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  “There are many talented Scultresti, however. They design the human forms assumed by the Corgloresti on the human plane, and they also create the Estilorian forms that successfully transitioned souls assume when they arrive on this plane. As they are quite creative by nature, it is the ultimate desire of the Scultresti to provide a wealth of variety and interest in each of our appearances. And because we are conscious of health and fitness, all assumed forms are designed to be within the higher standards of each. The exact final appearance is left up to the human soul who transitions into it, as is the gender and class of the new Estilorian. The Estilorian’s form before that point is a nebulous and powerful collection of energy waiting for awareness.

  “Likewise, the Estilorian forms of the Corgloresti become nebulous, unaware forms of energy when the Corgloresti transition to the human plane, leaving them vulnerable on this plane. It is thus the role of the Gloresti class to remain here and guard their paired Corgloresti, much as your Gloresti have guarded and continue to guard each of you. Before the creation of the new plane, when we still resided among humans, Gloresti served as soldiers…our ultimate line of defense. This makes them ideal bodyguards on this plane, totally focused on protection of their Corgloresti and loyal to the death. I believe it was this self-sacrificing element of the Gloresti nature that prompted Gabriel to make the choice that sent him to the human plane.”

  Olivia thought about James and his ever-vigilant behavior. She considered the fact that he was bound to her as her Gloresti and that he would surrender his life for her if called for, something she hadn’t thought about in such bald terms before now. It sent a flood of emotion coursing through her. When she glanced at each of her sisters, she could see them also mulling over this weighty information. Considering Amber was avowed and married to her Gloresti, the impact had to be even more powerful.

  “In order for the Gloresti to maintain a form of communication with their paired Corgloresti while they are separated by the planes, an Orculesti works with them. The Orculesti elder is Malukali. She is responsible for maintaining an ongoing connection with the other elders to keep us informed of what is happening among the Corgloresti on the human plane. She is a receptacle for all thoughts transmitted and received by the other Orculesti.”

  “Wow,” Skye said, her eyes wide. “That must be an awful lot of stuff going through her mind all at once.”

  “Indeed. But after centuries of living with this, she is easily able to filter thoughts. Typically, an Orculesti is assigned to work with one Corgloresti and Gloresti pairing at a time. The Orculesti focuses on receiving the thoughts of the Corgloresti on the human plane, communicating those thoughts to the Gloresti as well as to Malukali, who shares them with us.”

  “So you’re hearing all of those thoughts all the time, too?” Skye asked incredulously.

  “Yes. Again, however, most of the thoughts are simply like background noise. Unless a Corgloresti sends out a distressed thought directly to the assigned Orculesti, we do not generally make note of it. That is how we all missed the signs Saraqael must have surely transmitted while he was on the human plane with your mother. The fact that he likely masked his deepest feelings and intentions combined with the fact that we did not know how to interpret them all contributed to what ultimately happened.

  “The Orculesti are our primary resource for communication between each other across distances. They are as good at listening and interpreting Estilorian communication as the Wymzesti, though they do it more with their minds rather than their senses. Orculesti are also much more literal and logical in their interpretations. They have grown to learn a bit more about humans than most of the other classes due to their direct mental connection with Corgloresti. However, because the Corgloresti are trained to mask any thoughts that do not relate specifically to themselves and their needs while on the human plane, the Orculesti do not know overly much about human culture and certainly no more about human emotion than other Estilorians.”

  Gabriel poked his head into the room, causing Jabari to glance toward the kitchen doorway. “How’s it going in here? Does anyone need anything?”

  “No, thanks,” Skye and Olivia said at the same time. Amber had evidently communicated her response with her mind.

  “Thank you, Gabriel. I believe we are all fine. I do not intend to keep the sisters much longer.”

  “Better not,” Gabriel responded. “We’re going to teach you Poker when you’re done.” Then he gave Amber a wink and disappeared.

  Turning back to the girls, Jabari said, “Gabriel’s timing is impeccable. I was just getting to the Lekwuesti, governed by the elder, Sebastian. As the Estilorians who focus on hospitality and creature comforts, they are what you might consider our most polite and cultured class. All of the clothing you wear was designed by the Lekwuesti. They create all of our soaps, scents, cosmetics and jewelry. As you have seen while living here, they establish connections with other Estilorians to fulfill their food and beverage needs, using their powers to generate full meals of all levels of complexity. They craft all of the items you see around you, from furniture and fabrics to plates and silverware. Their ultimate goal is to ensure all Estilorians have what they need, as well as to exercise their ingenuity through the creation process. We have found this to be the most prolific class, as most humans do have a penchant for desiring comfort and nice things, making this role quite natural for them.

  “On what you might say is the opposite end of the spectrum are the Waresti, who work hard so that the rest of the classes maintain their safe and comfortable lives. The Waresti class is comprised entirely of fighters. Where the Gloresti are dedicated to defense on an individualized level, the Waresti are our global offensive force. The eldest Waresti, Uriel, has established contingents to patrol all reaches of the Estilorian plane. Besides the Lekwuesti, the Waresti is our next-largest class. Humans, as you know, are quite territorial and not afraid to take a stand, making them just as natural fighters as they are caretakers.”

  “And they protect everyone else from the Mercesti?” Amber asked. She was sitting back on the couch, her arms crossed.

  “Yes,” he responded. “Before the creation of the new plane, all of the nine Estilorian classes lived in relative harmony. The eldest of the Mercesti at that time was Volarius. He was an innovative and forward-thinking strategist, and it was actually Volarius who first suggested the creation of the new plane when we all despaired over the turmoil our presence was causing among the humans. If it had not been for Volarius, we would not have succeeded with the plan.

  “We knew when we created this plane that we would have to limit the ability of Estilorians to cross back to the human plane. As is the case whenever you have a great number of voices and opinions, there would be those who resisted the change. And, quite frankly, there were many of the younger Estilorians who found great satisfaction in having abilities beyond those of humans and being able to demonstrate those abilities. But we decided that we could not risk the safety of humanity any longer for the sake of a limited few. The warring among humans had gone on for more than a century. Thousands and thousands of human lives were lost, even with us extending our assistance as much as possible. It was simply unacceptable.

  “The power required to create this plane was beyond description. I, along with Gabriel, Ini-herit, Volarius and the remaining elders, called forth the height of our powers, extending our abilities beyond anything we had ever thought possible. And this,” he indicated the room around them, “is the result.”

  “So, what happened to Volarius?” Skye asked after a brief pause.

  Jabari frowned, a rare expression for the elder. “He was killed by the current Mercesti leader, Grolkinei. Grolkinei was among those who believed that we should have remained on the human plane. He lived the life of a worshipped god there, flicking his power at the humans around him in unpredictable and careless ways. As soon as he realized what we had done—that he would never be able to return to the human plane again—he lashed
out against Volarius and assumed control of the Mercesti class.”

  “How was he able to do that, though?” Olivia asked. “Just because Volarius was dead, that didn’t mean all of the other Mercesti had to accept Grolkinei as their leader, right?”

  “You are correct. Grolkinei gave the remaining Mercesti a choice: join with him or die. Those who chose to join with him had to prove their dedication by killing another Estilorian. In this case, he turned the Mercesti against each other. Those who joined with Grolkinei hunted down and killed those who would not. We did what we could to protect the Mercesti who resisted Grolkinei’s evil, but we learned something essential about ourselves during this terribly bleak time. When the leader of an Estilorian class acts in a particular manner, the beings he or she rules will inevitably follow. It did not take long for Grolkinei to completely alienate the Mercesti from the rest of the classes. To this day, any Estilorian who kills another or intends to kill another for a reason other than to defend is instantly converted to a Mercesti.”

  Having born witness to this process when the Orculesti named Kanika attempted to kill Amber by shoving her into battle with Angius and then changed into a red-eyed Mercesti right in front of her, Olivia processed Jabari’s words in silence. She sensed her sisters doing the same. Ini-herit had discussed some of this in a more general way while they were all on the human plane. He had also explained that Grolkinei had led the resistance against the birth of her and her sisters, in turn leading to the circumstances of Amber being transitioned unescorted to the human plane and then a childhood filled with disrupted placements in foster care. Olivia and Skye, on the other hand, had been escorted to the human plane as planned by Corgloresti, who then identified appropriate human caregivers for each of them.

  “So, Grolkinei wants to kills us?” Skye ventured hesitantly.

  Jabari sighed. “We do not know. He certainly gave every indication of being opposed to your presence on this plane when you were born. He led other Estilorians within all of the classes to question the nature of your births. He suggested to some that you should be contained and experimented upon. He made this idea more palatable to non-Mercesti by stating that it would be to ensure you were not a danger to us.”

  Amber frowned. “But why would he be so opposed to us being here? I thought he wanted to be among humans.”

  “No. He wants to be on the human plane,” Olivia clarified thoughtfully.

  “We can transition between the planes,” Skye observed.

  “And his commanders weren’t trying to kill us,” Amber added. “They were trying to capture us.”

  Olivia nodded, remembering. “At least one of us, they said.”

  She couldn’t determine from Jabari’s unreadable expression whether this was something he and the other elders had considered. She had to believe that Gabriel would have discussed this possibility with Amber if they had. Now that it had been voiced, however, it made a lot of sense. Grolkinei surely knew that as half-humans, particularly children of a Corgloresti, they would be able to transition between the planes. The fact that they had come over from the human plane a couple of months before proved it. Of course, they hadn’t actually tried to go back to the human plane yet, but Olivia believed with everything inside her that she could do it. Now that she had experienced coming over, she could repeat it.

  At last, Jabari spoke. “We have not been able to determine Grolkinei’s true motives toward you. He could be seeking to capture you, as you mentioned. Perhaps he believes you will serve as some kind of conduit to return him to the human plane. Such a belief is entirely absurd, however. It shows how little understanding he has of the planes and what it entails to transition between them.”

  “It takes a Corgloresti and a Gloresti pairing,” Olivia stated. She remembered Aurora telling her when she transitioned into her Estilorian form that James had been the one to guide them back to the plane. His influence had been absolutely essential to her making the passage, she knew.

  “It does,” Jabari agreed. “And because Grolkinei is neither of those, he will never again traverse the planes. Although he surely knows this after his centuries of trying to find a way across, I believe that he refuses to accept it.”

  And here, a troubled expression crossed his features. Olivia’s heart filled with dread.

  “Let us have it,” Amber said resignedly. All of them knew it took a great deal to cause Jabari any distress.

  “I have given this much consideration,” he began, catching each of their gazes. “I have not even discussed this as a theory with the other elders yet. In truth, I find it so atrocious that I have not wanted to give it credence.”

  Olivia found herself reaching out to either side and grasping her sisters’ hands. They each responded with firm grips.

  Jabari took a bracing breath. Then he said, “I have begun to believe that Grolkinei will soon fully understand that he can never return to the human plane, regardless of any of his efforts. But he is so focused on reestablishing a connection with the human plane that, well…”

  Skye was leaning forward as she waited to hear what he was trying to say. When he trailed off, she gripped Olivia’s hand even tighter and demanded, “Please tell us already! What do you think he wants?”

  Nodding, he said, “When all else fails for Grolkinei, I suspect that he will ultimately attempt to impregnate one or all of you with his child and raise that child on his own in an effort to establish a direct blood connection with the human plane.”

  The wave of undiluted horror that washed through Olivia made her light-headed. When the doorway to the kitchen suddenly filled with Gabriel, James and Caleb, all of their eyes flashing a brilliant dark blue, she figured her sisters had each experienced similar reactions.

  Gabriel looked from Amber to Jabari and his eyes went wide with shock. Then, just as swiftly, they narrowed. Olivia didn’t think she had ever seen him look more dangerous.

  “James, Caleb,” he said in a cold and lethal tone, “we need to talk.”

  Chapter Nine

  That night, as everyone else slept, James sat in the same chair he had taken possession of nearly six hours before. His own bed hadn’t been touched. The moon was already settling lower in the sky, telling him that it was nearing dawn. It didn’t matter. He didn’t think he could sleep if someone cast their power on him.

  The foul thought that archigos Gabriel had conveyed to him and Caleb earlier that day completely pervaded his mind. It was all too possible, this terrible act that Jabari had hypothesized. In fact, it was frighteningly logical, which was what had James awake and obsessing right now. If the Elphresti leader was right, then the sisters had escaped a fate far worse than death when they managed to evade Grolkinei’s commanders after the Becoming ceremony.

  That thought completely infuriated him. It was an emotion he hadn’t ever experienced before.

  Right in the middle of their Euchre game, without any Orculesti present to interpret perceived thoughts, he had felt Olivia’s intense emotions: fear, outrage, disgust, horror. He had lifted from his chair, completely forgetting about the game, thinking of nothing but getting to her. Out of the corner of his eye, he realized that his leader and Caleb had both done the same. They moved swiftly as a unit to the doorway leading to the family room. He had instinctively allowed Gabriel to take the lead, but it had been a remarkable challenge to fight the urge to push past everyone and everything in an effort to get to Olivia at that moment. He had felt the vibrations in Caleb’s arm indicating the same level of restraint.

  When Gabriel’s demeanor had only grown more intense after he had paused in the doorway and looked at Amber and Jabari, James had nearly lost all of his control. He had wanted nothing more than to rush to Olivia’s side. Caleb’s tension also seemed to escalate as their leader’s fury washed over them. But when Gabriel announced firmly that he would speak with them, they had backed off, trusting he would tell them what was going on.

  Of course, when James and Caleb had listened to Gabriel r
eiterate what Jabari had said to the sisters, they had been anything but calm.

  “Is he suggesting that Grolkinei would force himself upon them?” James had asked, all but choking on the words as Olivia’s sweet and innocent face filled his mind.

  And when Gabriel had answered him in the affirmative, Caleb’s heated response had been beyond repeating in polite company. For some reason, however, their violent reactions— rather incongruent to Gloresti teachings about coolness in the face of peril—had actually calmed their leader. Rather than censure them, he had smiled. A very fierce smile.

  “It’s at this moment that I see why I selected each of you,” he said, holding their gazes as he spoke. “I will admit to only the two of you that there are some things about my existence on this plane before I transitioned that I don’t recall clearly. But I can say without humility that I made the right choices with each of you. Whether you fully understand it or not, you are now bound to the sisters you protect by more than just a typical Gloresti’s bond. And based on what we’ve just learned, they’ll need that extra connection to keep from falling victim to unimaginable harm. While they’re definitely powerful in their own rights, any of them would be vulnerable alone right now. We must all remain very focused on their protection.” And here, he had paused. When he grinned this time, James realized it was self-deprecating. “But we can’t let any of them know we’re doing it, or they’ll try and kick our asses.”

  Now, as his gaze settled on the bed in front of him, James considered Olivia’s peaceful expression as she slept. He believed Gabriel was correct. All of the sisters had a certain amount of pride. Treating them as though they were incapable of protecting themselves would surely not sit well with them, even if it happened to be true for now.