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Kosandion waited in the inner orchard now, the one nobody except the guests and us ever saw. Tall apple trees flanked a wide stone path. They had finished blooming, and their branches bore tiny fruit. The sun shone through the green leaves. Flowers grew between the trees and along the path’s edges, raspberry-colored coras, purslane in every shade from pink to lemon yellow, zinnias bursting with magenta, pink, and crimson, and finally, in brightly lit spots, red yuccas. Ruby-throated hummingbirds hovered near the tiny yucca blooms. The air smelled of flowers and summer grass.
“Could you put up the screen please?” Orata whispered through my earpiece.
I had my doubts about the screen. The date seemed like it should be a private affair, but Kosandion had asked me to defer to Orata’s wishes.
I moved my hand, and a massive branch slipped through the canopy and grew a screen on it. The view of the Ocean Dining Hall appeared on it. We had packed all the delegates into it, with snacks and refreshments. The live feed from the date was projected onto several massive screens, so they would see every moment in real time.
Sean parked himself at the back wall of the dining hall. He wore a gray robe and turned his usual spear into a staff for the occasion. Originally, he was going to chaperone the date, but I was too tapped out to handle a dining room filled with that many creatures right now.
And right now he didn’t have Tony for back up. In the few minutes before the date, I had explained the fake spouse candidate and the corrupted ad-hal encounter to Tony. He’d left the inn to look at the scene of the fight. Very few things could knock a smile off Tony’s face, but that one did. Michael was his best friend. Tony wanted revenge. He didn’t talk about it, but his eyes said plenty.
A stir ran through the delegates in the Ocean Dining Hall. Everyone turned.
Karat entered the room.
Repairing syn-armor was a delicate art requiring years of practice. Karat didn’t have time to fix it, so she didn’t bother. Her once pristine black armor was scuffed. A big rip crossed her chest, and two smaller ones marked her ribs. The injury to the left side of her face had faded from bright red to a less fresh but obvious bruise, and she wore it like a badge of honor.
Dagorkun turned purple, from jealousy or curiosity, I couldn’t tell.
Karat raised her chin and marched to the observers’ table. House Meer practically dislocated their necks trying to get a better look.
“Quite an entrance,” Kosandion murmured next to me.
“Look at Bestata’s face,” I said.
Bestata’s eyes narrowed. She focused on Karat like a tiger who just saw another tiger bleeding from its wounds and was desperately trying to figure out what kind of predator made them.
Six tiny globes, about the size of a walnut, rose into the area, floating around us and above. Orata’s cameras.
“You are live,” Orata said into my earpiece.
Right. No more private conversations. I muted the sound on my screen so it wouldn’t interfere.
The back door of the inn opened, and Gaston emerged, leading Ellenda into the light. She still wore the gold paint and her rough-woven dark garment. Her expression was flat.
Tony melted back into the dark entrance. He would be going back to the Ocean Dining Hall to help Sean.
Ellenda approached Kosandion. He inclined his head a couple of inches. “Welcome, kalenti.”
Ellenda bowed her head slowly. No response. Off to an awesome start.
“Shall we walk?” he asked.
“Yes.”
The two of them strolled down the path, leaving about a foot of space between them. I followed a couple of steps behind. Orata’s orbs followed. My screen did too, sliding along the path.
“What branch do you hail from, kalenti?” Kosandion asked. His voice was calm and light. Reassuring with its warmth.
“My people come from Sahava.”
“The land of cliffs and dark forests, where the glowing ava flowers bloom in the deep.”
A little bit of life came back into Ellenda’s voice. “Yes. Have you ever been?”
“My mother took me there when I was young. We spent four days in the House on the Cliff. I remember sleeping in the spider cocoon hammocks suspended over the raging sea. I thought it was the best bed ever invented.” Kosandion chuckled softly.
“I’m surprised. The cocoon hammocks scare outsiders.”
“I’m not an outsider. I’m a child of the Dominion and a child of the Uma. One doesn’t exclude the other.”
“I meant no offense.” Caution iced over her voice.
Kosandion offered her another smile. “I took none.”
They reached the pond where the stone path curved around the water. The pond took up a whole acre, a shallow, crystal-clear body of water with a large flat rock jutting out a few feet from its left shore. Little fish darted in the cool depths, and brilliant water lilies bloomed on the surface. Stone benches along the path offered places to rest. This was Sean’s favorite spot. When the inn had a lull of visitors, we came here to swim in the pond, sunbathe on the hot rock, and drink beer.
