Page 42

AREZOO

A rezoo stood before her closet in a state of complete panic. Every piece of clothing she owned seemed wrong. Too conservative or too casual. Not that she had much to begin with, and she'd worn all of it to work at the café.

What was she supposed to wear for her unsupervised adult outing?

A knock on her door interrupted her mental spiral. "Come in," she called.

Laleh poked her head in, took one look at the clothes strewn across Arezoo's bed, and grinned. "I've heard the incredible news. Do you need help getting ready?"

"Desperately," Arezoo admitted.

Her sister entered and began sorting through the options with the critical eye of a fifteen-year-old who'd been consuming Western fashion content at an alarming rate since gaining internet access.

"This." Laleh held up one of the two pairs of jeans Arezoo owned. "With this." A deep blue blouse that was a little fancier than basic. "You can borrow a necklace from Maman to spruce it up. Accessories show you made an effort without trying too hard."

"Did you learn that from a YouTube video?"

"So what if I did? I've watched so many makeover videos that I'm an expert on Western fashion by now.

This outfit says that you are confident and yet approachable.

I can send you a link to a video about signaling that you are interested.

Apparently, the average guy needs no less than thirty signals to realize that a woman is interested in him. "

Arezoo's eyes widened. "Thirty? I don't know how to signal even once."

"I can show you." Laleh pretended to scan the area and then lingered on Arezoo a moment longer before continuing her scan. "See? That signals that you are intrigued. Next time, add a smile to that."

That sounded reasonable, but thirty times? She would look like an idiot. "What else?"

Laleh continued to demonstrate, touching her hair, her neck, and her jaw. It wasn't suggestive, but it seemed to signal insecurity more than anything else.

"How is that supposed to convey that I'm interested?"

"Pheromones," Laleh deadpanned. "Every time you touch your face or neck, it supposedly releases pheromones, and guys get a subconscious message that you are available and interested."

"That's ridiculous. You shouldn't believe everything that you see or hear on the internet."

Laleh shrugged. "Try it and see what works.

I'd love to be able to validate or dismiss any of these tips, but for that, I will need to test them personally, and the only immortal boy my age in this entire village is already spoken for.

He's in love with a girl that didn't transition yet.

There are the Kra-ell boys, but they are too alien-looking and too intense.

I'd rather stick to the immortals who look like humans.

" She grinned. "Very hot humans. Regrettably, I'm off limits until I'm seventeen, so all I can do is drool. "

Arezoo shook her head. "Who are you and what have you done with my baby sister, who until recently still played with dolls?"

"The internet," Laleh said. "I realized that at my age, I should be much more aware of boys."

"You should do nothing of the sort." Now she sounded like her mother.

"What I meant is that you shouldn't feel pressured to grow up too fast. If you still want to play with dolls, that's perfectly fine.

We are destined to become immortals, so there is no rush to do anything.

You can enjoy your childhood for as long as you want. "

Laleh nodded. "I know. Do you want to know the real reason I still played with dolls at fifteen?"

Arezoo frowned. "Wasn't it because you enjoyed it?"

Laleh shook her head. "I knew that Father was looking to marry off all three of us, and I was scared that he was going to do it before I finished high school.

I acted like a little girl so he wouldn't even think of that.

But then we were taken, and our abductor didn't care what I acted like.

He touched me as if I were a woman, but I didn't want his hands on me.

" She shuddered. "When we were rescued, I clung to my shield, pretending to be younger than I was, but when I started to feel safer, I dropped the act and started researching. I found a lot of help on the internet."

Arezoo felt guilty for not realizing that before. She'd been so focused on her own survival that she hadn't noticed her sister doing the same in her own way.

"You are so brave." Arezoo hugged her. "Braver than I am."

Laleh pulled away. "Are you still scared?"

Arezoo sighed. "I'm not scared, but I'm not ready to flirt or signal that I'm interested because I'm not. I can't think of a male that way without remembering what was done to me. To us. Drova doesn't understand that because she's never been in our situation, but you do."

Laleh nodded. "I do, but I won't let fear rule me. If I do, he wins. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I do." Arezoo sat on the bed. "But I'm not as strong as you."

It was strange to hear herself saying it. Arezoo had always thought that as the eldest, she had to be strong for her sisters, but she'd been wrong about Laleh. Her youngest sister had their mother's backbone, and she was much more calculated and crafty than Arezoo had ever suspected.

"You are the strongest of us," Laleh said. "You are just burdened with the weight of carrying us and Mother on your shoulders. You don't need to. Not anymore. Take care of yourself. Find out what makes you happy."

She chuckled. "When did you get so smart?"

"I told you. The internet, and also from talking to the clan's therapist. Vanessa is nothing like what you imagine a psychologist is. You should give her a try."

Arezoo winced. "She's busy, and there are many people who need her more than I do. When she's done with them, I'll put my name on her waiting list."

Laleh regarded her with eyes that were much older than they should be. "You always put everyone else's needs before your own, but whatever. I'm not going to talk you into calling Vanessa right now. Just give it some thought, okay?"

Arezoo nodded. "I will."

Laleh made a sound indicating she doubted it, then leaned to kiss Arezoo on the cheek and left the room.

By the time nine approached, Arezoo had changed outfits three times before returning to Laleh's original suggestion. She'd applied a little makeup, just mascara and lip gloss, and let her hair fall loose around her shoulders.

The doorbell's ringing sent her heart racing. She grabbed her phone, put it in one pocket of her jeans and the lip gloss in the other, and headed for the door.

Donya had already let Drova in, and the Kra-ell girl standing in their living room looked nothing like the warrior woman Arezoo was familiar with.

Drova had gone through a jaw-dropping transformation.

Instead of her utilitarian ponytail, her black hair fell in soft curls around her shoulders, and it was clear that someone had styled it to look that way.

She wore makeup that emphasized her huge, dark eyes, making them seem mysteriously beautiful rather than unnervingly large.

Black jeans hugged her impossibly long legs, and a pink t-shirt that showed a strip of her extremely narrow midriff made her look almost breakable.

A black leather jacket was thrown over it, completing the look.

"You look..." Arezoo searched for words. "Really nice. But isn't it too warm for a leather jacket?"

Drova grinned, the expression transforming her angular features. "It is, but isn't it cool? I've wanted one forever, ever since I saw Aliya wearing one. After I got my first pay as a Guardian in training, I ordered it, and it finally arrived today."

It suddenly occurred to Arezoo that beneath the alien features and the warrior vibe, Drova was just a teenage girl who got excited about leather jackets and spent time curling her hair for a night out.

"It is very cool," Arezoo agreed, feeling some of her nervousness ease. "You look like you stepped out of a magazine or a movie set."

"Good movie or bad movie?"

"Definitely good. Like one of those action films where the heroine kicks ass and looks amazing doing it."

Drova preened. "That's exactly what I was going for. You look nice, too. Are you ready to go?"

"I am." Arezoo said goodbye to her mother, who seemed like she was clenching her teeth not to say anything.

She gave them a nod and a tight smile. "Enjoy your evening, girls."

As they started walking toward the new section of the village where the bar was located, Drova offered her a hand. "It's probably too dark for you to see."

There were no streetlights in the village, but the sky was clear and the moon provided enough illumination.

"I can see just fine, but thanks for the offer."

Drova pushed her hands into her pockets. "Are you nervous?"

"I am," Arezoo admitted.

"Everyone will be too busy trying to get Fenella's attention for readings to even notice you," Drova assured her. "And if anyone bothers you, I'll give them my scary Kra-ell look."

"You always look scary," Arezoo teased, then immediately worried that she had offended her friend.

But Drova just laughed. "Everyone knows it's just for show and that I'm adorable."

"Adorable might be pushing it."

"Striking? Memorable? Unforgettable?"

"Definitely unforgettable," Arezoo agreed.

As they neared the Hobbit, Arezoo could hear noise spilling out onto the street—laughter, conversation, the clink of glasses.

Her steps slowed.

When they got inside, the sounds intensified. The bar was packed, just as Drova had predicted.

Every table was occupied, and people stood in clusters wherever space allowed. The air smelled of alcohol and perfume and something indefinable that hinted at excitement.

"Wow," Arezoo breathed. "It's really crowded in here."

"Come on." Drova took her hand, using her height advantage to navigate through the clusters of people. "Let's get to the bar."