Then I see them—Arc and Bow, unmistakable. Dressed in the formal Zandian clothing of white tunics and trousers.
Kianna is there between them, in a flowing gown and a wreath of flowers and all kinds of tulle and fabric in her hair. Her back is to me, and as I stare, Arc and Bow each put an arm around her and lean in.
Veck!
I race forward as fast as I can, pushing beings aside left and right, and when I reach them, I grab Kianna.
“Get your hands off of her!” I roar. I tug her away from them and glare at the nearest one, Arc. “I must speak with her.”
He glowers and his hand goes to his dagger. “Stand back. You are interrupting our ceremony.”
I growl. “I don’t vecking care. I have something to say to her and I must do it now. Kianna—” I whirl her around.
My hands go slack on her arms. I let go, stepping back. “Who… who are you?”
Am I going insane? This is Arc, there’s Bow. This is their mate. But instead of Kianna, it’s a human I vaguely recognize. She has masses of red-gold hair topped with a wreath of flowers, and she’s completely decidedly not the human I love.
“I’m Cressa.”
“I don’t understand. Where’s Kianna?” I feel like I’m underwater.
“Arc and Bow and I love each other. Kianna doesn’t love them. We straightened things out.” Cressa smiles. She looks beatific.
“Brother, step back. You are interrupting our ceremony.” Bow barely contains his rage. “We wish to gift her our crystals at the peak of the light. Please let us have it.” He glares at me.
Cressa looks at me with sympathy. But also some shrewdness, I think. “She said she’s going to the Outlander program directly after this ceremony. In fact, she might be headed there now.”
“She can’t do that,” I mutter. “She’s not right for that. She has other gifts, better gifts she can develop. Don’t you know that she’s a genius at mind relaxation and empowerment?” I clear my throat. “And stars, nobody would leave during the ceremony for a thing like that. I’m sure all off-planet travel is halted for the duration of the solstice. Why would you even say a thing like that?” My voice rises until I’m pretty much roaring at her. “She can’t be going to the Outlander program!”
Cressa pulls a sympathetic expression, but I swear she also looks pleased. These humans are so vecking complicated—
Arc and Bow growl and step forward, so I put up a hand. Bow my head. “My apologies. I am… feeling emotional.” I’m not accustomed to this; if it means I have a chance at Kianna, I’ll muddle through these new feelings.
I move back. “Where is she?”
“We do not know.” Bow is clearly running out of patience. “If you’re so interested, I suggest you go search for her.”
The first intelligent thing this young idiot has said. I still want to rip him apart because he was courting Kianna and probably had his hands on her at one point. I take a breath and compose myself. “I wish you three a happy ceremony and a joyous life together.” Thank veck it’s not with Kianna.
Cressa turns back to Arc and Bow, then whirls around one last time. “She said she can’t bear to be here when you start your new life with the Zandian female. But apparently you’re not mating her anymore?”
“I’m not.” I growl. “She’s with Hektor now.” It’s still not clear if she will mate Hektor alone, or a group of Zandians including Hektor. The truth is that I don’t much care, because she’s not the one for me.
“This is complicated.” Cressa smiles. “But very good. And since you said that, maybe she’s not going to the Outlander program right now. Maybe she’s here somewhere, watching the lights with Mirelle. Maybe you can find her, if you look, say, over there.” She points, then turns, and this time she’s so intent on her mates that I know none of them will hear another thing I say.
I turn around, scanning the crowd, but I can’t find her.
The sun sinks lower in the sky, and the air takes on a new intensity, as murmurs ring out from all sides.
“It’s almost here!”
“Look at the crystals glow.”
King Zander speaks from the smooth white stone dais in front of the crowd. His lovely human mate stands beside him, holding the hand of their young. “Fellow Zandians and humans, happy Zandian Lights.”
The entire crowd echoes it back, a hum of togetherness and family.
“We are gathered here to honor our community, our planet, and the one true Zandian star. We have won back our planet and are working to empower our future. I thank each and every one of you for your sacrifices and gifts that you share with each other. Together we will make Zandia a powerhouse for ourselves and future generations to come. Let us allow the crystal light to bring us new energy and strength.” He nods, and at his approval, a new batch of lanterns light up, all across the fields and grottos.