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I blinked in confusion. “Excuse me?”
“That’s the animal you remind me of.” He began to walk away and added, “We eat snakes, where I come from. Eat them whole.”
Istil joined the others, leaving me completely bewildered.
“What the hell just happened?” I said to myself.
Had I just managed to make an enemy out of Istil without intending to?
Chapter3
Istil
“Perhaps it’s your imagination, cousin,” Visir said as he adjusted his robes. “After all, you aren’t the only one he’s cold to. I’m sure Kai would tell you the same.”
“I know,” I said. “But he’s different with me. I wouldn’t expect you to notice. It’s subtle. You wouldn’t know it if you weren’t paying attention.”
Visir held the end of a length of cord in his teeth and quickly wrapped the rest over and under his shoulders so it crossed his chest like a spider’s web, then tied it off with a small knot on his left bicep. Some Othos chose to wear this bind on the day of their mating ceremony, and its removal symbolized releasing the restraints of their previous life and giving themselves to their mate. Since the ceremony would be done in the T’Wanu way, Visir wanted to make sure to include a piece of our tradition as well.
I gripped his shoulders and looked into the mirror with him.
“It’s nice to see something from home,” I said. “You look fucking amazing.”
“Thank you,” he said.
“It’s a shame Thran and the others couldn’t be here for the ceremony,” I lamented.
“Yes. But Kai agreed that we should have a second celebration at Silver Mountain eventually. I’m not too concerned. Thran said in his letter not to worry.”
“It sounds like someone isn’t in much of a rush to go back to the mountain,” I said with a grin.
Visir smiled into the mirror at me. “I’ll return when I return, but right now, my focus is here.”
“I know,” I said, pacing to the window. “You’re able to be a Protector here. I feel like I’ve overstayed my reason to be here.”
Ari’s cold expression flashed into my head, and I saw the island sun gleaming off of his thin wireframe glasses as he adjusted them. I felt a flash of irritation that wasn’t entirely his fault.
“Vent your heat,” Visir said. “Tell me what’s on your mind. You know you always have my ear.”
“I don’t want to shoulder you with my complaints on the day of your ceremony,” I said and then sighed. “But that’s exactly the problem! I can’t vent my heat! I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to taste one of these T’Wanu alphas by the time that gate is open.”
He laughed. “Okay. What are your plans?”
I held up my finger for him to wait, then dug around in my robe pocket and produced the third packet Eli had given me—I’d already mixed and drank the other two.
“This,” I said.
“What is that?”
“I don’t know. But Eli says it’ll fix all of my troubles.”
I mixed the contents of the packet into a wooden cup on the table.
“Istil,” he said. “I’m not certain I like the direction this is going.”
“Don’t worry, it’s just a little boost to my natural charm and luck. I need it.”
“Just who do you have your eyes set on? Please don’t create any awkward situations, not when I’m about to join this family.”
