BEFORE SIAN HAD A CHANCE to respond, the man repeated the welcome, making the same open gesture. Her father wore his grey streaked, dark blond hair, long, in a neat plait that came over one shoulder. In a million years Sian could never have envisioned these two as her parents, despite the obvious familiar traits.Stunned, Sian couldn't help the instant comparisons to her Earth family, to her mum who wore her dark blonde hair in a long bob, a style she'd always worn, to her mother standing here, with her sparse blonde hair scraped into an elaborate up-do, littered with pastel coloured ribbons.Or her dad, with his white hair kept short to help disguise the thinning on top and his brown eyes that always seemed to laugh, to this manher birth fatherwith that long plait and light green eyes that seemed to glitter with intrigue and speculation.'May I introduce the Lady Sian, Elemental of Water,' Daron spoke up, smoothly bowing low to the couple as he gave Sian's fingers a squeeze. She al

'MRP!' LUCKY LET OUT A lazy protest as Kassie lifted her, warm and limp, from her lap and draped her back on the seat where she'd been sitting.'Sorry sweetie, I can hear them coming,' Kassie ran a soothing hand over the cat's dense fur. A sleepy purr rumbled beneath her hand in response. With a smile Kassie left Lucky to it. Easing the door open to the bedroom she shared with Rumal at his family's estate on Delanta, she peered down the spacious corridor, natural light from the wide tinted skylights in the roof filtered down with a soft golden hue. An instant later Rumal rounded the corner, causing a beaming smile to spread on Kassie's face. She clenched her jaw to keep the smile when she spied Llylinne's gray and silver curls on his other side. Moving out from the doorway she caught their attention. Llylinne's brown eyes lit with delight making that annoying sensation of guilt rise again.In a motion more suited to Vecina, Rumal's little sister, Llylinne darted ahead of Rumal, eyes

LOI HURRIED ALONG THE CORRIDOR toward the Council Chambers. Outside the door Leseach stood patiently, her ardwyr alongside with Audrey standing shoulder to shoulder with it. The dog had decided the ardwyr was its newest best friend. The ardwyr put up with Audi's enthusiasm but couldn't be convinced to not try eating the jybois', so the tiny crimson animals stayed with Vesbel.Watching her approach Leseach inclined her head at Loi. She wore a new outfit, a design that suited both Elena and her. Fabric from the most north of Elion, the lands under the protection of House Tor'del, had been used to create a high collared, open backed vest. With her naturally higher body temperature and thick skin Leseach couldn't tolerate being too covered up, but her position as personal bodyguard to Cat, and her unique status of gifted Northerner meant her clothing had to show her status. From the front the vest looked like a heavily embroidered wide scarf, draped around her neck and over each breast, t

IT TOOK KASSIE A MOMENT to realize she stood in the ballroom that connected to the throne room. The walls dividing the two rooms had been opened up to create what normally felt like a massive space.Not that it feels small now, she thought while slowly turning on the spot; just wholly foreign.Vesbel, Kassie presumed, had designed the room to feel like you moved through various outdoor scenes. Each scene fit around the various gifts and attendants stood by them. Cat and Alek moved forward, leading the winged guests to a set that Mhelyn indicated.Kassie hung back, Sian at her side, wanting to take her time exploring the opulent space. The path meandered in a lazy S style, back and forth past the displays. Kassie and Sian inched their way along the glittering dark path that Vesbel had lined with unpolished white stones.The first stop was a beautiful tree that had no pot, instead its sprawling root system stretched across the floor, with no dirt about it at all, while its canopy spr

RUMAL LEANED AGAINST THE DOORJAMB, watching with pleasure as Kassie gasped and exclaimed over every inch of their enormous apartment. Though he'd known the new space would be larger, he hadn't realized just how much larger. Now in one of the two guest rooms Kassie examined a beautifully carved cabinet that fastened to one of the walls from floor to ceiling.'Is it drawers?' she asked with a perplexed frown, her lips pursing as she regarded it again.Not saying anything Rumal reached out, hooking the hand-hold at the top, and pulled back. With the slightest sound of hinges working, the two deep bunk beds opened.'Wow!' Kassie shrieked. 'Look at that! Oh my lordee, those are gorgeous!'He snorted in amusement, in the last hour alone he'd heard 'oh my lordee' more often than in the entire time he'd known Kass.She scrambled into the bottom bunk, looking around it on her hands and knees, a delighted smile firm in place.'C'mon, hop in!'With a laugh Rumal climbed in, throwing an arm