Oh joy.
We are promptly served salads as we shake our cloth napkins and lay them over our laps. Dread sets in at the impending conversations. I can only imagine what these ladies will want to discuss, which makes me hope this lunch is over quicker than when I lost my virginity. Which was a painful, one-time round with a two-pump chump.
Lavi turns to give me her full attention as she takes her first bite of salad. It’s a little unnerving having her stare me down while she chomps on some arugula.
“You have a little bit of salad right here.” I gesture to the left corner of my mouth.
She wipes it away without blinking, which ups the creep factor. What is with this lady?
I can’t decide if she is like this in real life or if she is trying to freak me out. Either way, I am thoroughly freaked. I try to discreetly see if Ralina or Lucia think there is anything out of the ordinary, but neither so much as bats an eye.
Lucia sits up straighter and sweeps her blonde hair behind her shoulder. She gathers her napkin to dab the corner of her mouth while clearing her throat. It’s apparent from her smug grin, she plans to lead the conversation while thoroughly enjoying it at my expense.
“So tell me, Isolde, how did you meet the boys?” Lucia’s wide smile clearly shows false friendliness. Her tone is so sugary sweet I think I just broke a tooth.
“Just one night after work. Nothing special,” I say nonchalantly. Definitely not giving these crazy ladies any information to use against me.
“I’m sure. Who was it you met that night?”
I narrow my eyes at her. I know where she is going with this. “Nato and Jari.”
“Not Egan?”
“I met Egan right after.”
“Ahh, I bet I know what night that was. You didn’t meet Sage that night, did you? Sage came to visit me in the other realm. I love when he comes to visit. He knows just how to wear me out so I get the best sleep.” Lucia drags her fingertip around her water glass with an evil, bitchy grin.
So this is her game? Make me jealous by bringing up her sexual history with Sage? I would have hoped she would be more original than this. This is so predictable.
“He has that way about him, doesn’t he?” I return my own saccharine smile. I’m totally bullshitting, but she doesn’t know that.
She stiffens in her seat, and her nostrils flare.
Lavi changes the subject. It’s easy to believe she wants to avoid a cat fight at the lunch table, but I don’t see that being her motive. She looks like she could care more about the dust collecting in the corners of the room than she cares about us.
“Tell me, Isolde. What did you think of the grounds today?”
“It’s absolutely lovely here. I enjoyed the training floor best. I can’t wait to be able to practice the different skills I’ll have.” There. That was sufficient brown nosing.
“Good. I believe Matt will be free shortly after lunch to start your tutoring. He was my tutor as a child and oversaw both my children’s schooling.”
I doubt that is such a good thing. Anything he would have to teach me would probably be working toward brainwashing me to their viewpoint.
“I can’t wait.” I plaster on a bright smile.
Our salads are taken away, and our lunch is carried in by a new round of servers. Craning my neck, I watch the circular flow of food. They’re so efficient around here. It’s like a revolving door of service.
Lunch actually looks delicious. Some kind of chicken or poultry over fettuccine with a brown sauce. For the first time during this lunch, I’m actually excited about something. All I had today was that wimpy breakfast Rand brought me. It was good, but hours later, it just isn’t enough.
I dig in and conversation stops for a bit as we delicately twirl our noodles. Or they do. I’m pretty savage as I slurp the noodles, trying not to get the sauce in my hair. It sounds easy, but I clearly never had the etiquette training of these ladies. It’s so good, I don’t even care if I look ridiculous.
Before I know it, my dish is clear. I lean back, patting my stomach, and heave a big sigh. Lucia’s eye twitches, and her lips pull even farther down around the edges. She must be offended by my lack of manners. Oh well.
“I heard Rand stayed the night with you. How do you feel about him as a potential bond mate?” Lavi asks.
I thought this might come up today. Especially since Rand was so paranoid that his father had cameras in my room. I figured they had to know he was in the room with me. That doesn’t stop surprise from taking over my face. It’s like a mom asking a woman, “Hey, I heard you took my son for a test spin. You think you might like to buy the whole cow?”
“He did. I am new to this culture, so I want to make sure I take my time picking mates. I do like Rand, though.” Which is true.
Lucia scrunches up her nose as if she doesn’t believe a word I’m saying.
“Smart. But you won’t find any better Janer mate than Rand. Not even Lucia’s toy can compete.” I am able to just contain my own reaction.
At that remark, it’s Lucia’s turn to stiffen, an angry flush rising in her cheeks. Lavi just pissed her off. Call me crazy, but as bitchy and two-faced as this woman is, I think she legitimately has feelings for Sage.
“By all means, Lavi. I think you’re right. Isolde should leave Sage out of her little quad and take Rand into her harem.”
I don’t know how I feel about that word. Something about it makes this all sound so…dirty. I know the guys wouldn’t care, but it almost devalues our relationships. Lusty Legion sounds way more appropriate for gender equality and great relationship foundations. Snort.
“Oh, Lucia. Don’t be so dramatic. You’re just angry that we would never condone a relationship between you and Rand.”
At Lavi’s remark, my eyebrows jump to my hairline. It seems Lucia also likes to get around.
“You know Rand is meant for bigger things. What would be more powerful than being tied to the Mazza? That will make him one of the most powerful Fennin alive.”
So Rand’s mom sees me as a way for her son to gain social status. I suppose that’s better than seeing me as a threat.
“It’s not like Rand would have given you the time of day anyway. He likes his women sweet and docile. Definitely not you,” Ralina pipes up.
Before any more barbs can be tossed out, there is a knock on the door.
Thank you, sweet baby Jesus!
It is opening softly as I turn around to see who my savior might be. My mouth pops open as Yunez sticks his head in the door. He is sporting the smirk to end all smirks as he meekly walks into the room.
“Ladies.” He bows his head. He glances at me and casts me a quick wink.
“Matt. So glad you could join us. We are just finishing up so you can take Isolde for her training.” Lavi wipes her mouth with her napkin before throwing it over her plate. There’s still no smile, but her voice has lost some of its chilliness. She must have a fondness for Matt. Or Yunez?
She doesn’t have to tell me twice that I’m dismissed. Jumping up out of my seat, I nod goodbye to the women. “Thank you for having me. It was a pleasure.” Yeah, right.
I rush toward Yunez without a backward glance. This is part of my escape plan. I know it. I wonder if the others are close by? I can’t contain my smile, so I don’t even try. My cheeks hurt with how wide my smile stretches.
Yunez watches me approach him with a warmth that heats me up. It is so nice to see someone I know is on our side.
He grabs my hands and pulls me in close to him. He places a kiss to the corner of my smile before pulling me into his embrace. I don’t know if it’s his age or just his personality, but he sure does like to take liberties. I don’t mind too terribly much, since he is hands down one of the sexiest men I have ever seen.
I tense up at the contact. “Yunez, they are going to get suspicious,” I whisper into his neck.
“They don’t see us as we are. They don’t see me at all.” He chuckles. “They see Matt introd
ucing himself and you responding in kind. Let’s get out of here.”
Yunez tugs me behind him, and he saunters out of the room with a boyish spring in his step. Something about him screams youth, even though I know he is older than all the Fennin I have met by centuries.
“We are meeting Rand in the Zien training room.” He looks back over his shoulder with a cocky smirk.
I don’t know how Yunez knows his way around, but he leads us directly to the training rooms. Hell, who am I kidding? He probably spies on people all the time. I bet he’s a peeping Tom.
Heh. That’s his new nickname. Peeper.
He turns toward me as he opens the door, showing off a flash of dimple with his smile. “Something funny?” He quirks a brow.
Damn. That’s sexy.
“I bet you spy on people all the time. I was thinking I’ll call you Peeping Tom. Either Peeper or Tom for short.”
His grin is salacious as he winks. “I’ve been known to be a voyeur a time or two.” He leans in until his lips touch the shell of my ear. His breath skates across the lobe. “I always knew Egan loved doggy style. Goes with the house.” He nips my lobe and heads into the room. My mouth hits the ground.
The rat bastard. Hope he got rained on watching Egan and me in the woods.
I stomp into the room, and Rand is already waiting for us, sitting obliviously on a metal chair in the corner. This room makes me feel like I entered a fun house. All the walls are mirrors, and my reflection is multiplied times fifty. I guess this type of room is to help with illusions?
Rand stands to face us when hundreds of our reflections surround him. He greets me with hands on my arms and a kiss on the forehead.
“How was lunch?”
Concern swims in his eyes. I know he didn’t want to leave me there alone. He knows better than I do what sharks Lavi and Lucia are.
“Meh.” I shrug. “It could have been much worse.” Especially if Lavi had tried to touch me and take any of my memories or plant new ones.
“Have a seat, kids. We have much to discuss,” Yunez commands.
Yunez found two more metal chairs and has set them so they form a triangle. Where he got them, I have no idea. The room looks completely empty except for the chairs, and it looked like there was only one chair when we walked in. As we take our seats, the dim yellow light overhead casts our features in stark shadows. Our reflections appear ominous, almost a bad omen of things to come.
“All right, peeps. What’s the plan? How do we get out of here?”
Yunez laughs at the nickname. Leaning back in his chair with his legs spread wide and his arms crossed, he looks anything other than a wise and revered leader.
To me, Yunez looks like a carefree, vibrant young man in his early twenties with a wicked sense of humor.Then all pretenses fall away.
His chuckle dies out, and his face falls into a fierce expression, more serious than anything I have seen on him thus far. He straightens up and leans forward, propping his elbows on his knees and loosely linking his hands as if he has all the time in the world. Turning toward me, he spears me with a chilling look that wipes all warmth from the room.
“You and Rand need to be out of here before tomorrow morning at the latest. Past that point, if Rainer doesn’t have proof that you are permanently on his side, he will begin to work Jari over until you comply. And it won’t be pretty.”
My hand flies to my mouth. “You can’t know that.” My voice shakes.
“I do know that, Iss. I have seen it. There is no possible future without that outcome if you stay here. He thinks Rand is wooing you and will bond you today. He’s told Rand that if he doesn’t bond you, Mehki will be on the receiving end of an unfortunate accident.”
For some reason, I have so much faith in Yunez that I would jump off a bridge into heavy traffic if he told me I needed to and that I would survive it. He just has one of those commanding personalities that compels you to do everything he demands just to please him. He does this as easy as breathing.
But I look to Rand, not because I think Yunez is mistaken. No, it is my last ditch effort at hoping it isn’t true. Any small mistake could be fatal for both Jari and Mehki, and I can’t have that on my conscience.
Rand looks defeated as he nods in confirmation of what Yunez is telling me.
“I have some ideas on how to cause a distraction. As soon as you are rescued, Rainer’s wrath will fall on Rand for allowing it to happen. No, we have to make sure you make it out too.” He levels Rand with an enigmatic stare. “We have to make it look like you were forced to leave with us.”
His gaze turns distant, his eyes flicking left and right so quickly I might get motion sickness from watching it.
“Won’t that make Rainer and his cult come after us?” Not that I want Rand or Mehki to be injured, but our lives are going to hell in a handbasket if we have people trying to be even more zealous in their attempts to find and dispatch us. Maybe there’s a different way to get them out that won’t alert everyone that they’re with us.
“Undoubtedly,” he says, his eyes still flickering.
“What about the good we can do by being your inside people? What about Ralina?” Rand grimaces and runs his palms up and down his thighs.
“There are others. Ralina must stay for now. If she is in danger, I will pull her out. It must be this way.” He focuses back on Rand. “Until I can cause a distraction big enough, you must keep Isolde in public as much as possible, and you both need to give every appearance that you are going to bond. No exceptions. At all times.”
This time he looks between us, and I know he is directing this at me too. No matter what, I have to give the impression that Rand will be my Janer mate. Lucia will eat this up. I’m sure if she talks to Sage, she’ll make sure to share all the details and grind it home so hard he’ll have chafe marks.
“Okay.” My voice is low but strong. We need to do everything possible to make sure that we all get out of here safely. We don’t need Rainer going psycho on our asses before we escape.
“Great!” The heaviness that weighed down Yunez lifts, and back is the carefree and playful persona. “I have things to do and people to see. I’ll let you two get to work and don’t forget, make it believable.” He laughs heartily, his rich voice rumbling through the room. I won’t admit that it gave me goosies. Nope.
“He really enjoys this, doesn’t he?” I deadpan.
Rand scratches his head before he stands, pulling me with him. “It’s a little scary, isn’t it? I have had to deal with his crazy ass for twenty years. Pity me.”
That pulls a smile from me. There is a lot to pity in Rand’s situation. But having someone consistent who is a good role model and actually cares about your well-being? That doesn’t deserve pity. That is pretty damn enviable.
RAND TIGHTENS HIS arms around me as we trot over the grounds on horseback. When he said we would be horseback riding, it sounded like such an amazing experience that I was super excited to give it a try. That Rand knows what he’s doing is a bonus, so I’m more confident of my safety. That was two hours ago. Now my thighs are starting to hurt. And I’m pretty sure I’m going to have chafe marks on the inside of my thighs where my pants are rubbing against the saddle.
“Remind me how much longer we are riding around.”
“Patience, love. Nothing says bonding like a double-saddled horseback ride.” He kisses the curve of my shoulder. A small shiver races through me, and he doesn’t miss it.
I belt out a short laugh at his comment. “Right. That’s what they always say. How silly of me to forget.”
“Well, for two hours we have been cozied up together, appeared before most of the camp here, and haven’t had to make conversation with anyone. I say that’s a win.” He rests his chin on my shoulder.
Ugh. He’s right.
Completely right. I’m just cranky from being in the saddle so long I can’t feel my butt or legs anymore. Rand acts like we took a five-minute trot around the yard, but this is my first tim
e.
I sigh.
We are coming up on the outbuildings, one of which is the barn. It’s a beautiful day, snowcapped peaks in the distance and not a cloud in the sky. The wind has been mild. Now that the end is in sight, I can appreciate the ride for the beauty that it is. It really was a great idea.
Rand swings off in front of the barn and is attempting to pull me off too when Rainer comes from around the building with a group of men I haven’t met before.
Rainer leads the pack with an air of superiority that makes my teeth clench. The men behind him range in looks from thirtyish to mid-fifties in age. None of them have the otherworld attractiveness that I have become accustomed to. I don’t have a good feeling about this.
“Rand, Isolde! How great to see you both out enjoying yourselves. Isolde, did you learn anything interesting from Matt?” Rainer booms as he brushes dust off his immaculate lavender silk shirt before clasping his hands.
Very interesting stuff.
Not that I say that.
Rand goes to lift me off the saddle, but my legs won’t work. I ignore him as he tugs my shoes out of the straps, turning my attention to Rainer with a totally fake smile. I’m trying to lift my leg up. I really am, but its numb.
“It was wonderful. I really enjoyed learning more about our history.” I grunt the last word as Rand finally succeeds in pulling me out of the saddle. I slide right out like a limp noodle.
Color blooms in my cheeks as the group looks at me in disdain.
I can’t help it, all right!
“I’ve never done this before. Next time it will be more graceful.” I laugh awkwardly, and shove my hair out of my face.
Rand assists in dusting my ass and legs off, and then we meet Rainer and his group halfway.
“Rainer.” Rand acknowledges his father while stepping behind me and placing his hands intimately on my hips. His fingers dig in around my hip bones, and I squirm with an embarrassingly girly giggle.
It tickles!
“Sorry.” I swat Rand’s hands, but they stay where they are. “Ticklish.”
Rainer smiles indulgently at us, not at all concerned over my less than stellar manners. I guess power means so much to him that he is willing to overlook things about me that others find beneath them.
Marks of the Mazza: Reverse Harem (Mazza Series Book 1) Page 19