Page 57 of The Erion Triad

Lucie was just as dressed up, having spent the past several hours bathing, dressing, and similarly getting her hair and makeup done. The last she’d seen Evelyn in the flesh was that day when the Negari guards had forced their way onto the reptile craft and rescued them.

“You look…” She searched for the right word. Evelyn vibrated with health. They’d been starved, tortured, and left with no sanitation in those cages, where they’d been locked up for weeks.

Evelyn self-consciously touched the small magenta gem in the middle of her forehead. “Freaky?”

The gem glowed and made Evelyn look more ethereal than ever. Her white-blonde hair flowed down her back, thick and lustrous. Her skin was dewy and healthy, and she hadn’t stopped smiling. She wasluminous. It made Lucie happy.

“I was going to say beautiful. And well. And healthy. I’m not pointing a finger,” Lucie said. She lifted her glowing blue arm. “I sparkle.” The light struck the thousands of tiny crystals in her skin, making her glitter in the lighting.

“I guess the crystal affected us all differently. As if being human didn’t make us stand out like sore thumbs to begin with,” Evelyn said.

“I almost can’t believe where we are now. What’s happened. How it happened,” Lucie said.

A smile crept to Evelyn’s lips. “But I wouldn’t change it for the world. Would you? You know, the three guys, one girl scenario.” She waggled her brows.

Lucie’s face heated. She could imagine her skin glittering like mad now. “Truthfully?”

“I’m being truthful when I say it wasn’t easy, but now… knowing them… feeling them… I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Evelyn said.

“Neither would I.”

“Well, that’s one way to bring a world together!” Riley’s voice had Lucie and Evelyn spinning to see Riley storm through the same side door Evelyn had just come through.

She was a force of nature even without the golden, glowing eyes. Lucie could easily see her as the tough soldier she’d been on earth with her swagger, shaved-on-the-sides haircut and no-nonsense air.

She didn’t stop walking until she caught Evelyn in a hug. Then she hugged Lucie. With her strappy gown, her muscled arms and toned shoulders were on display. The pressure stole the air from Lucie’s lungs.

There was fit, and then there was Riley.

Lucie could imagine her jogging across rugged terrain and climbing the tallest mountains, if not for the baby bump she also sported, highlighted by the tight golden gown.

“God, it’s good to see another human, no matter if we are a little bit changed,” Riley said.

Lucie blinked back more tears. It seemed nowadays she cried at the drop of a hat. Damned pregnancy hormones. It had been confirmed this morning and she’d spent the next two hours celebrating with her mates in the most beautiful love-making session ever. They’d told her over and over again how much they loved her, and then one thing had led to another and Zaen pointed out that she couldn’t get more pregnant and what the heck, they might as well show her how much they loved her. Full of suggestions, that mate was. She didn’t have it in her to argue with him. Not when she fully agreed.

“Do you know what our mates are doing out there?” Riley said.

“I thought you’d know,” Evelyn said to Riley.

“And I thought you’d know,” Lucie said to Evelyn.

“Huh. Looks like they’ve kept a secret.” Riley put her hands on her hips, frowning, but her face danced with amusement.

“How did they manage to do that?” Evelyn said.

Lucie shook her head. “I don’t know. It must have taken some coordination.”

“You think? This mind-meld stuff does my head in sometimes. Can’t even take a crap without someone knowing,” Riley said.

“All I know is that there’s a lot of people behind those doors from all of the Homelands waiting for us. The one thing my mates did tell me was that this is a monumental event and everyone from across all three Homelands want to thank us for bringing them all together,” Lucie said. “It’s a big thing.”

“Kind of like the end of the cold war,” Evelyn said.

“Well, you can’t have little baby crystals growing throughout the planet brought together by mama and papa crystals and not bring the people together as well.” Riley cocked her head. “That sounds so strange, but true.”

Lucie shook her head. “If we ever make it back home, I don’t think anyone is going to believe us.”

“Well, I think the little half alien inside of me is prohibitive to going back, but I don’t care. Nothing for me there anyway. I wouldn’t go back for the world,” Riley said, grinning from ear to ear.

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