Page 12 of The Twelve Nights of Halloheen

“Of course,” Isla agreed as she stood up. Although it was subtle, Tisuran could tell she was reluctant. As much as Tisuran didn’t want to move, maybe this was a good time for them to have a break. Isla had been through a lot of emotions tonight.

“We can continue our discussion tomorrow,” he said to Isla as he stood to follow the humans back inside.

When she smiled up at him, it was full of anticipation instead of dread. “I think I’d like that.”

“I’ll make sure you do,” he promised.

Chapter 5

Isla’s guide to The Twelve Nights of Halloheen (Excerpt)

The Night of Joy is all about laughter. It’s about filling the room with the sounds of tangible happiness.

Isla

Isla stared at the information square in her hands, frowning at the blank screen. Tonight was the Night of Joy and she needed more jokes to make the King and Queen laugh, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t come up with a single thing.

It was the same problem she’d been dealing with for the last two days! Every time she gave herself a quiet moment to think, the only thing that popped into her head was Tisuran.

During the Night of Fire, he’d sat on a short stool next to her seat and fed her the food he carefully roasted over the open flame. As he fed her, he asked her questions about growing up on Wimol and all the hijinks she, Zia, Lasha, Nura, and Corin had gotten themselves involved in. The five of them had been high-energy, creative children and teenagers, always finding ways to entertain and amuse the adults after long days of laboring. Then there’d been Alsi, the quiet one of them who preferred to stay inside reading but was always interested in hearing about their adventures.

She didn’t realize until later that recounting all those stories had diminished the hold Yesith cast on her memories of Wimol. She hadn’t considered that he had overshadowed all thoughts of the past; Tisuran’s questions were pouring light onto her memories. He was helping to rekindle all the warm and enjoyable moments.

And then there was the touching.

He was so careful with her that, when he was feeding her during the Night of Fire, his only touch was when his fingers occasionally grazed her lips as he brought food to her mouth. That slight contact had been enough to make her skin buzz and her breath hitch. None of it in a bad way.

But to her disappointment, that’s all he did! She’d expected him to pull her aside as everyone wandered home after the light display, but he hadn’t. He’d escorted her to her domicile, then left her at the door with a purr and promise of fun for the Night of Sweets.

She’d been so eager to see him the next day, she’d gone searching for him. Again, he spent the day making sure she enjoyed herself, but he hadn’t pressed her for anything except to hold hands. It got to where she’d taken his hand and placed it on her waist, silently inviting him closer.

Why wasn’t he pushing her? What was his plan?

He helped her find some of her favorite candy hidden around the compound, and he’d gotten her a slice of brightly decorated cake with a small candle in it so she could make a wish before blowing out the candle. He’d done everything right, yet shewanted to scream with frustration by the end of the evening’s festivities.

Could she make him touch her more? Would that trigger her fear or make her feel empowered?

The chime of her door display brought her out of her thoughts. “Open,” she called to the door, and it slid back to reveal Tisuran standing there with several bags clutched in his clawed hands.

“Are you ready?” he asked eagerly. “I’ve collected many things that will cause a great deal of amusement.”

Leaving the information square on the table, Isla hurried to the door. “I’m ready, but I don’t think I’m going to be earning any beads tonight,” she admitted.

Tisuran stepped aside to let her pass. “I doubt that. You’re always making people laugh or smile. Why would tonight be any different?”

Walking close so her shoulder brushed his arm, Isla grinned. “Trust me, tonight is different.”

She could hear the laughter of the humans and the marbles-clinking rumbles of amusement from the Talins before they entered the communal building. Isla couldn’t wait to see what Talins considered funny.

The first thing she saw after stepping inside was the tall dais set up with Zia and Palforma sitting on two brightly decorated chairs with a large container of beaded necklaces on a table between them. They were the King and Queen of Joy for the night, and every time someone made them laugh, they threw them beads. At the end of the night, the person with the most beads was declared the winner and given the title of Bringer of Joy.

Isla had never won, but she’d never tried very hard. She considered this the one night of the year she didn’t have to make others happy. Tonight she got to sit back and enjoy herself.

“…and the second Volner said, ‘but that’s your job!’”

She couldn’t see who told the joke, but the raucous laughter from the humans meant she wanted someone to repeat it to her. Both Palforma and Zia threw beads at the person. She and Tisuran moved deeper into the crowd as she saw Markos step up to tell a joke. Although Isla had heard the joke before, she still laughed and applauded with everyone else as the King and Queen threw Markos’ beads.

The crowd shifted and she found herself pressed in on all sides. The panic hit her fast and hard. She knew she was surrounded by friends, but it didn’t matter. She was hemmed in on all sides. She wasn’t sure she could get her voice to work enough to ask anyone to move, and more touching right now might send her into a full meltdown.

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