Page 41 of Unfinished

“Good. Veesha, take the lady’s bowl to the cleanser,” he said as he picked it up and held it out for Veesha.

She bent her head and took it in both hands before she hurried to the kitchen, her small wings flapping up a light gust of wind.

“Do Xithilene children mature faster than humans? She’s only just turning three, is that correct?” asked Sienna. She didn’t spend much time around small children, but she’d expected a two-year-old to be more babyish. Here was Veesha doing chores and apparently leaping off mini-sand dunes. “Should I speak Xithilene, or at least try, around her? She seemed to be able to understand me, but I just want to do what’s best.”

“It’s unnecessary. She can understand you just as well in English or any other common human language. We fit our children with translators early on. You may not be able to hear the difference, but without my device I’d find the people here extremely difficult to understand with the way they mangle their pronunciation of the Xithilene language. As for your previous question, I’m uncertain, but it wouldn’t be unusual if there are developmental differences between our species. It’d be far stranger if we were exactly the same.”

“Our years are longer than yours as well. Not to the point where it makes a great difference, but a few extra days per moon cycle becomes a greater sum quickly,” added R’kash.

“So when you wrote you were thirty-eight on your Mate Portal profile, was that Earth years or Xithilene?” Sienna asked with a grin.

“Does it matter?”

Sienna let her eyebrows lift. R’kash sounded as inexpressive as ever again. She guessed they must not recognize age differences between romantic partners the same way people did back home. “No, not really. Sometimes we tease each other about getting older or being older.” She glanced up to see two Xithilene men looking at her like their translation devices had just stopped working. “That isn’t as bad as it sounds. We’re not saying getting older is a bad thing, and it’s certainly better than the alternative, it’s just meant to be friendly…you know, never mind. Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, it really doesn’t matter to me.”

R’kash’s cut off rattling growl seemed a pretty clear indication he wasn’t thrilled with the conversation. “I must leave now, Sienna,k’vasha.” He dipped his head to her and Veesha before he rose and picked up his empty chocolate bowl and the skewer. “I’ll find you when I’m finished and able to take you both out on the glider.” He finally smiled again before he turned and walked into the kitchen. “Oh, Faseeth,” he called out over his shoulder, “ask H’viss or Neevish to find an unused communication device for Sienna. It’ll be like the one I used this morning to speak with Jesthi,” he told her. He bowed his head towards her once more, and then he left them behind.

Now it was just Faseeth, Veesha and herself.

“So,” she said, eyeing the platters of food still on the table, “why don’t you both show me this cleanser and whatever other types of technology you have available in that big kitchen. Then I’d be thrilled to see what you’re learning in your lessons, Veesha.”

Veesha didn’t look up, but she couldn’t begrudge the child her inattention. She had anotherv’ahissberry in each hand and she was out of her chair and spinning around in circles in the space between the table and the wall.

“She really does seem happy,” Sienna couldn’t help but say aloud.

“She’s doing remarkably well considering the circumstances. When I accepted the invitation to assess her and serve as a tutor and guide for the child, I was prepared to find a girl who was anxious and panicked by her new life.” Faseeth paused, watching Veesha, apparently deciding that she was far enough away he could speak freely. “She doesn’t talk much about her mother, but it would not have been an easy life for a winged woman in Ivanni. A small, provincial town in the far north.” Faseeth shuddered. “The priests here are not like the other bronze-scaled I’ve known. The disdain for the winged among us runs deep in the north.”

“Why?” Sienna glanced over at Veesha to make sure she was still occupied. She was currently attempting to balance av’ahissberry on her nose and it was going as well as Sienna would’ve expected. The berry rolled and hit the floor as Faseeth hissed out a long exhale.

“I don’t believe we have enough time for me to answer that question thoroughly, lady. Have your people not received news of the discovery of the lost Lady’s Temple in Lisseethi?”

Sienna half laughed. “No, at least not the regular people like me. Most of the early coverage on Xithilene was just our leaders trying to convince us you all weren’t planning to invade Earth or Mars. Then it was recruitment information for our military branches when you wanted our assistance in exchange for your tech. Outside of that, there’s just the gossipy news-vids about Princess Kat and Prince V’esthiss and Mate Portal advertisements.”

“They worked, didn’t they?” Faseeth sounded almost as dry as R’kash.

“A little, but I’d known about the Mate Portal Project for a while before I ever decided to participate.”

Faseeth lifted his feathers slightly, the rustling now becoming a familiar, even expected sound. “So what made you do it?”

“Honestly? I saw an ad for a Xithilene dance performance. That’s what put the idea in my mind.” Sienna half smiled thinking of that day. “I was intrigued by the wings and green scales, yet here I am with R’kash.”

“He’s blessed. It’s unlikely many of our women would’ve considered taking on the life of a high priest’s mate at such an unremarkable location. If he was meant for further advancement, he wouldn’t have been sent to Evathi. If you hadn’t chosen him, he probably would’ve remained unmated for the rest of his life.”

“Hmm…you make it sound like he’s just desperate, but he didn’t have to choose me, you know. I’m sure there were other human women who were interested.” Sienna thought of the other humans she’d met on theBite of the Fa’asath. Faseeth didn’t realize there were plenty of desperate human women looking for Xithilene mates, too.

Faseeth gave her another one of those brief head bows. “My intention wasn’t to insult you or diminish your bond with the high priest. Forgive me, lady. Back home they tell me my tongue likes the taste of trouble. That is to say, I don’t always consider my words before I speak.”

“No hard feelings—that means, I won’t hold it against you. Are we ready? I’m curious to see what you and Veesha are learning today.” Sienna smiled at the little girl and she pushed her chair back and stood.

Veesha had gone still at the sound of her name, her short feathers perked up with interest.

“Yes, let’s go to the courtyard,” said Faseeth. “We’ll start with dance practice.” Then he flashed her a fanged grin that made her ask what she’d gotten herself into.

“That sounds great,” she replied as she walked around the head of the table.

Small, warm fingers wrapped around her wrist, stopping her, and Sienna looked down to find Veesha. She opened up her hand and waited to see if the little girl would take it. When Veesha’s hand nestled into hers and her fingers tightened, Sienna couldn’t halt the flood of warmth that filled her chest. She hadn’t earned this sign of affection, not yet, but she treasured it all the same. She smiled down at Veesha, and she knew she’d never regret choosing R’kash and hisk’vasha, his beloved daughter.

19

---