Astra reached us and gave me a nod, which I returned. “Greetings, Roxanne.”
“Greetings, Astra. We brought a table and seating, if you’d like us to set it up,” I offered.
“Thank you, but that will not be necessary.”
She scanned the river and the area around us. There were a few smaller trees and shrubs lining the banks, but the area was clear, for the most part. She pointed to one of the smaller trees to one side of us, closer to the riverbank, and motioned to half of her flight. They flew over and lit in the branches, disappearing within the tree's greenery. She directed all but her general to a tree on our other side and then moved to hover just in front of Clyde and I.
As I debated whether or not to offer her my arm to perch on, Clyde beat me to it. He gave her a small bow and pointed to his shoulder. “I would be honored, Your Majesty.”
She gave him a regal nod and landed on his shoulder. Gloria nudged Dutch, discreetly motioning toward the general. The horse shifter smiled and leaned down to whisper something to her. She made a moue of disappointment, but turned her attention back to the river.
Rand stepped a little closer and I tensed. Noticing the movement, Astra raised a brow. “This is your ghost?”
I cleared my throat. “Queen Astra, this is Rand. Randall James.”
She tilted her head as she studied him, not saying anything. A small frown wrinkled her otherwise perfect forehead. Before I could ask her what was wrong, Toby stood and barked at the same time something big splashed in the river, startling me and turning Astra’s attention to the water. Rand reached down and grabbed the German Shepherd’s collar. At a quiet command, he settled down. We both knew the dog normally wouldn’t react unless we were threatened—he was too well-trained—but this situation was different. I didn’t want to offend the king of the water fae by having my dog frighten him or one of his people before they were even out of the water.
Sebastian trotted past us to sit in front of Danai. She knelt and picked him up as several more splashes sounded. Was that a tail slapping the water? It disappeared before I got a good look, the surface smooth again except for a few soft ripples as evidence anything had been there. Sam caught my eye and smiled, excitement making her eyes appear an even brighter blue.
They come. Sebastian’s voice in our minds had us straightening our backs as we watched expectantly.
Oh, for the love of . . . It was all I could do not to look away as three naked figures strode from the water, making their way up the small bank of the river. My cheeks warmed, and I concentrated on keeping my eyes on the face of the tall man that walked slightly ahead of the other two flanking him, ignoring Tess’s appreciative hum. His gaze roamed over our small group, pausing for a moment to take in the queen’s small figure on Clyde’s shoulder before settling on me. A soft light washed over the three of them and suddenly they were not only fully clothed, but dry. He stopped a few feet away and waited, his hands clasped in front of his body. In my periphery, I saw both of his companions turn their heads toward the trees within which the queen’s flight perched. They nodded respectfully and then stood with their eyes staring straight ahead, not focusing on any one of us, their stances loosely mimicking the man whom I assumed was the leader of their colony. All three were dressed similarly in loose-fitting pants and casual button down shirts sporting long cuffs that draped over the top of their hands and high collars that turned up to cover their necks. The coloring of their skin was dark with a faint, almost green cast and light patterning that I couldn’t make out without appearing rude. Each man had long hair in differing shades of dark green that hung down past their shoulders in loose waves. I noted the thin webbing between the long fingers that showed from beneath the shirt cuffs. Trying not to be obvious about it, I glanced down at their bare feet, which were far more heavily webbed.
Zara? I reached for my familiar, feeling our connection open up. I gave her time to ‘see’ what was happening.
Step forward and greet him. Clasp your hands in front of you as he has done. It is a show of trust. Do not reach out to touch him unless he invites it.
Doing as she instructed, I stepped forward, my eyes not leaving his deep, turquoise ones. I wondered about the worried creases at their corners, but he was a king and, if he was a good one, probably felt the weight of that responsibility. “Welcome, Your Highness.” Saying those words felt odd, since he’d been here long before I’d arrived. “I’m Roxanne Devraux, Stella’s niece. I’m pleased to meet you.”
He gave a nod of acknowledgement. “The pleasure is mine, Madame Devraux. I am Olen.” He paused. “Estella never mentioned she had such a beautiful niece. She was a very dear . . . friend. My condolences for your loss.” His words were smooth, with the faintest trace of an accent I couldn’t place. From the way he said ‘friend,’ I almost might have thought he was intimating something.
Beside me, Rand made a discontented sound, so maybe it wasn’t just me. I kept my facial expression neutral as I considered what he’d said. Had Olen and my aunt been more than friends?
On occasion, yes.
And you didn’t think to mention that before?
There was
