Page 13 of The Outcast
That the prime minister refused to let Belle go, when she asked to move from France to the Northlands to be with Mason, wasn’t the part that surprised us. It was the dramatic turn of events when he had the audacity to declare that he wouldn’t let Belle go unless Freya or Aubri stayed in her place.
It was offensive and unfathomable that the French prime minister would make such an unreasonable demand. In response, voices rose, furniture was tipped over, and threats were made. It was in the middle of that mayhem that Aubri spontaneously declared that she would stay one full year in return for Belle’s freedom.
I was in shock when I first learned about Aubri’s decision. She was my best friend and we talked every day. Fear that something would happen to her was alleviated somewhat as Indiana Boulder stayed in Old Europe as her protector. Where Aubri was rash and always challenging boundaries, Indiana was a solid rock of sensibility. Keeping Aubri safe would be a challenge for anyone, but Indiana was her friend and I felt certain that he would go through fire to keep her out of trouble.
What I hadn’t foreseen was that the two of them would fall in love. They had surprised all of us when they came back for a summer vacation and declared that they would be marrying.
Five months had passed since their wedding, and now the countdown was over at last. I was all giddy with excitement to see my friends again – not least because like this summer, they were bringing Banni with them from Old Europe.
Banni had been in my thoughts a lot because of the kiss we shared in Old Europe when we thought that we would never meet again.
Never could I have imagined that Aubri would start an Explorer Academy and make both Banni and me instructors.
She had drilled me several times, fishing for any crush I might have on Banni. I wanted nothing more than to tell her about my magical night with him, but I couldn’t afford to do so. Aubri might have bitched to me for years about how her father and brothers were overprotective of her, but she too was an Aurelius and when it came to protecting my heart, she was a fierce lioness.
It pained me to lie, but I knew that she and Indiana would keep me away from Banni if they suspected that I could be susceptible to his charm.
Banni wasn’t husband material. First of all, his stay here in the Northlands was temporary, although none of us knew how long he would need to stay.
Secondly, he was a libertine when it came to sex. The French didn’t do romance or relationships. From what Aubri had explained to me, sex was a pastime pleasure no more significant to them than exercise. It was hard for me to wrap my head around our contrasting norms and values. Aubri had told me in her vid messages that she and Indiana were concerned that Banni’s charm would cause a few broken hearts in the Northlands. That’s why they had told him a hundred times that he wasn’t to charm, flirt with, or touch any women in the Northlands.
On a rational level, I understood Aubri’s position. Banni would have to go back sooner or later. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t stay and offer fidelity and marriage to any woman here. And yet, despite my rational mind telling me not to obsess over him, my infatuation with Banni had grown from the first moment I met him. Initially, I had thought him easy on the eye and very different from the men here. It had impressed me how relaxed he was around me and how our conversation and shared humor felt easy. But on top of all that was the strong sexual pull I felt toward him. I’d been infatuated before, but so far, all the men I had favored had turned out as a disappointment. If I was lucky, Banni would be the same. It would certainly be a remedy to my predicament of being drawn to a man I shouldn’t fancy.
For five months, we had planned and made practical arrangements for the Explorer Academy, and in just eight days we would kick off with the first recruits. How in the world would I hide my feelings for Banni when just standing here waiting to see him again made my heart race like I’d just run a marathon?
“Five minutes until landing,” Magni called out and showed the way to the front of the mansion.
The grand stairs leading up to the Gray Mansion were packed with friends and family, all staring up at the sky for the incoming drone that Khan had sent to transport Aubri, Indiana, and Banni home.
I had begged to be among the lucky ones to pick them up, but Jones and Lara, Indiana’s siblings, had received the honor along with Aubri’s younger sister, Dina.
“They’re coming.” Christina choked on her words and her husband Alexander pulled her under his arm, looking emotional himself.
I smiled and took Christina’s hand. She and my mom used to be roommates back when they lived in the Motherlands and I considered Christina a second mom. We shared a warm smile, both of us with teary eyes.
The moment the drone landed, Magni barked out orders for everyone to let the passengers get out of the drone before we ran to hug them. I felt for him because I had the feeling that he wanted to run and hug his daughter himself. Magni was such a proud man who often hid his feelings. Working as an Explorer was dangerous work, and Magni’s need to protect his daughter had been challenged beyond compare this year. Collectively in our group, there was enormous relief that Indiana and Aubri were returning unharmed, and not one of us blamed Magni for being on edge today. We understood that he had a hard time containing his sheer joy at having Aubri back home safely.
Despite Magni’s directions to give space, several of us couldn’t help running to greet them as soon as the door of the drone opened.
I threw myself around Aubri’s neck and was instantly picked up by my taller friend, who hugged me tight.
After me came Laura and Magni, who pulled Aubri into a group hug and muttered words of how much they had missed her.
My gaze found Banni, who was grinning with Thor, who had a hand on his shoulder. The two of them had become friends during the summer and looked genuinely happy to see each other again.
A poke in my back made me turn to see Indiana grinning down at me. “Don’t I get a welcome home?”
I smiled from ear to ear. “Welcome home, big guy.”
Despite my knowing Indiana my entire life, hugging him wasn’t a natural thing. Being Motlanders, our mothers had encouraged it when we were children, but once we got old enough to understand the cultural norms of our country, we stopped touching unless it was during fight training.
He grinned. “It’s good to see you, cat face.”
“You too.”
“Everyone, let’s take this welcome party to the grand room,” our ruler Khan called out above the chatter and laughter.
I smiled at Banni and fell into step next to him as we all moved up the stairs. “Welcome.”
