Page 71 of Uprooted
“I hope you’re wrong.”
“For both of your sakes, I hope so too,” he says.
“Do we need to clear the air about what happened before this all went to hell?” I ask him. We still haven’t addressed him catching Elowen and I sneaking back into the dome.
“We’re good. It all makes sense now,” Maak says.
“In retrospect, it was a dumb thing to do. I shouldn’t have taken her out of the muradome with everything else that’s going on.”
“Love makes people do dumb shit,” he says and leaves it at that.
51
Elowen
I’ve been writing down everything I can remember from our research over the last few months. Everyone here on j’Tilak has been locked out of their files. It’s not unusual that universities own intellectual property in situations like this. I have never heard of anyone ever being locked out of accessing it midway through a project.
I toss my yuriOS down and head outside for some sunlight and fresh air. I need to clear my head. Worries about the University and Aro cycle through my head. Even though the Atorum are only targeting humans, I don’t like the idea of him having to fight them.
There is a tense calm at the base right now. Everyone left behind moves around quietly. We’re all trying to be as silent as possible. Nothing bad would happen if I was made noise—it just feels wrong for some reason.
“There you are! We have been looking everywhere for you!” I hear a bright voice behind me and turn. Two tall, gorgeous, blue Tilak females approach me with broad smiles across their faces. The newcomers are unaware of the unspoken rule about being quiet.
“I’m Kiera, Aro’s sister, and you’re Elowen!” One wraps me tightly in a hug before I can even move, pinning my arms to my side while she squeezes me.
“Dear, let her go. You’re going to smoosh her to death,” the other says. “I’m Rameera, Aro’s mom,” she says kindly, taking my hands into hers. I open my mouth to formally introduce myself when Kiera starts up again.
“When we heard what happened at the muradome we had to come and meet you for ourselves,” Kiera says. She looks me up and down in a friendly way. Trying to size me up.
“It’s good to meet you,” I tell them. “Aro isn’t here though. The Atorum attacked Tauros.”
“We aren’t here for him. We’re here for you!” Rameera clarifies.
“For me?”
“I’ve always wanted a sister. Now that you’re Aro’s mate, I have one!” Kiera says enthusiastically. I don’t know how I expected his family to respond to the mate thing, but this isn’t it. She doesn’t seem concerned at all that I am a total stranger and human.
There is a strong family resemblance here. Kiera’s beautiful eyes match her brother’s, and a smile that they clearly got from their mom is permanently etched on her face. Beyond the physical characteristics, Kiera and Aro share the same intense confidence. I feel like I got swept up in a tornado and am holding on for dear life.
“There is plenty of time for that. Let's relax in our quonset. We’ll keep you company until Aro gets back,” Rameera says, directing us back to the main section of the base.
Someone constructed a small metal building during my walk. Rameera strides in the front door and waves me in behind her. Comfortable cushions line the edge of the open space. A few low tables are scattered throughout. One table is piled high with a variety of food.
“Where did all of this come from?” I ask, astonished that this all showed up so quickly.
“One of the benefits of being a noble house,” Kiera says and pops some small berry-looking fruit into her mouth.
Rameera motions for me to sit down at one of the tables. She’s tinkering around in the makeshift kitchen when a familiar smell wafts through the tent. She’s making coffee. Actual coffee. My mouth starts to water. She hands me a steaming cup and I could cry from joy.
“I’m so happy to finally meet you. Aro has been very scant with any details. We decided to take matters into our own hands when Aro neglected to extend an invitation.” Rameera has the same gravity around her that draws me in. It’s gentler than Aro and Kiera’s, but it’s there. Instead of a tornado, it feels more like the soothing sounds of rain on a metal roof.
“Please, consider yourself welcome anytime, especially if you bring coffee with you,” I tell both of them. I take a long, slow sip of the coffee, savoring the first taste. I settle back into my cushion and keep the mug close.
“Now that we have you all to ourselves, how much has Aro explained about matehood?” Rameera asks.
“If I know my brother, not much,” Kiera says, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. They both look at me with interest. I suck in long breath, trying to decide what to say.
"Just the basics.”
