s something wrong with you.”
“You could say that,” Lestis muttered from across the room.
“There is a lot that could be said,” Makoto said coldly, his eyes sliding toward Lestis, who met his gaze with a cool look.
At that precise moment, her stomach decided to grumble. Loudly.
Placing her hand on her tummy to keep it calm, she felt a spike of ravenous hunger bite through her gut, and six pairs of predatory eyes landed on her.
“Please eat, Soraya,” Alkimos coaxed as he set the tray at the far end of the bar exactly where she wouldn’t have to be too close to any of them. “I think you will find this food to your liking.”
She shook her head hard enough that her braids whipped around her. “Eat? You want me to eat at a time like this?! I can’t eat. I don’t have any time to lose. My friend—” Her voice cracked with sudden pain. Too much time had passed. Was Jesmine even alive?
Her chest tightened at the thought before she banished it away. She had to believe she was alive. She refused any other outcome. She pushed on, “My friend needs me, and I need your help.” She hated how desperate she sounded, so she hardened her tone. “If you can’t help me—”
“You can’t do your friend any favors running yourself ragged,” Lestis cut her off, much to her surprise.
“You have no knowledge of Alphame or our world, and getting there will require a tremendous amount of energy—which you have fully self-depleted and have not been careful with so far. Not to mention, you have shown little understanding or control over the power you have awakened, which I know you had no clue existed prior.” He pinned her with a knowing look before continuing, “As it stands, you are no help to her or yourself. It would be in your best interest to listen to us before jumping head-first into danger and getting yourself killed. I would suggest eating to help you recuperate before making any rash decisions. You can make this easy or hard, the choice is entirely up to you, Soraya,” he finished before taking a sip from the cactus mug.
She shot daggers at Lestis, ignored the bit about awakened powers, and hated the fact that he was right even more. She was no help to Jesmine because she didn’t understand what was happening.
But they did. And Soraya now relied on them to get her back.
Even though she should choke down her pride and acquiesce to his authoritative tone—for Jesmine—she found she couldn’t answer right away.
They watched her, waiting for her response, when Tariq spoke up, breaking the tension.
“As harsh as that was, he’s right. Soraya. But before you listen to what we have to say, you really should eat. The faster you recover, the quicker we can help you look for your friend,” Tariq said. “Here, you can start with this.”
Soraya looked over her shoulder and saw a porcelain plate filled with slices of cheese and fluffy biscuits smothered in jam… floating.
Floating toward her!
Astonished, she watched as the dish maneuvered closer until it stopped, hovering near her midsection, waiting to be taken.
Pure shock loosened her grip on the bat.
It slid from her fingers, clattering to the floor before thudding against the wall.
She held out her hand, stunned, as the plate glided into her grasp—until the magic that bore them on a phantom wind relinquished its hold, and its weight settled into her palm.
She blinked a few times. And decided manners were more important than answers. A stunned “Thanks” left her mouth.
Tariq inclined his head, pleasure written across his face.
Not knowing what else to do, she carried her magic-delivered plate of food, along with the mug still in her other hand, to the counter, hyperaware of all eyes on her as she sat on the end barstool, close to the tray of food Alkimos had offered.
She was hungry. She could feel the adrenaline leaving her body, the reality of the past few days pressing down on her like a weight.
Swallowing hard, she made her decision.
“Fine. I’ll eat. But afterward, you will take me straight to your world—and explain everything there. No more wasting time.”
“If that is what you want,” Makoto acknowledged.
The others nodded their assent.
Her gaze darted around the room as their eyes slipped away from her—their weighted attention lifting off her like a breath of fresh air.
Alkimos and Raz left the small kitchenette to stand around Makoto, giving her some space to eat, and she appreciated the small gesture.
They arranged themselves into two groups of three, heads bent together as low murmurs filled the room. Tariq, Sorenth, and Lestis were in one group, and Alkimos, Raz, and Makoto were in another.
Side-eyeing Raz, she picked up the porcelain butt mug and brought it to her lips for a tentative sip. The taste of sweet lavender warmed her mouth, and before she knew it, she’d drained the entire cup dry.
A calmness settled over her.
Looking down at the small finger foods, Soraya reached for one of the jam-slathered biscuits.
A faint tingle prickled her skin when her fingers passed over the plate.
A shimmering dome flickered into view around the food before disappearing.
Fascinated, she waved her fingers over it, watching the surface waver with each pass.
But the moment she withdrew, the dome vanished.
Her stomach gurgled, and a lightheaded wave washed over her.
Tsking, she reached for the biscuit once more and brought the layered pastry to her lips. The second it left the plate, the scent of sugared fruit and fresh bread filled the air. Without wasting another minute, she shoved it into her mouth.
A burst of sweet, fruity tart exploded on her tongue, and she sucked in a sharp breath at how good it tasted. All her life, food had always tasted bland, but each time she had tried a dish they’d offered her…she finally understood all the foodies of the world.
After she polished off the biscuit, she reached for the flaky pastry on the silver tray.
Again, the shimmering dome glimmered around her hand as she plucked the triangle pastry free.
The moment it cleared the barrier, the scent of savory goodness enveloped her, and her first bite flooded her mouth with a buttery, starchy goodness, like the finest spiced mashed potato folded into a fried dough.
Damn her it was good—too good. She dipped it in brown sauce, and the flavor doubled.
She couldn’t stop the slight hum of pleasure as she demolished it, licking oil and flakes from her fingers afterward.
The food was so good that the flavors almost made her forget about her situation. Almost.
Rapidly, she ate her fill. Each time, noting the dome’s flicker and how it unleashed the food’s full mouthwatering aroma once it breached its shimmering force field. In a couple of minutes, she cleared both plates in no time at all. She needed to hurry.