twelve
More people in the house meant less pressure on Mira. Or, at least, it should have, considering she was nobody special and couldn’t perform impressive sorceric feats to entertain the new arrivals from Qahrain.
Except she was a julah, and she was the daughter of the High Priest. Which meant putting on her nicest tunic and saying hello to the Corarias, nobles from the rural farmlands of Qahrain.
“My goodness!” The middle-aged woman, who was clearly the mother of the groom, fanned herself when properly presented to the other guests. “Jacelah, you did not tell me that I would have thought myself dead and gone to the Void at the sight of this!”
At least her son, Lewin, was more cordial and kept things practical as he bowed to Mira and kissed Joiya’s hand.
While her mother giggled, Mira appreciated that this young man only had romantic eyes for Graella, who could barely keep herself away from him, much to the chagrin of both human mothers.
Mira had hoped that the mother, son, and favored servant who came with them would need some time to rest and recuperate from their celestial sojourn through star systems, but Lady Kathe insisted that the “sudden,
abrupt” wormhole their pilot decided to take instead of the standard one not only got them there a day quicker, but had put hair on her chest.
“And her ass,” Lewin had said as an aside.
Joiya was only too excited to share her own recent experiences of flying through wormholes, since julah like her did not usually do anything but teleport once they were talented enough. But this pilgrimage had forced their party to travel via human means.
Lady Kathe had to fan herself again. Unfortunately for her and Lewin, who had not met many julah in their lives, the only one who could do the usual parlor tricks—such as teleportation, telekinesis, and ‘telentertainment’—was Kema. Who wasn’t that impressive compared to women like Joiya.
It was enough to send Lady Kathe to a happy early grave.
All of this was to Jacelah’s advantage, since the guest’s early arrival meant that she hadn’t sorted out where either Kathe or Lewin was sleeping.
Sulim, who had been avoiding Mira and the others as much as she could, quipped that Lewin could simply buddy up with Graella since they were clearly “very familiar with one another already, and do you think you’re going to stop them?”
but Jacelah would sooner sleep with Lewin herself than let that happen under her watch.
It was clear that the usual rules of cohabitation applied to this family.
No boys and girls getting cozy in a bed unless they’re married!
Did this mean two girls were fair game?
Jacelah was preoccupied upstairs with two of the maids, including the servant from Qahrain, while everyone else stepped into the backyard, where Graella insisted on playing hostess for her fiancé and future mother-in-law.
Well, everyone except Vern, who rode out to the fields to avoid everyone.
Sonall stayed behind, however, and Sulim stuck by his side most annoyingly.
If I weren’t more self-assured in myself, I’d think she was avoiding me after what happened yesterday.
The salty knife was in that wound when she witnessed Sulim clinging to her husband’s arm, much to his confused delight, as they sat in the outdoor area by the woods.
Everything had dried off since last night’s rain, and the air was clear and sunny.
Bastards.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” Joiya asked her daughter, cutting into her thoughts. “You love to see so many young people happy.”
“Am I included in ‘young people?’”
Her mother cocked her head, the sunlight absorbing into the ebony sheath on top of her scalp. Mira’s blackened hair, which was actually slightly lighter than her mother’s, didn’t feel quite as warm in the direct sunlight. At least our Lerenan genes won’t let us burn out here.
“It does if you’re happy, my heart.”
Mira glanced at Sulim, who conversed with Lewin about something that had happened back on their mutual home planet. “And if I’m not? Am I already a bitter old maid?”
Joiya shrugged. She was more interested in joining the party, where sweetened tesatah juice was served, than digging into her daughter’s psyche. For once!
Not that anyone was uninvited to the party.
Especially if Graella had anything to say about it in her parents’ absence.
She insisted that everyone sit in a semicircle in front of a raised dais that was often used for serving food outside.
Except there was no table there now, so it was mostly for Graella to stand and direct everyone while her fiancé continued to rub his nose against her and tell her she was beautiful. Gag.
Mira fussed with her hair for lack of anything else to do while she sat with her mother on one of the couches. It was either pull her short hair back into a ponytail and release it again and again, or watch the woman she kissed the day before pretend she wasn’t there.
Something about that little rejection hit Mira right in her honor. I’m a good kisser. She’d go to her grave thinking that. She should be blushing around me. Mira narrowed her eyes as she looked away from the party. She should be lusting after me. Come on.
Not like she wasn’t used to rejection. Mira had a high success rate when she put on the charm, but there were many girls out there who just weren’t interested.
But Sulim was interested. Mira knew it like she knew this engaged couple over here would be sneaking off whenever they could, whether Lady Jacelah approved or not. Blech. I should be sneaking off with someone else…
A servant came out with the juice and enough glasses to go around.
Graella doted on Kathe, who reminded Mira of the Great Dames of Yahzen who approved of a marriage but didn’t want to look too excited about their future daughter-in-law.
Yet Kathe deferred to Graella’s suggestions on what to eat and drink while Lewin spoke with Sonall about their families’ respective industries within the Federation.
I’m going insane.
Kathe politely asked about the other travelers there with Joiya and Mira, both of whom were inside.
Hannu did not want to be around the others still, and Kema, who had gone back up to her room bothered by the monthly malady that came from the human side of her family.
One of those things that Mira knew a lot about but had never experienced for herself.
Back to that whole needing to do a ritual to get the ol’ ovulation going.
She tried not to look at Sulim, who now sat quietly on another outdoor couch.
It was the perfect opportunity to talk to her.
But Mira couldn’t bring herself to broach that subject right now.
Halfway through another inane conversation about the upcoming nuptials, Joiya got the bright idea to offer the young couple a present.
“Oh, do let me do an aura reading for you two.” She clapped her hands with a giggle, much to her daughter’s chagrin. “I can still do it even with my tattoo since it only requires opening my inner eye. Really. I’d love to!”
“An aura reading?” Lewin asked, while his fiancée squealed in delight. “Forgive me, Lady Joiya…” He was blushing the way Sulim should have been, and it was for Mira’s damn mother! “I have no idea what that means.”
“My Lewin isn’t that kind of romantic, my Lady,” Graella apologized for him. “But I would be so, so honored. I didn’t know you could read auras!”
Humble as always, Joiya clasped her hands over her heart and said, “It’s a rare gift, but I honed it with the aid of one of my mentors when I was younger.”
“It’s so rare,” Mira interjected, “only a handful of women can do it. Right, Ma?”
“Can you do it, too, Lady Mira?” Graella asked.
“No way. Totally not my wheelhouse.” She meant it, too.
There had been a soul-seer, as they were called, among her Academy cohort, but the gift was so rare that of course her mother could do it.
Her mother could do everything! There’s a term for women like you, Ma.
And she knew her mother hated being called “perfect.”
It was one of the few ways to rattle her.
When the commotion died down, Joiya explained that everyone, including julah, had a distinctive aura that included colors, motifs, sometimes spiritual animals, and other fragments that were simply indescribable, but she could do her best.
But she could not say that such auras were unique.
In fact, wasn’t it incredible that every aura came in pairs?
That was why Joiya offered to read auras.
A matching pair meant someone had discovered their soulmate, or that person who would love them and fulfill them in ways no one else could.
“But,” she added, “it’s important to realize that even if you’re not soulmates, as long as your auras are quite similar, you should live a long and happy life together. Most people don’t actually find their soulmates.”
Kathe braved speaking to Joiya. “Are you soulmates with His Holiness, my Lady?”
“Oh… that’s a difficult question to answer. You see, the trade-off of being a soul-seer is that nobody can see our auras. We can’t see our own, and other soul-seers can’t see them, either. But I have seen my husband’s, of course, and it’s very beautiful.”
“I’d assume so!”
“Tell ‘em, Ma.” Mira nudged her mother. “About the snake.”
Joiya curtly shook her head. “I don’t go sharing that, my heart.”
Fine. One of the only notable things about the High Priest’s aura was that a metaphysical snake coiled around his throat.
When Mira first heard this, she didn’t realize that it was extremely unusual for animals to manifest in anyone’s aura.
They say there’s a bird or something in mine.
Joiya had described her daughter’s aura many times, but Mira barely recalled the details.
“How wonderful.” Lewin left his arm around Graella’s shoulders as they remained standing before the small crowd. “I’ve barely been touched down on Arrah for three hours, and we’ve already been so blessed.”
That was exactly the thing to say to Joiya, who—much to Mira’s consternation, at times—understood her relevance to human life.
To not only grace the young couple with her presence was one thing…