Page 6 of I Married Kayog
This time, his mysterious expression piqued my curiosity even more.
“You’d be surprised about where we go for recruiting. The best candidates are usually found in the oddest places. That said, I’m also here investigating.”
“Investigating what?”
He smiled in a way that implied I should know better than to pry but still in a gentle fashion. “You’ll hear about it soon enough.”
Just as I was opening my mouth to ask another question, a swarm of people suddenly rushed in while those already inside hurried to the front of the stage.
“The main event is about to start!” Colin said in an amused tone.
“How do you and they know?” I asked, confused.
There was no specific schedule as to the start of the concert, only that the club opened as of 6:00 PM.
“Everyone came in because the singing heartthrob just flew in,” Colin said with a teasing glimmer in his gray eyes. “Enjoy the show. I will see you later.”
“See you,” I replied distractedly, annoyed by the sudden flutter in the pit of my stomach.
A wave of excitement blasted my way, and I immediately recognized it as emanating from my friend. As an empath, I could passively feel the emotions of anyone within a fifty-meter radius, or up to a hundred meters if I focused on a single target. But as that would be overwhelming to constantly be flooded by people’s feelings, Temerns could shut down that ability or only keep it active on a specific person. When I went out with friends, I kept a thin tether on them, excluding everyone else. In this instance, it made it easier to zero in on Tala’s position amidst the throngs.
Tala hastened to my side, her boyfriend Mares in tow, holding a drink in each hand, one of which he extended to me. Mares was a stunning male. Typical of his Edocit origins—a dryad-like species—he had a beautiful brown skin—although on the darker end of the spectrum as they went from pale hazelnut to ebony. Embossed swirls adorned his arms, cheeks, and visible spots on his muscular chest. Those natural patterns calledyevinsmarked an Edocit’s lineage and could also serve as fingerprints.
Being an Utzac—one of the different breeds of the Edocits—Mares possessed a majestic set of antlers. Delicate leaves sprouted from the thin vines intertwined with his bluish-green hair. A few white flowers actually blossomed in his hair, an involuntary reaction that expressed happiness. Unlike other Edocit breeds, the Utzacs also had natural colorful leaves thatstrategically grew to hide naughty bits, shaped like a loincloth for males, and like a long skirt for females.
He smiled at me, his dark green eyes devoid of sclera or pupils, sparkling with excitement.
I genuinely liked Mares. More than once, I felt ashamed of the envy their loving relationship stirred within me. I wanted to meet someone who would look at me the way Mares looked at Tala. The emotions that radiated from both of them merely being in each other’s presence was a gift in and of itself. They had been together for over a year now, and their love only seemed to grow. I didn’t doubt they would eventually marry.
“He’s here!” Tala said excitedly as I thanked Mares for the drink.
“So I heard,” I replied, unimpressed. “It appears he wants to make the grand diva entrance.”
“No,” Tala replied with a stern look. “Stop hating on the poor male.”
“I’m not hating,” I said dismissively. “But that so many people were just hanging out outside waiting for him to arrive hints that this is a recurring thing. He just shows up at the last minute, knowing his fans are foaming at the mouth, ready to rush inside to see hisperfection.”
Shamed burned my gut at the disappointed look my friend gave me. I’d never been the snooty type. This snarky behavior over a mere smirk screamed how much he had gotten under my skin.
Even as those thoughts crossed my mind, I saw him gracefully fly past one of the back windows then disappear behind a wall.
“Damn, girl, I’ve never seen you acting so judgmental towards anyone,” Tala said in a chastising tone that had me even more embarrassed. “Like I said earlier, he is introverted.”
“What does that have to do with anything?” I asked, confused.
“If he was a diva, and wanted that grand entrance you’re claiming, he would have landed at the front door and strutted his way in through adoring fans before heading towards the stage,” Tala explained in a calm voice. “Instead, he always flies in right before the show, gets in through the back door, sings, and then leaves. These are not the actions of a diva or an attention whore.”
I couldn’t argue with that logic. That was indeed the behavior of someone who didn’t particularly want to interact with people and especially large crowds. How did that make any sense? Before I could dwell any further on the topic, the lights dimmed, the opacity of the windows shifted to create a more intimate setting, the ambient music faded, and the spotlights flooded the stage.
Excited shouts and clapping filled the room as the musicians stepped onto the stage. They were all handsome humans in the same age bracket as the rest of us, mid to late twenties. None of them looked familiar to me. The four men settled at their respective instruments, then Kayog made his entrance. The shouts went up another notch as he walked gracefully to the microphone in front. To my dismay, a thrill ran down my spine, and my stomach fluttered with far more excitement than I wanted to admit. I felt even more pathetic as I tried to convince myself that my reaction to him was only due to my empathic abilities picking up other people’s excitement.
As soon as he put his hand on the microphone sitting on the stand, an electrified hush descended over the attendees. Although other species understandably struggled to see when species with beaks smiled, the one that settled on Mr. Perfect’s mouth was undeniably perfect and seductive as fuck. However much of it the crowd perceived really didn’t matter, they all melted regardless.
To my shock, his silver eyes zeroed in on me. Whatever hate or dislike lurked within me towards him instantly vanished. How in the world could he have so much power over me? Worse still, the smile he gave me held none of the arrogance I previously perceived in the lecture hall. It was tender, gentle, but also almost sad. That latter part didn’t make sense.
And then he pinned his eyes at me.
It was a common practice among bird folks. Our irises enlarged while our pupils rapidly shrank. On instinct, I reciprocated this greeting, which expressed that we were pleased and even honored to make that person’s acquaintance. His smile broadened, and only then did he shift his gaze away from me.
