“Oh.”
“And now I’m on academic warning! For ‘interfering with the peaceful integration of cultures.’ After that fool Mage tried to attack me in my sleep!” Jarod opens his mouth to say something, but Diana cuts him off. “I think Father was mistaken about these Gardnerians. There is no way to learn to live with them! They are pathetic and worthless and weak!”
Aislinn uncomfortably averts her eyes as I gape at Diana.
Jarod clears his throat and glares at his sister, his eyes flickering meaningfully over at Aislinn and me.
“What?” Diana snaps in annoyance.
Jarod sighs and rubs his forehead, gesturing toward us. “We happen to be sitting right by some Gardnerians,” he points out.
Diana glances over at us, undaunted. “I don’t mean Elloren and Aislinn. You two aren’t the least bit pathetic and worthless. You’re both somewhat pleasant. Unlike the vast majority of your race.”
Jarod stops rubbing his forehead and just lets his head fall into his hands.
I’m surprised and oddly amused by Diana’s reluctant compliment and Jarod’s futile attempt to rein his sister in. I turn to Aislinn, who’s regarding Diana and Jarod with equal amazement.
Jarod glances over and shoots us an apologetic look. He’s been nothing but kind and diplomatic for weeks now. It seems foolish to keep our distance any longer.
“It’s all right,” I say, more to Jarod than to Diana, who doesn’t seem the least bit sorry for the slight. “I’d be careful about Fallon, though. She’s pretty vindictive.”
Jarod looks over at me, clearly surprised that I’m addressing him directly.
“She’s a bully,” Diana says with a dismissive wave of her hand, “but she’s too weak to be an effective one. With me, at least.” She pauses to narrow her amber eyes at me. “She does seem to be obsessed with you, though, Elloren Gardner.”
“Oh?” I say, trying to sound innocent.
“She doesn’t like the fact that you look like your grandmother. It threatens her. She’s also territorial about Lukas Grey. She wants him as her mate, but is afraid you will claim him first.”
I color at her blunt statement. “I... I’ve only known Lukas for a couple of months,” I stammer defensively.
“What does that matter?” Diana says with a snort. “My parents knew they were destined for each other when they first inhaled each other’s scent. They took each other to mate that same day.”
“They did?” I’m shocked by her bluntness.
Diana nods matter-of-factly. “That was twenty-five years ago.”
That brings me up short. “That’s a long time,” I concede, chastened.
“Mmm,” she agrees. “Well, Elloren Gardner,” she says, “I hope you are the one to claim this Lukas Grey. Fallon Bane is a fool, and even though you are a Gardnerian, you seem nice. Aislinn, too. Nicer than the others.”
I swallow uncomfortably, thinking of Ariel’s dead kindred. A situation I caused.
No, Diana’s mistaken. I’m not nice. And even if I did want Lukas Grey, claiming him seems akin to playing with dragons.
*
I ponder Diana’s precarious lodging situation as I walk back from my kitchen labor the next night. A full moon shines overhead, and the air is crisp and clear. Pulling my cloak tight to fight off the chill, I walk alongside a small, scrubby side field that borders the wilds. The field lies near a long series of men’s lodging houses, and I can hear men’s voices up ahead. Small knots of dark figures linger outside a half-open doorway, talking and laughing, most windows of the low, thatched-roof lodging houses warmed by the deep golden glow of lamplight. Squinting over at the men, I strain to see if I can make out one of my brothers.
A rustling from the forest catches my ear, and I turn to see Diana emerging from the trees.
Completely naked.
Seeing me, Diana breaks into a wide, exhilarated grin. She strides toward me, oblivious to the two Gardnerian men down the path who halt to gawk at her.
The moonlight shines on Diana’s bare skin, rendering her almost blue-white. Her body is long and slender, all lean muscle, but curvaceous enough to interest any man. She isn’t the slightest bit self-conscious as she approaches.
“Hello, Elloren,” she says casually.
I am absolutely mortified on her behalf, my mouth agape. “Why...why are you naked...out here?” I stammer.
She looks down at herself as if she hadn’t noticed, her face registering some confusion at the question. “I just came back from a run in the woods.” As if her reasoning should be obvious.
“Without clothes?” My voice comes out high-pitched.
Diana laughs and looks at me as if I’m a child who just babbled something very silly. “Of course without clothes,” she replies, smiling. “I can’t very well Change in my clothes. They’d be destroyed.”
I’m stunned by her outrageous nudity.
My eyes dart to the men. I hurriedly pull my cloak off. “Here,” I urgently offer, “put my cloak on. I’ll walk back with you.”
“I don’t need a cloak,” she says, refusing it, perplexed by my stridency. “Anyway, my clothes are right over there on the bench.”
“You mean you undressed here? In full view of the men’s lodging?”
Now she’s regarding me like I’m mentally unhinged. “Really, Elloren, it’s as good a place as any.” Diana’s face takes on a rapturous look. She lifts her head into the cool night air and inhales deeply. “You should have seen the forest tonight. It was so beautiful! The moon is so bright. There’s a lake about an hour’s run in.” She motions happily in the direction from which she came. “The moon’s reflection on the lake was dazzling, like liquid silver on water. And the hunting here...it’s glorious!” Diana grins widely, her strong, white teeth glistening in the moonlight like a set of dangerous pearls. She regards me for a moment as if she feels a little sorry for me. “It’s a pity you can’t see the forest like we can.”
The small knot of men by the lodging house has stopped talking and are now focused in on Diana, one of the men gesturing for someone inside to come out and see. My panic for her rises.
“Please put my cloak on. Those men are staring at you.”
Diana glances around as if noticing them for the first time. “I don’t care,” she says dismissively, swatting the air with the back of her hand. “Besides, I’m hot from my run. I want to cool off first.”
“You can’t... Diana, you’ve got to put some clothes on!” Ancient One, she’s stubborn.
She’s beginning to look irritated. “Why? Really, why? It’s ridiculous that this means so much to you people.”
“Because being unclothed is not allowed. You could seriously get kicked out for this. I think...it means something here that maybe you’re not aware of.”
“What?”
“They’ll think you want to sleep with them!” I blurt out, mortified by my own scandalous words.
She looks over at them, irritated. “I am not tired. I always feel energized after I hunt.”
“No, no. That’s not what I mean. I meant that they might think you want to...to be with them.”
She stares at me blankly. “I do not understand.”
“They’ll think you want to have relations with them!” I can feel my face burning. Gardnerians just don’t speak about these things.
“Are you saying—” she puts a hand on one of her hips and motions to the growing audience “—that they’ll think I want to take one of them as my mate?”
“Yes! Exactly!” I cry.
“Oh, please, Elloren, you must be kidding! Not one of them is worthy to be my mate.” She shoots the watching men a look of utter contempt. “They are weak. I am strong and magnificent. I need an equally strong mate, one of my kind. Besides, your men have too many strange ideas. I don’t understand them.”
“Please take my cloak!” I’m growing desperate.