Page 107 of Dark Rover's Gift

"Yeah, I do." Arezoo sat on the bed. "But I'm not as strong as you."

It was strange to hear herself saying it. Arezoo had always thought that as the eldest, she had to be strong for her sisters, but she'd been wrong about Laleh. Her youngest sister had their mother's backbone, and she was much more calculated and crafty than Arezoo had ever suspected.

"You are the strongest of us," Laleh said. "You are just burdened with the weight of carrying us and Mother on your shoulders. You don't need to. Not anymore. Take care of yourself. Find out what makes you happy."

She chuckled. "When did you get so smart?"

"I told you. The internet, and also from talking to the clan's therapist. Vanessa is nothing like what you imagine a psychologist is. You should give her a try."

Arezoo winced. "She's busy, and there are many people who need her more than I do. When she's done with them, I'll put my name on her waiting list."

Laleh regarded her with eyes that were much older than they should be. "You always put everyone else's needs before your own, but whatever. I'm not going to talk you into calling Vanessa right now. Just give it some thought, okay?"

Arezoo nodded. "I will."

Laleh made a sound indicating she doubted it, then leaned to kiss Arezoo on the cheek and left the room.

By the time nine approached, Arezoo had changed outfits three times before returning to Laleh's original suggestion. She'd applied a little makeup, just mascara and lip gloss, and let her hair fall loose around her shoulders.

The doorbell's ringing sent her heart racing. She grabbed her phone, put it in one pocket of her jeans and the lip gloss in the other, and headed for the door.

Donya had already let Drova in, and the Kra-ell girl standing in their living room looked nothing like the warrior woman Arezoo was familiar with.

Drova had gone through a jaw-dropping transformation.

Instead of her utilitarian ponytail, her black hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders, and it was clear that someone had styled it to look that way. She wore makeup that emphasized her huge, dark eyes, making them seem mysteriously beautiful rather thanunnervingly large. Black jeans hugged her impossibly long legs, and a pink t-shirt that showed a strip of her extremely narrow midriff made her look almost breakable. A black leather jacket was thrown over it, completing the look.

"You look..." Arezoo searched for words. "Really nice. But isn't it too warm for a leather jacket?"

Drova grinned, the expression transforming her angular features. "It is, but isn't it cool? I've wanted one forever, ever since I saw Aliya wearing one. After I got my first pay as a Guardian in training, I ordered it, and it finally arrived today."

It suddenly occurred to Arezoo that beneath the alien features and the warrior vibe, Drova was just a teenage girl who got excited about leather jackets and spent time curling her hair for a night out.

"It is very cool," Arezoo agreed, feeling some of her nervousness ease. "You look like you stepped out of a magazine or a movie set."

"Good movie or bad movie?"

"Definitely good. Like one of those action films where the heroine kicks ass and looks amazing doing it."

Drova preened. "That's exactly what I was going for. You look nice, too. Are you ready to go?"

"I am." Arezoo said goodbye to her mother, who seemed like she was clenching her teeth not to say anything.

She gave them a nod and a tight smile. "Enjoy your evening, girls."

As they started walking toward the new section of the village where the bar was located, Drova offered her a hand. "It's probably too dark for you to see."

There were no streetlights in the village, but the sky was clear and the moon provided enough illumination.

"I can see just fine, but thanks for the offer."

Drova pushed her hands into her pockets. "Are you nervous?"

"I am," Arezoo admitted.

"Everyone will be too busy trying to get Fenella's attention for readings to even notice you," Drova assured her. "And if anyone bothers you, I'll give them my scary Kra-ell look."

"You always look scary," Arezoo teased, then immediately worried that she had offended her friend.

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