A footman approaches my seat, carrying a mahogany box. Holding it out to me, I gaze at the polished box that has two holes in the front of it, having no idea what I’m supposed to do with it. Reaching out, I attempt to take the box from the footman, and the look of surprise that crosses his face as his grip tightens on it is almost comical.
“Fay Kricket,” Trey says from across the table from me, “that is a basiness. You place your hands in the holes and it will clean them.”
“Oh, my bad,” I reply, turning back to the footman holding the box. Tentatively, I place my hands in the box, feeling warm steam shower them. I smile as I glance back at Trey. “Who invented this?” I ask. “It’s very clever.”
Pulling my hands out, I examine them. When I glance up again, I notice every eye in the room is on me. Quickly, I drop my hands and hide them in my lap as the Regent chuckles next to me.
“I believe it was Esturn? Is that correct?” Manus asks, looking around the table.
“It was Dourreno,” Trey replies.
“Yes, of course,” Manus agrees, not at all offended at being corrected.
“We have much to do,” the Narc says dourly, gazing tiredly at me, like I’ve already exasperated him beyond the limit of his patience. “Your training will need to be started immediately.” I can’t avoid his scrutiny. He’s seated directly across the table from me between the Regent at the head of the table and Trey on his left.
“Yes, I agree,” I say, before taking a sip of my water. “I need to begin applying to universities as soon as possible. Do they offer scholarships here or do I need to apply for financial aid?” I ask the Regent. His smile suddenly becomes broader, like I made a joke.
“A public institution!” the Narc exclaims. “You will not attend a common…we have educators that will advise you,” he finishes, looking scandalized.
“Home schooling?” I wrinkle my nose at him. “How am I supposed to make friends?” I watch the footmen delivering bowls of soup and placing them on the plates in front of us. “Thank you,” I say to the footman, seeing him smile.
“You will make friends with the other priestesses,” Kyon remarks.
“I prefer to choose my own friends. Anyway, I’ll be here in the Isle of Skye, so it may be difficult to see Alameeda priestesses unless they come to visit me.” My mouth waters from the aroma of the soup, but I wait for the Regent to pick up one of his spoons. He chooses the one located on the top of the place setting. I take that one, too, but wait for the Regent to dip it in his soup. Relieved to see that they eat soup like I do, I begin to eat.
“Fay Kricket is very independent,” Trey says from across the table. “We had a difficult time convincing her to come home, but without her cooperation we may not have made it here safely.”
“Yes, I read the report…it was fascinating,” Manus says, looking me over again. “Did you really run from a saer?”
I shrug, “It was lucky for us that there were two of them.” I watch as the Narc chokes on his soup.
Em Nark sputters, “Your Cavars put an Alameeda priestess at undue risk!”
“Oh, I’m fine,” I reply lightly. “The saers ate the spixes.” A round of coughing comes from the footmen in the room as they all struggle to keep their faces straight. Jax and Wayra are having trouble with the same thing.
“Did you know they would eat the spixes?” Em Nark asks me, his blue eyes narrowing slyly.
“Yes,” I say, watching his eyes dart to Kyon’s at my side, and then I add, “the saer had the spix in its mouth, it was quite obvious about its intentions.” My comment causes the Narc’s face to droop in disappointment.
“We appreciate that you were able to locate our subject for us. We’re quite in your debt, Haut Manus,” the Narc says, running his hand through his blond hair.
“My mother, I am told, was an expatriate of Alameeda,” I say, before sipping the water in my glass. “Didn’t she choose to live in Rafe for…political reasons?” I ask, watching him.
“She was never an émigré. She was taken from us by force by your father.” The Narc lies.
“So you threatened Rafe citizens because she was being held against her will?” I shift my gaze toward the Regent who’s waiting for the Narc to respond.
“That is so,” he lies again, looking a little sweaty.
I smile sweetly. “And now you are here to rescue her daughter?”
“Yes,” he replies, his eyes meeting Kyon’s before finding mine again. “You’re Alameeda. You belong with our people. We…”
“You what?” I prompt him, taking another sip of water.
“We can take care of you properly.”
“Am I not being properly looked after?” I ask him, a small smile on my lips. “My guardian is the Regent. I reside in a palace. I have Regent police for escorts.”
“They cannot help you to utilize the gifts that you will develop,” the Narc replies, he looks to Kyon and Em Sam for help.
“No, I don’t think that’s it at all,” I say, watching a footman take my bowl away and replace it with an entrée from a hovering tray that is gliding along in the air next to him.
“How do you see it, Fay Kricket?” Manus asks me, watching my look of fascination as the hovering tray continues to follow the footman around the table.
“Uh, well…if I remain here, wouldn’t it be more difficult for the Alameeda to utilize my gifts?” I ask him innocently. “They can’t let the rat escape the lab, can they? It could infect more rats…and then their other rats won’t be so very special now, will they?” Watching Em Nark’s face redden as his eyes widen, I take a bite of the savory meat dish placed in front of me. “Oh my gosh, Trey…did you taste this? What is it? It’s sooo good!” I grin at Trey and a smile crosses his lips in response.
“You don’t want to risk another international incident,” Kyon remarks softly to the Regent.
“Why would the international community be involved with the custody of a Rafe citizen?” Trey asks Kyon.
“She’s an Alameeda subject,” Kyon replies with his eyes narrowing.
“Ateur Victus” I say, looking at Trey’s twin. “What are the extradition rights afforded to someone like me? Someone with a dual citizenship?”
“You’re not a criminal,” he says. “This is more a family court situation—it’s custody because you’re a minor.”
“Your family in Alameeda will petition the court for custody of you. You have an aunt—your mother’s sister—who would like to meet you,” Kyon says.
“I’d like to meet her, too.” Something lurches in my stomach at the knowledge that I have family that wants to know me. But, if I go to Alameeda, I would belong to Kyon. “Victus, if I were a criminal, could I seek political asylum?”
“Of course…” he looks puzzled.
“So, if I felt that I could be prosecuted in Alameeda for violating their laws regarding Earth, I could seek asylum here, in Rafe courts?” I ask.
A cunning smile creeps over Victus’ face, making him look just like Trey, “Yes, I believe you could, Kricket.”