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Aculus set his glass down hard, sloshing the liquid inside. “No, you did not!” His eyes narrowed on her.

The agitation in his voice gave her a little thrill.I think someone’s a little jealous.

Her gaze panned Aculus’ conclave before returning to him. “You know, I’m having difficulty recalling the pertinent details.”

“Mm hmm,” Aculus huffed. He knew she was teasing him but still looked suspicious of this supposed neighbor.

The rotten smile she was wearing slipped from her face as she realized half the table was staring in confusion at her and Aculus. It occurred to her that as far as they knew, she and Aculus were merely acquaintances, except their banter was anything but pleasant and casual.

Ugh. This is going to be harder than I thought.

“This fruit is really good.” She popped a red berry into her mouth to keep from making any more comments that would draw attention.

Oh, no it’s not.She blanched, tasting the pasty bland morsel. It was nothing like a strawberry.

“You like it? Here.” Aculus lifted his plate and scraped his berries onto hers, an amused light sparking in his eyes.

It was obvious he could tell she didn’t like them, which is why he did it.

Oh, buddy, you’re playing with fire.She glared at him.

Sixteen

Oasis

Nadzia

“Gorgeous,” she admired the sunken garden at the rear of the Sanctuary.

Flowering plants and trees were everywhere, vining flora with enormous leaves blanketing the columns and terraces. As she passed under another stone arch, she was hit by the cool spray from the many misters keeping the lush greenery alive. She debated standing there for a moment to soak it up but Aculus’ conclave was behind her.

“You are very lucky. There is no place on Osi quite like Fossa. It’s not just the capital city, but the cultural center in this quadrant. And there’s no place in Fossa like the Sanctuary,” Costa declared with a wave of her hand at the grand garden.

The woman spoke to her as if she were some knuckle-dragging Neanderthal who had to have things explained to her.

“And wait until you see the estuary down below,” another of the women said.

Although she didn’t appreciate the condescending commentary, the Sanctuary truly was stunning. She kept an eye on Tarsus as they followed the stepped path down the side of the terrace. It opened up on a stunning grotto. The pool looked inviting. It was framed by a rocky wall jutting up from the ground. Numerous benches had been placed in the grassy meadow by the pool. She was drawn to the one in the shade of a large flowering tree with drooping branches. It looked like a good spot to wait while Aculus finished his meeting and Tarsus got some much-needed exercise. But first she wanted to pull off her shoes and test how nice the water was.

Nadzia wandered to the sandy edge of the pond, kicked off her sandals and dipped her toes in, as the others meandered around.

“They say this is the site of the ancient estuary,” she heard one of the women say.

“Do you honestly believe in the goddess?” another asked.

“Seriously. In this era that’s just foolishness.”

She swished her bare feet in the water while the conclave babbled. Tarsus joined her, splashing around before emerging again to scamper along the bank. It was amusing to see a cat that liked water, but his species were good swimmers.

“When I’m Aculus’ weakness this is where we’ll bond,” Costa informed the others.

A laugh nearly burst out hearing Costa’s boastful comment.

“I agree on the location, but what makes you think you’ll be his weakness?” one of the conclave demanded.

Yeah. Good question.She looked from the woman to Costa.

“I was the first among us. I have no doubt if I can spend some more time with him it will happen. I can feel it,” Costa insisted.