“You look beautiful, Candy,” Shirl commented. “Every man in the restaurant who had seen you and not asked you out before is going to regret it. They had their chance and they blew it. Good thing, too, considering Tolfer is your soul mate.” Shirl embraced Candy and then started to adjust Candy’s outfit. It was a habit Shirl easily fell back into. Shirl would always tuck in labels Candy had not realized were sticking out. She would pull down the back of a shirt when it had ridden up Candy’s torso. It had always annoyed Candy. Now it felt like home.
“Let us go into the washroom where the light is better,” Norri said. The older woman continued on her way expecting the younger women to follow. Never having had a make-over before, Candy was secretly looking forward to it.
Shirl brought a chair for Candy to sit in while Alex’s aunt worked her magic. Norri started by applying moisturizer and base to Candy’s face. With all the sports she played outside Candy was religious about applying sunscreen. Unfortunately, she was just not good about reapplying it. There was a little sun damage on her face the make-up covered up. She opened her eyes wide as a dark purple eye pencil was applied around her eyes. Originally Candy thought it was a Troyk thing. Shirl explained purple was just one of the colors they were going to use. Shades of blue, brown, and gold eye shadow were masterfully applied. Black eye shadow was used on the corner of her eyes to make them pop. She tried not to blink as mascara was applied to her eyelashes. A little blush was placed on the apple of her cheek and a mauve lipstick was the finishing touch.
They decided Candy would wear her hair loose. Norri applied a couple of hair clips to keep it out of her face. Candy stood in front of the mirror and was shocked. She could not believe she was the woman who stood before her. Her friends came to stand next to her to admire the end product. Alex was dressed in shades of blue, while Shirl was breathtaking in silver.
“Never in a million years am I going to be able to reproduce this look on my own,” Candy commented, still a little stunned at what she saw.
“It is a good thing you are not alone,” Alex said. Candy had missed her friend desperately while she was gone. With Alex marrying Tarsea and Candy being Tolfer’s soul mate, they were finally going to be true sisters.
“I cannot believe this is the first time we have gone on a date together,” Shirl said.
Candy laughed. “That is probably because Alex and I rarely dated.”
“Yes, I guess that’s true,” Shirl commented. “I certainly went on a lot of first dates. Who would have ever imagined we were from another universe and our soul mates were here waiting for us?”
“Well actually,” Alex said. “Candy and I were born on Earth. You are the only true Troyk woman here. Besides Norri, of course.”
“I would have given anything to have been there while you girls were growing up,” Norri said. She wiped a tear from her eye. “I am not going to get all emotional like Pattrice. My one consolation is I will be able to see your children grow up.” Candy watched as Norri took her pregnant niece into her arms.
“We are going to name my daughter Starta,” Alex said, “after my mother, and your sister.”
“That would mean so much to me.” Norri was obviously struggling to keep her emotions in check. “How do you know it is a girl?”
“The vampire master Yorik told me,” Alex answered. “Drake also mentioned I was having a baby girl and she would be compatible with their race. As if she or I would ever end up in the Nightshade universe again.”
Candy had never been to the parallel universe these vampires called home. She hoped she never would. A shudder ran through her thinking these creatures had designs on Alex’s unborn daughter. “We will protect her,” Candy pledged to her friend.
“It’s all nonsense,” Alex replied. “Won’t we all be surprised when I give birth to a baby boy?”
“Well, that is still months away,” Shirl added. “We’ve got three men in the common room who are probably growing impatient waiting for us.”
“Too bad,” Alex said. “We never have gone through this female type of bonding before. I kind of like it. Besides, aren’t women supposed to keep their men waiting? They do on television.”
“Enough,” Norri declared. “You girls grab your men and have a wonderful time.”
Alex, Shirl, and Norri left the room. Candy looked at herself one more time in the mirror. She looked wonderful in the outfit Leenea had selected for her. But the woman in the mirror was not who Candy really was. What would happen if Tolfer liked her better this way?
Chapter 19
“You look beautiful,” Tolfer said as he came and kissed her on the cheek. “I am afraid to mess up your face or your outfit by being more amorous.” She loved the mischievous look on his face. “It is a good thing we do not do this every day.” Candy released the breath she had been holding, relief washing over her. Her soul mate liked the way she looked but did not want her to become the creature before him on a regular basis.
“How about we get all messy tonight when we get home?” Candy whispered in his ear.
Tolfer chuckled, “Promises, promises.” He threw back the words she had uttered to him on the bridge in the penal colony. It seemed like it had occurred a lifetime ago.
“We should head out,” Tarsea said. “They will only hold the reservations so long. You girls always take forever to get ready. Maybe next time you should start earlier.” Candy watched in amusement as Tarsea placed a shawl over Alex’s shoulders that sheltered most of her upper body from prying eyes. Alex had a half smile on her face as she looked in Candy’s direction and winked. She had shared with her friend how Tarsea always got super possessive of her body when they went out.
Candy imagined he would be perfectly happy never to leave their bedroom. Tolfer seemed more comfortable with Candy’s alluring outfit. He was more easy-going compared to Tarsea. Tolfer was nurturing while Tarsea was more controlling. Nature had selected the right mates for both of them. Candy imagined she would have killed Tarsea by now if he had been her soul mate.
They walked through the streets of Aster province. Couples that looked very much like them where out in force. Men dressed as they did during the day, but the women were a different story. Candy felt she was at a runway fashion show. It did not take them long to get to the meeting place. Rather than walking on one of the many paths in the park, they headed directly to the restaurant since they were late.
One of the men must have telepathically announced who they were since they were led directly to their table upon entering. Walking to where they were seated, Candy felt like she was on display. She was used to men staring at Shirl and ignoring Alex and her. That was not the case tonight. All three women were eyed and admired. Candy could see Tarsea tighten his grip on Alex’s waist while Tolfer chuckled.
She was seated between Tolfer and Starc. Although she had heard that Shirl and Starc’s relationship started with issues, tonight they seemed like an old married couple. They were comfortable with each other and what they had together. Like Shirl and Starc, she and Tolfer had had a traumatic experience that bonded them together earlier beyond just the soul mate link.
Candy looked at the menu, overwhelmed by the selections. “What should I order?” she whispered to Tolfer. To the world they were newly dating and would converse orally in the restaurant. Candy was growing to like the intimacy of their telepathic discussions. Falling back into talking to him seemed impersonal.
“Do you want to be daring or play it safe?” Tolfer asked. She loved how his breath felt against her ear as he answered her question with another question.
“Daring,” Candy replied, “why take the safe route after everything we’ve been through? I want something with lots of flavor and spices.” Although the food in the penal colony got better when Tolfer started to harvest local herbs, it was still more of a survival exercise than eating for enjoyment.
“I will order for both of us,” Tolfer replied. She sat back and listened to Tolfer place their order telepathical
ly. They were having the house special for the evening and two bottles of wine were ordered for the table.
The wine was delivered almost immediately upon being ordered. A small amount was poured into Tarsea’s glass to determine if the wine was suitable. Nothing was worse than wine that was just about to turn. Tarsea nodded his approval of the beverage. Five of the six glasses were filled and the remainder of the second bottle was left in a cooler on the table. Due to her pregnancy, Alex had herbal tea. Candy took a sip from her glass and then sat back savoring the taste of the wine. She could not pick up the different flavor nuances, she just knew she was enjoying it.
Two bread baskets were delivered to the table. One was placed directly in front of Alex. Her friend and Tarsea had been to this restaurant enough times for the wait staff to be familiar with Alex’s voracious appetite. Candy took a roll from the other basket. She did not want the wine going directly to her head after drinking on an empty stomach. The roll was moist and did not need butter. Generally, if something was dry enough that it needed to be slathered with butter, Candy was not interested in eating it.
The discussions around the table were relaxed. Nothing controversial was brought up. Even the communal pathways were full of conversations with nothing noteworthy. Candy sat back and took in her environment. She entertained herself watching the outfits paraded in front of her. Internally she debated whether she could be daring enough to wear a couple of the concoctions some of the women wore. A number of them were more appropriate for the bedroom.
Shirl must have caught on to what was grabbing her attention. “We should go shopping for more evening wear for you, Candy,” Shirl mentioned. “There is a cute place Alex and I discovered on the way to the Aster Province Zoo. Starc bought me this outfit the first time I checked the place out. Alex had tried on an outfit there as well. Unfortunately, Tarsea destroyed it doing God knows what to her in the dressing room.” Alex started to giggle. It was a sound she had become accustomed to since coming to the Troyk universe. Her friend never giggled on Earth.
Although Candy tolerated shopping, another part of what Shirl had communicated caught her attention. “Aster Province has a zoo?” She had always loved the field trips to the zoo when she was a child. Nothing bad could ever happen at a zoo.
“It is so cool, Candy,” Alex replied. “They have animals from other universes. Some are quiet frightening. The Giant Larma Beast from Terra Flora is something that could only come out of your nightmares or a novelist’s warped mind.”
Shirl nodded as she swallowed the piece of bread she was nibbling on. “I saw one of them in the wild. It almost took off my brother’s leg. We should go there tomorrow and then go shopping. Between me and Candy we should have Alex properly protected.”
Her friend had barely finished talking about protecting Alex when the person they were protecting her from walked into the restaurant. Candy almost dropped her glass when she spotted Raine Narmouth. Tolfer had to steady her hand before she spilled the wine on the table.
Following Candy’s gaze, Tolfer saw Raine Narmouth had entered the restaurant. He alerted the people at the table of his presence through both the warrior channel and their familial pathway for Alex’s benefit. Their celebratory mood had been changed to once again being on guard. Wine glasses were put down and shoved away.
“Who is he with?” Candy inquired. Raine was with a man who appeared to be a couple of years older than he was. Tolfer had never seen him before. It was not surprising since he did not socialize with Raine Narmouth.
“That is Raine’s brother, Chanz,” Starc volunteered. “He is a mind control telepath. The bastard used his powers on Elzbeth to convince her to have sex with his younger brother.” Tolfer knew there had been bad blood between Narmouth and Starc but he never imagined this had been the reason why. He wondered how he would have stood up against such a betrayal. Fortunately, Candy was immune to such suggestions from a mind control telepath.
He turned to look at the expression on his soul mate’s face. Tolfer could see the anger building and he took her hand in his to calm her. “Now is not the time or the place, Canny.”
Candy had not taken her gaze from Narmouth and his brother. Tolfer took his eyes off his soul mate and placed them where Candy was looking. It was clear Narmouth’s eyes were glued onto Alex’s back. He was relieved both Tarsea and Alex were facing him rather than Narmouth.
“There is nothing we can do about him being here,” Tolfer whispered to the table. “This is a public restaurant. We are here to celebrate Candy’s and my liberation from the penal colony. Let us not let Raine Narmouth ruin our evening.” The people around the table grudgingly agreed.
“Starc, Tolfer, and I will join you girls at the zoo and shopping with you afterward,” Tarsea said. “We will make a day of it.”
Tolfer could feel Candy’s anger further boiling based on Tarsea’s words. He knew his soul mate felt she was more than capable of protecting her friend. Tolfer sensed Candy was about to set his brother straight when Alex beat her to it.
“Absolutely not!” Alex exclaimed. “We need to stop letting a certain person influence how we are living our lives. Tarsea, you were going to attend the Prime Council meeting tomorrow to listen to the quarterly state of the province. Besides, you are not a zoo fan and hate clothes shopping.”
“If he so much as looks at Alex the wrong way tomorrow, I will open a portal and annihilate him.” Shirl shared this sensitive comment through the warrior link. The men around the table with the exception of Starc kept forgetting how powerful Shirl was. “It is settled then. Candy, Alex, and I are going to have a girls’ day tomorrow. The two of us assure Alex’s safety.”
Tolfer was happy when Candy reached for her wine and sipped. It appeared things around the table had settled and plans for tomorrow were worked out. He needed to get his life back on track in this universe. There were children here who needed him and the work he did.
Tolfer also realized his mother had not totally recovered from her trauma about his decision to follow Candy into the portal. He hated that he caused his mother worry but he did not have another option except to safeguard his soul mate.
He wanted to take Candy home and make love to her once again. Those thoughts were put on hold when their dinners finally arrived. Candy inspected the dish in front of her and took a tentative bite. To his relief she closed her eyes and a quiet sound of approval came from her throat. He figured he would get some other noises from her tonight when he took her into their bed.
Chapter 20
It seemed like old times. Candy, Alex, and Shirl chatted nonstop about different animals they were seeing at the zoo. She could not remember the last time they had done something together outside of sharing a meal. They were once again the three carefree girls from the orphanage. There were no headaches, loans to be paid, and all the other worries they faced on Earth before coming to the Troyk universe. Once they entered this parallel world a whole new set of problems were generated. For now, though, they enjoyed each other’s company.
Candy stood before the Giant Larma Beast’s enclosure. Alex had not been exaggerating when she said this animal would fuel bad dreams for weeks. If she were to have a nightmare, this beast would certainly be a starring character. It had scales down its body and a tongue that continually slithered out of its mouth. “What does that thing eat?”
“When it’s not protecting its young, it eats rodents,” Alex answered.
“I continually consider my brother Cianan a rat,” Shirl commented. “That would explain why the Giant Larma Beast chewed up his leg.” Both girls laughed at their friend’s comment. Now that he could enter the warrior link they finally knew her brother could be trusted. That did not mean the siblings had grown any closer. Candy thought of her aunt Darah and what could have been if she had not been insane. Only Alex seemed blessed with her Troyk extended family.
She continued to watch the beast in the natural habitat the zoo had created for it. A flash of color came into her
peripheral vision. Candy turned to see Raine Narmouth and his brother approaching them. Without thought, Candy placed herself between the approaching men and Alex. Shirl was quick to follow her lead. The two women created a wall sheltering their friend. What a fool she had been. The first time Raine attacked Alex, it had been at the zoo. It was naïve to imagine her childhood impression that nothing bad could happen at the zoo was true.
“What do you want?” Candy demanded.
“We just came over to say hello,” Raine Narmouth answered innocently enough. There was no aggression in his tone or the way he moved. Candy did not sense an attack was immediate. They were in a public place, after all. “My brother wanted to meet Alexia. I have told him all about her.” Had this slime-ball followed them from the Childers’s residence?
Candy felt Alex’s hand on her shoulder and she shifted her body to allow Alex to move next to her. “Let’s play nice. Maybe they will continue on,” Alex communicated through their pathway. Candy did not believe that any more than she thought her friend did.
“Alexia,” Raine Narmouth stepped closer and grabbed her friend’s hand. Candy did not have a premonition of the action so she imagined it was an innocent move. Raine took Alex’s hand to his lips and kissed it. “This is my brother Chanz. He works for the government since he is a mind control telepath.” The attacker of women said those words with such pride. Candy played the story Starc had shared about the brother’s manipulation of Elzbeth over and over in her head.
“It is nice to meet you, Chanz,” Alex shared within the communal pathway. “I wanted to show Candace the Giant Larma Beast before we went clothes shopping. We told her about Cianan’s close encounter with one of these animals on Terra Flora.”
“We better head out,” Shirl added, “we are meeting our boyfriends for lunch and this trip to the zoo has really cut into our time to shop.” Both women sharing this information in the communal pathways was brilliant. Everyone around them knew of their plans and would sound an alarm if anything happened that negatively impacted what had been communicated.
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