Angondra Holiday Special Read online

  Aria touched her arm. “And so does Penelope Ann. If she brings Aquilla with her, you’ll have to put the past aside and get along with him. Do it for the sake of Christmas.”

  Anna smacked her lips. “I’ll do it, and I hope he can do the same thing. I hope none of us lives to regret inviting him here.”

  “I invited him,” Aria told her. “I’ll take responsibility for the outcome.”

  “We don’t even know if he’s coming,” Emily pointed out. “Maybe none of them will come, and it will be just us.”

  Anna let out a shaky breath. “I hope so.”

  Aria turned to Chris. “That’s why we decided not to talk about the younger generation taking over.”

  “What’s that got to do with Aquilla?” Chris asked.

  “It isn’t just Aquilla coming here we have to worry about,” Anna told her. “We don’t know how Piwaka is reacting to Roshin taking over.”

  “This is all speculation,” Caleb pointed out. “They could be fine with it.”

  “They could be,” Marissa agreed. “We won’t know until they get here.”

  “We could just come straight out and ask them,” Chris suggested. “What’s the point of tiptoeing around the subject?”

  “Because if they react badly,” Carmen replied, “an argument or a wrong word could restart hostilities. Maybe it’s better not to bring the subject up.”

  “Are you telling me we can’t ask Penelope Ann how Roshin is doing?” Marissa asked. “It would be rude not to.”

  “That’s what I think,” Emily replied. “What are we supposed to talk about? We’ll be sitting around staring at each other, not talking about anything.”

  Donen laughed, but no one joined him.

  The friends headed back inside and crowded into Aria and Donen’s apartment. Aria snatched her blankets from the counter. “Wait here. I’ll have your rooms finished in two seconds, and then you can settle in and get comfortable.” She hurried toward the door.

  “No need to rush,” Chris called after her. “We’re perfectly happy taking up space in here. Sit down and talk to us instead. Leave the housekeeping for later.”

  Aria shook her head. “I can’t relax until all the work is done.”

  “Then you’ll never relax,” Emily told her. “You’ll always have something to do.”

  Aria called back over her shoulder. “I’ll be back in a minute. Help yourselves to the food.”

  Marissa sat down on the long seat next to Emily, and the three men stood with their heads together across the room. Chris and Anna took the two chairs. “Thank goodness we’re finally here. Now I can relax.”

  “When does Renier arrive?” Chris asked Carmen.

  “Not until tomorrow,” Carmen replied. “He had some last minute business to attend to before he left—political business.”

  “Let me guess,” Chris told her. “It had something to do with handing over power to Reina.”

  Carmen smiled. “You guessed right. They’ve been having trouble with the colonists they relocated away from the Avitras border.”

  “Again?” Chris asked. “I thought you settled that a long time ago.”

  “We settled it,” Carmen replied. “Or, I should say, Leflin settled it while we were in the Aqinas world. The situation erupted again after we got back. Renier settled it again, and now it’s erupted all over again. Renier and Reina traveled out to the new colony to deal with the situation again.”

  “That’s just great,” Chris snapped. “The last thing Reina needs when she’s new on the job is a rebellion by a bunch of unreasonable colonists.”

  Carmen shook her head. “She’s the best person to handle the situation. She has such a gentle way of dealing with people, but she’s so direct and down-to-earth, no one would think of crossing her. You should see the way she handles any complaint that comes in. She smooths it over so no one could ever guess there was a problem. I’m sure Renier will leave all the negotiations to her and the situation will be settled again in no time, probably for good.”

  “That’s wonderful he has someone so competent to hand over to,” Emily remarked. “It must be a great relief.”

  Marissa leaned toward Emily. “I brought the best present for you. Wait until you see it.”

  “Aria doesn’t want us giving presents,” Anna told her.

  Chris spun around. “What? No presents? How are we supposed to have Christmas?”

  Anna shook her head. “She won’t listen to reason. She’s dead set against presents.”

  “We don’t have to give presents,” Emily told them. “We can still celebrate. Christmas is about togetherness and sharing the warmth of loving relationships. We can do that perfectly well without presents.”

  “It’s not natural,” Chris muttered. “It wouldn’t be Christmas without them.”

  Marissa stared down at her hands in her lap. “I think I understand where she’s coming from, though.”

  Chris’s head shot up. “You do?”

  Marissa nodded. “Only someone who grew up in a broken family could understand. Aria lost her father at an early age to traumatic circumstances. I grew up without my family, too, and we were always too poor to buy presents at Christmas. We were lucky to have a decent dinner on the table. Aria must have some painful memories about Christmas presents. That’s why she doesn’t want us having them now.”

  The others exchanged glances. Chris fidgeted. “She’s the one who came up with the idea of having this celebration to give us all a taste of home, and we’re guests in her house. I suppose if it makes her uncomfortable, we can go without them.”

  “Anything that makes her happy is fine with me,” Emily murmured.

  Marissa nodded. “We can give the gifts we brought in private. They will mean just as much.”

  Aria breezed back into the apartment with a satisfied smile on her face. “There. That’s all done.” She glanced around. “What’s going on? Why the long faces?”

  At that moment, the bell sounded. The women watched Donen touch a panel in the wall next to the door. “What is it?”

  He touched the panel a second time. “The Avitras are here.”

  The friends started out of their seats. “Who?”

  Donen shook his head. “It doesn’t say. We’ll just have to head out to the observation deck and find out.”

  They all trooped back to the observation deck, but when they scanned the surrounding mountains, they could make out nothing but the wind blowing through the trees and the sun sparkling on the long sheer peaks. “Where are they?”

  Donen shook his head. “The sentries spotted them approaching the city. They shouldn’t be far off.”

  The friends shaded their eyes with their hands. “Which direction are they coming from?”

  Emily pointed. “That’s west, over there. They’ll be coming from there.”

  A bitter gust of wind tossed their hair and clothes. Anna shivered. “It’s freezing out here. I’m going back inside until they get here.”

  Even as the words escaped her lips, a shadow crossed the observation deck, and the party craned their necks to see two winged figures sweep over their heads and land on the nearest peak above Harbeiz. They landed with their backs to the party, and when they turned around, they revealed two more figures standing with them. Piwaka folded his wings, and Aimee stood next to him. A hush fell over the friends when they saw the tall striking figures of Penelope Ann and Aquilla standing at Piwaka’s side.

  Chapter 3

  Aria threw her arms around Penelope Ann. “I’m so glad you came! I couldn’t imagine this gathering without you.”

  Marissa and Carmen embraced Penelope Ann, too. “It’s just like old times, when it was just the four of us.”

  Anna grabbed Aimee. “You made it. We were worried you wouldn’t come.”

  “Why wouldn’t I come?” Aimee asked. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Emily sighed. “I only wish Frieda
was here.”

  Aimee waved her hand. “Frieda is where she belongs. That won’t stop us enjoying the holiday ourselves.”

  Anna hooked her arm around Aimee’s shoulders. “We want to know everything you’ve been up to since we saw you last.”

  Emily jabbed her in the ribs.

  Anna shot her a vicious glare. “What’s the matter?”

  Emily tried to shake her head, but Aimee looked over. “What’s wrong?”

  Anna tossed her head. “Never mind. Ignore them and tell me everything.”

  They two cousins strode ahead. They chattered back and forth and soon outpaced the rest of the party. Carmen and Marissa flanked Penelope Ann and escorted her inside. The conversation flew back and forth until the babble of voices died away down the corridors.

  Donen shook hands with Piwaka. “Welcome, welcome. We’ve waited too long for your visit.” He waved his hand toward the cavern. “Let me show you around, or if you wish, I can show you to your quarters so you can spend some time alone. You must be tired after your journey.”

  Piwaka shook his head. “I’m not tired. I’ve been looking forward to seeing your city. I’ve heard so much about it.”

  “Some of the Supreme Council members would like to meet you, too,” Donen went on. “I told them you were coming for a quiet family gathering, not a diplomatic tour. I told them your time was your own, and if you didn’t choose to meet them, they would have to accept your wishes. Don’t feel any pressure to attend to any political matters while you’re here.”

  “I don’t mind.” Piwaka fell in at Donen’s side. “I don’t see Renier.”

  “He doesn’t arrive until tomorrow,” Donen told him. “He had some political matters to attend to back in his own territory.”

  Piwaka nodded, and they entered the cavern. “I want to see everything, and if I meet a few Council members, I’ll be my diplomatic best for them.”

  Donen’s shoulders relaxed, and he extended his hand toward the center of the cavern, where a shaft of light illuminated the many levels of the city. “This way.”

  He pointed first one direction, then the other, describing every detail of the city to his guest, and the two strolled into the heart of Harbeiz like the old friends they were.

  Caleb watched them out of sight. Then he glanced back toward the observation deck. Turk appeared at his elbow, and Caleb nodded over his shoulder. “What should we do about him?”

  Aquilla stood alone on the observation deck with the sunshine glistening off his iridescent feathers. He swept the surrounding mountains with his eyes and inspected every detail of the deck and the entrance to the city, but he made no move to enter it.

  Turk growled under his breath, but said nothing. Caleb sighed. “We better take him. No one else is going to do it.”

  “Donen should be doing this,” Turk muttered.

  “Maybe he feels as uncomfortable about it as the rest,” Caleb replied. “It’s easier for him to stay close to Piwaka. He knows Piwaka won’t start a war.”

  “Ignoring him like this could start a war,” Turk argued.

  Caleb nodded. “Never mind. He won’t get hostile with us.”

  He strode through the entrance into the blaze of light. Aquilla’s head whipped around, and he fixed a keen eye on the tall Lycaon.

  Caleb only nodded. “It’s good to see you again, Aquilla. We’re glad you decided to come.”

  Aquilla cocked his head to one side, and his feathers bristled. “Are you, really? That’s the last thing I expected to hear in this place.”

  The fur on Caleb’s back rankled, but he forced himself to stay calm. “We’re all glad you decided to come, Aquilla. The women wouldn’t be happy holding their seasonal celebration without Penelope Ann, and we all hoped to put past hostilities behind us to enjoy each other’s company for a change. We’ve only seen you during negotiations along the border. This is our first chance to spend time together without all the pressure of the peace agreement hanging over our heads.”

  Aquilla raised one eyebrow, but he didn’t answer. Turk shifted from one foot to the other, but Caleb kept talking in as calm a voice as he could manage. “We’re all grateful to you for making the first move toward a better life for us all. We all owe you a debt for that.”

  Aquilla twisted his mouth into a grimace. “Tell that to your friend Donen.”

  Caleb’s cheeks burned, but he refused to take the bait. “Donen is grateful to you, too. I’m sure he’ll be the first to say so.”

  Aquilla humphed, but Caleb didn’t give him a chance to argue. “Let us show you to Donen and Aria’s apartment. The women will be over their heads in their holiday preparations, and we can sit quietly and talk about.....whatever you want to talk about. When you’re ready, we’ll show you to your quarters where you can make yourself comfortable.”

  Aquilla surveyed the threshold leading from the observation deck to the cavernous underground city. “Nothing could make me comfortable here.”

  Caleb only waved his hand and led the way into the great open shaft plunging down into the mountain. He moved with deliberate slowness and never looked back. Turk took his place at his brother’s side and they headed down the ramp spiraling around the outside of the shaft. Beams of light streamed through domed windows to illuminate the lowest depths of the cavern. Ursidreans bustled here and there, and silent vehicles skimmed the stone floor to carry the residents wherever they wanted to go.

  No one paid the Lycaon any attention. The spirit of civic purpose kept every Ursidrean moving on his chosen path. No one interfered with anyone else, and nothing distracted them or tempted them to idle.

  Caleb kept walking down the ramp. He smiled and nodded to those who acknowledged him, and he greeted anyone who addressed him. His heart thumped in his chest, but he resisted the urge to look behind him.

  About halfway down the ramp, he stopped and leaned against the railing. He scanned the busy people below him and on the far side of the shaft. Voices hummed above, below, and across from him. Turk came to his side, and the brothers observed the peaceful city overflowing with life.

  Then his heart leapt for joy when another figure appeared on his other side. He smiled at Aquilla and, with a great effort, dragged his eyes away from the Avitras to watch the Ursidrean population at their work.

  Aquilla gazed down into the shaft. The Ursidreans moved up and down the ramp, some strolled along the banks of the underground river lined with trees rippling along the cavern floor. Others stopped to discuss matters of importance with their comrades before hurrying away. The sun sloped to one side, and the sunbeams rose higher on the cavern wall to leave the lower depths in shadow.

  Out of nowhere, Aquilla’s voice caught Caleb’s ear. “What happens when the sun goes down?”

  Caleb kept his voice low to show he never doubted Aquilla would follow him. “The whole city falls into darkness. The city shuts down until the sun rises in the morning.”

  “What about the marvelous power we hear so much about?” Aquilla asked. “What about the power that makes all these machines run? Does that stop when the sun goes down, too?”

  Caleb nodded. “The power comes from the sun. The sun’s energy reacts with the minerals in the rock embedded in the mountain. It only works when the sun comes up, and it stops when the sun sets. The Ursidreans rest in their homes during hours of darkness.”

  Aquilla frowned. His eye skimmed the buzz of activity with new understanding. The people moved just a little faster. The sunlight climbing the cavern wall told them to finish their work while they had the chance. In a few hours, the work day would end until they picked up their tasks again in the morning.

  Caleb kept still. He wouldn’t rush this moment. Aquilla entered Harbeiz of his own free will, the first Avitras Alpha to do so in...who knows how many generations. Of course Piwaka entered it first, but he wasn’t really the Alpha, was he? He only acted as Alpha after Aquilla abdicated the role, but Aquilla would carry his exper
ience back to Roshin, his son and heir, and every detail of this encounter would affect future relations between the Avitras and the other factions.

  Aquilla stood still and watched the Ursidreans, his age-old enemies, in their home city, for perhaps an hour—maybe longer. Then he pushed himself away from the railing with a nod. “We better get to the apartment, then.”

  Caleb nodded again and smiled. He moved away down the ramp, in no particular hurry, but this time, he walked at Aquilla’s side. The Avitras Alpha needed friends here. He needed all the friends he could get, and he couldn’t do any better than Lycaon. The Avitras didn’t fight horrible wars with Lycaon. The Avitras didn’t share the same history of massacres and invasions with the Lycaon that they shared with the Ursidreans.

  Maybe Donen planned Aquilla’s arrival this way. Maybe he made himself scarce so the Lycaon could escort Aquilla into the city. Aquilla would accept a Lycaon guide much more easily than an Ursidrean one, especially the Ursidrean Alpha.

  Caleb strolled in silence the rest of the way down the ramp to the residential wing. Turk followed his example and said nothing. The three men walked abreast with the casual ease they would use walking down the hill on the Avitras border. Not one Ursidrean gave Aquilla a second glance. No one gasped in shock at seeing him there. No one pointed or shouted insults. They treated his presence in their city as a matter of course. They accepted him.

  The farther they walked, the more Caleb rejoiced in his heart, but he shouldn’t celebrate too soon. The real test waited for them in Donen and Aria’s apartment. His heart skipped a beat when he spotted the door, but he refused to hesitate. He pushed the door open and walked into a foaming sea of female voices. Donen and Piwaka hadn’t come back yet.

  Only Aria noticed their arrival. She broke into a glorious smile and held out her hands to Aquilla. “I’m so glad you came. Please sit down and I’ll bring you something to eat. You must be tired and hungry after your journey. Your quarters are right across the passage, so you can slip off by yourselves whenever you choose. These gatherings can get so tiresome sometimes.” She laughed out loud. “No one knows that better than I do.”