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Her eyebrows knit together. “You have to mate to have children?”
“The odds of us having children outside of a mated coupling are astronomically small. It’s only happened a handful of times in the last several centuries.” He motioned toward the township with a tilt of his head. “Come on, let me show you the stream.”
Instead of offering her his hand, he simply pressed his palm into the small of her back. The soft touch, light as a feather, whispered of the unspoken intimacy they’d shared only moments ago.
With no need for cars, the township’s main ‘road’ was paved, but largely used for walking and community affairs. Strolling leisurely along, warm smiles at his appearance turned quizzical when his clansmen noted the unfamiliar woman at his side. Wisely, none of them stared too long.
At four-hundred-clansmen-strong, the housing district covered a sizable portion of real estate amid the Utah desert. Each home sat upon a large portion of land, but the architectural styles were as distinctive as its inhabitants. Two thirds of his clan were mated, all of them to other Raeths,exceptfor Circe.
She’d had the audacity to mate a vampire.
The nerve of it.
An affectionate rumble sounded in his chest, Rukia glancing over at him. “What’s tickled your funny bone?”
“My people are wondering why you’re here.”
It was the truth. Several had contacted him telepathically to inquire about his companion of the day, and he’d merely stated she was a visiting dignitary. Thankfully, it’d seemed to abate their concerns—whatever those concerns might have been.
“Do they know about Gideon?” A tremor in her voice, even though she was trying the best to hide it.
“No, Rukia.” Isaiah assuaged her fears. “That is no one’s business but your own. I’ve already shared there was an attack against an immortal by theCitizens, but withheld the details of who and why.”
A beat of silence lulled between them while they continued to walk the paved road. Rukia shivered beside him despite the dry heat.
“Tyee was the one who originally found me some three hundred years ago. My parents were dead, my siblings far too involved in their own lives, and I was desperate for companionship. We traveled back to America and he introduced me to Gideon and Jeremiah. We’ve been together ever since.”
“And what of Paracel?”
The sad smile that lined her lips was a ghost of a memory. “Gideon and Tyee founded it; Jeremiah and I were merely along for the ride. Gideon had a knack for inspiration, for teaching. Far better than me.” A soft sound of delight rumbled from her throat, and the sound was almost magical amid the brilliant mid-day sunshine. “I’m much more of a learn-the-hard-way type mentor.”
“I can only imagine,” was his mocking reply, though it contained no hint of antagonism.
By now, they’d strolled far enough that they’d reached Jaeda’s home on the outskirts of town. The Raeth healer, always intuitive, had taken up sun-bathing on the chaise lounge on her covered terrace.
When she saw them, Jaeda wrapped a loose-fitting robe around her bikini-clad frame and immediately set out to intercept them. Coming to a halt several feet from where their path had taken them, the female Raeth smiled affectionately at Rukia.
“For once, the rumors are true.”
“Jaeda, Rukia; Rukia, Jaeda,” Isaiah introduced banally, but his eyes were on his healer. The mischievous glint in her eye was far too suspicious.
“Lovely meeting you, Rukia.” A spellbound look graced her features. “Will you be staying long?”
“I’m certain I’ll wear out my welcome soon enough.”
He merely raised an eyebrow and turned his attention back to Jaeda expectantly. “What do you need from me?”
She had the audacity to feign insult. “I merely wanted to know what Jacob had called you for.”
“Nothing, truth be told,” Isaiah replied. “Just his intent to ask a favor of me in the future and a warning about Jaden.”
“Dubious, indeed.” Jaeda’s lips twisted in an impish grin. “Well, I won’t interrupt your stroll any longer. Sovereign.”
With a subtle bow of her head, she returned to her terrace as they departed, venturing into the wilds of the barren Utah landscape. Spotted with yucca, cholla, and the odd sego lily, the dry ground was a leafless carpet of red dirt and shifting rock.
Dust kicked up as the pair braved further into the wilderness, a billowy trail of sand kicking up in the air behind them. Rukia proved a sprightly hiker, surefooted and exceptionally light on her feet. Isaiah, having ruled over the environment for five centuries, was well accustomed to the terrain.
An inquisitive sound came from Rukia’s throat. “Do you plan on murdering me and burying my body in the desert, Raeth?”
