I sit down in front of the mirror so that she can easily work on my hair. “That’s quite the compliment coming from you, Keida. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen the radiant colors you have in yours. Who puts them in for you? I might look them up when life settles down, set up an appointment for the human girls.”
Her joyful laughter behind me makes me smile as she begins separating my hair. “Well, it’s going to be a big, what does Mamaw call them — yes, a phone … that’s going to be a big phone call, and I’m not sure the Lord of Light takes requests. Heaven knows I’ve sent him plenty throughout my life, but he picks and chooses what to answer.”
Looking through the mirror, she must see my instant confusion.
“I was born with this hair. The older I get, the whiter it becomes, but that’s normal for my father’s people. Believe it or not, it was mostly brown when I was little, except for the pink … that’s always been there.”
“Well, crap! That idea’s off the table then. So, DaR is your Papaw? It sounds so weird to me to hear you call him that. He seems way too powerful, strict and even a little scary to be just a‘Papaw’. I never dreamed things could be so human here, if you know what I mean?”
She holds up her little finger and twirls it around. “Mamaw Kira says I have him right here. While I can get by with murder most of the time, Papaw is harder on me than the others during training. I know it’s just because he worries about my size, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to hold my own against most. I haven’t been able to take him down yet, but one of these times, he’s going to let his guard down, and it’ll happen, I’m sure of it! If all my training continues to go well, I plan on competing in the Warrior Trials in the next few orbital rotations.”
“That sounds intimidating.”
“I would be lying if I said it wasn’t, but that’s the one place where it doesn’t matter that I’m XuL’s daughter, DaR’s granddaughter, or that Papaw Ty is an elder. I’m simply Keida, another warrior who’s trying to prove herself to those watching. Honestly, I’ve been preparing for this event for most of my life. The competition will be brutal and intense, but I’m excited to prove to them all that size doesn’t matter. I’m so used to the constant training that I feel naked without my dual swords strapped to my back.”
“That’s too funny. I’ve been wearing coveralls and boots for so long that I had to think for a second about how to strap these sandals on. So, your dad’s name is XuL?”
“Yup, Dad is Papaw DaR’s second-oldest son. Mamaw Kira and my mom were taken from your world around the same time, many rotations ago. It was probably long before you were even born if all the stories are accurate. They got separated at a slave sale, and it took a while, but my dad finally found her, then Ta-Da, here I am! There’s a bit more to the story, of course, but inthe long run, all paths have led us here to this moment, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“We don’t have much control over our lives and I’ve sure learned that since coming here. I like to tease that our planet gave us an eviction notice, but if I knew then what I do now, my decisions might have been different. Especially since so many were taken from me in those last days.”
“Piece of advice, Briar … you are exactly where you’re supposed to be. The Lord of Light does not make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t question him.”
I reach out, gently rubbing a piece of her long hair that has fallen over my shoulder as she leans forward. “I will say, your coloring is stunning Keida, at least to me. Humans seem dull compared to the rest of the universe.”
“I do believe the Lord of Light got quite creative with his designs, because he used all his imagination on the races scattered throughout this vast universe. Personally, I love the human spectrum because there are rarely two of you alike. On my father’s homeworld, everyone is green, just in different shades.” She motions toward the mirror, “There, I think that does it.”
I’d been so wrapped up in our conversation that I hadn’t even noticed she was done with my hair. Keida had taken the small braids she had woven on the sides and pulled them up to frame my face in intricate knots, leaving the back straight and flowing down my back.
“WoW! You have to show me how you did this because it’s stunning. Who taught you to braid?”
“My Uncle SoL, and let me tell you, if you ever meet him, you’ll doubt my words. I was convinced as a kid that the curls createdin my hair from the braids he put in it were magical, and no one else’s would work in my mind. So, if I wanted my hair to look nice for a special occasion, I would pout until he came to me or I was taken to him so he could put in his special braids. To this day, I still plop down on his lap and hand him the brush. Being the oldest grandchild and the first niece of twenty-three, I am slightly spoiled, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.”
“Don’t take this wrong, but that’s just so normal sounding … if you leave out the twenty-three-son’s part!”
“Would you prefer if they tore off my toenails one by one, beat and starved me as a child, only to sacrifice me when I reach adulthood?” Her laughter echoes through the room. “Oh, Lord of Light, look at the expression on your face, Briar. I’m just teasing and honestly, I believe our normalcy is all thanks to Mamaw and Mom—you know, the humans. Females are outnumbered in my family, but the men all know who really runs the show. The males may all be bad asses, but it’s the women who have the real power. The trick is never allowing them to realize it.”
I’m just getting up when the door to our room suddenly slides open, and in glides Victoria, pulling a small case behind her. “I see the two of you are getting ready quite well. Lacie needed a moment to herself, and I wanted to ensure everything was ready on this end. How does the dress fit Briar? Do we need to do any quick alterations?”
“No, it fits perfectly and I’ve never worn anything like this before. Thank you for taking the time to make it for me and for everything else you’ve done for all of us. You’ve made this a very special day.”
“You are more than welcome, child. I do love to see my creations modeled, especially on beauty such as yourself. Those eyes ofyours are quite striking, especially with all that glorious black hair. I may try that color myself at some point in the future.”
The moment my brain absorbs her words, I’m excited. “Is that an option? Can we change our eye color in this new universe? Because I think I could rock a deep purple like this gown.”
Victoria smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes, and I have a feeling she’s saying more than I fully understand. “Not that I know of, but us girls are famous for creating the glamor we want the rest of the world to see, aren’t we? Now come here and let me put some finishing touches on that outfit.”
As I walk closer, I have to look up at Victoria since she’s several inches taller than I am. She takes my chin in her hand and gently moves my face from side to side. “The makeup is acceptable, but a bit mild for a wedding.” She moves the case closer, and with a wave of her hand, it magically opens, and I let out a gasp.
She smiles once again, and her two small fangs peek out. I swear I immediately feel myself start sweating when the wordvampireroars through my brain. “Close your eyes, Briar. I am going to darken the eyeshadow you have on and apply a light blush.”
I must force my eyes closed, and I make myself take a few deep breaths, trying to calm my nerves. Before I can even figure out why my insides seem to be shaking, she taps me on the nose playfully, and I swear I hear her snicker. “Gorgeous, now let’s see about accessories.”
Another part of the case flips open, and drawer after drawer reveals a wealth of pins and sparkling combs. Jewels of all types and sizes are sorted by color and style.
“Wow! You’re like a walking jewelry store.”
“Is there anything in particular that you like?”
