“How…how do you know my language?” Allara asked, finding her voice at last.
“There she goes!” exclaimed the woman with skin almost the same shade as Allara’s own. “It’s working!”
“Hello,” the brown-haired woman said, stepping forward with a smile. “Welcome to the Mother Ship. I’m Sophia, the wife of Sylvan, the Head of the Kindred High Council.”
The wife of the head of the council! So they had sent royalty to meet her!
“We’re so glad to have you here,” the yellow-haired woman said. “I’m Olivia but you can call me Liv. And this is Kat…” She pointed to the red-haired woman. “And Lauren,” she finished, pointing to the girl with brown skin and amber eyes.
“I am…most pleased to meet you,” Allara said uncertainly. “But I still do not understand how you are suddenly able to speak my language.”
The women burst out laughing, but not in a mean way. It was more like they thought Allara had said something funny than that they were making fun of her.
“Actually, you’re the one speaking our language,” the woman who had introduced herself as Liv said. “And the way you’re able to do that is because that pink pill I gave you was a dose of translation bacteria.”
“It helps you speak and understand other languages,” Sophie explained. “We’ve all had a dose too, which normally means we would be able to understand you and talk to you in your language right away.”
“Only we think that your home language is so ancient and your planet is so insular, the translation bacteria couldn’t quite handle it right away,” Liv went on, finishing Sophie’s thought. “So it was necessary to give you a dose, too, so you could understand us and we could understand you.”
Allara shook her head.
“I…I don’t feel as though I am speaking a different language.”
“No, you never do, doll—you just understand everyone around you and they understand you. That’s the magic of translation bacteria,” the red-haired woman called Kat said.
“What you gave me was magic?” Allara asked, alarmed. Not that her people really believed in magic anymore but there were certain Gods who had to be appeased…
The woman all laughed again, a musical, welcoming sound.
“Oh, no—Kat is speaking figuratively,” Lauren said to her. “She just meant that the technology in the translation bacteria pill is so good it almost seems like magic.”
“Oh, well…” Allara wasn’t sure what to say to that.
“Now that we all know each other, we’re you’re welcoming slash wedding committee,” Liv said, smiling at her.
“We’re here to get you ready for your Joining ceremony—but it looks like you’re already all dolled up,” Kat remarked. She gave a low whistle. “Honey, you look poured into that dress—it’s gorgeous!”
“She has a beautiful Elite figure,” Sophie agreed. “Brand is going to be head over heels for her at first sight!”
“Brand?” For some reason, the name seemed to chime like a bell in her mind. Had she heard it somewhere before? Maybe in her dreams? But no—surely not. It was a strange name—no one on her home planet would be named such a thing.
“Your groom-to-be,” Lauren told her, grinning.
“He’s a really sweet guy,” Liv assured her. “I know all of this must be incredibly disorienting and scary for you, but I promise you, you’ve landed on your feet here. Your husband is distantly related to mine—they’re like second cousins twice removed—and he’s wonderful. Plus, he’s a Beast Kindred—the best kind.”
“You only say that because Baird is a Beast Kindred.” Kat poked Liv in the ribs with an elbow. “Personally, I prefer the Twin Kindred.”
“Give me a Blood Kindred every time,” Sophie chimed in.
“You’re all wrong—Scourge is the way to go,” Lauren claimed.
But Allara had only heard one thing.
“He’s a Beast?” Her heart started drumming. It was worse than she’d feared. Her new husband would be a monster!
But the women were laughing and shaking their heads again.
“That’s just the kind of Kindred he is, hon,” Liv assured her. “He’s not really beastly or anything.”
Allara wasn’t sure about that. No matter what he looked like, her husband-to-be was certain to be a giant, as all Kindred were. That was beastly enough, as far as she was concerned.
Kat glanced at a kind of chronometer on her wrist and made a face.
“Oh, no! The ceremony is starting in less than an hour—come on!” She gestured to Allara and suddenly Allara found herself surrounded by the alien women—all of whom were at least a foot taller than her. They hustled her out of the echoing Docking Bay and down a long metal corridor.
“Where are we going?” Allara asked, as she was whisked along.
“To the Sacred Grove, where your ceremony is going to take place,” Liv told her.
“Unless you need a bathroom break, first?” Sophie asked anxiously. “I know being nervous before big occasions always makes me have to pee.”
Kat burst out laughing.
“Just tell the word, why don’t you, doll?”