"She has a temper." Drova chuckled. "I like her."
"You've known her for an hour."
"Long enough to recognize someone who doesn't tolerate bullshit." Drova's grin revealed her small fangs. "Also long enough to notice how you look at her. You've got it bad."
It was disconcerting to hear the alien-looking girl using American teenagers' slang and noticing things she had no business noticing. He'd been given the impression that the Kra-ell didn't believe in love and practiced some strange and violent mating rituals that were meant mainly for procreation, but also for establishing the pecking order in a tribe. It was a little barbaric, or maybe a lot, but it was a simple system. What could Drova possibly know about the complicated tangle of human romantic emotions, which immortals and gods were also afflicted with?
"Tula is the sister of a very good friend. I promised Wonder that I would look after her little sister. I'm just fulfilling a promise."
To his great surprise, she nodded solemnly. "Vows should be taken seriously. The Mother of All Life punishes oath breakers."
Drova had just given him a great opportunity to change the subject. He didn't know much about the Kra-ell deity, and he could keep asking questions until they dropped the group off at the barracks, preventing her from making any more comments about his attraction to Tula.
He was about to do that when someone tapped him on his back. He turned to see one of the ladies, Sarah was her name, he believed.
"Liliat and I were wondering about your part in the rescue. You are not a Guardian, correct?"
"That's correct," he said. "I'm a civilian."
Liliat tilted her head. "So, why were you part of the mission?"
The answer he'd given Drova would work well enough. "Tula is the sister of my friend, Wonder, and I promised her that I would look after her little sister."
"Isn't Anandur Wonder's mate?" her friend asked.
Damn. When had they had time to interrogate Anandur?
"He is, but he's in charge of all of you. I'm supposed to look specifically after Tula and make sure she has everything she needs."
That sounded good, and it would hopefully also explain the staring and all his other odd behaviors around her.
"Do you have a mate?" Sarah asked.
"I do not."
The smile that bloomed on her face was predatory. "Well, then. Tell us what you do in the village."
"I'm a carver and sculptor. I make figurines."
"Oh, that sounds fascinating." Sarah moved closer, her hand briefly touching his arm. "An artist. I would love to see your work and later discuss it over dinner."
The invitation was clear, but he wasn't sure whether she was inviting him to dinner in whatever house she would end up living in or inviting herself to his.
In either case, Esag was not interested.
Despite their somewhat disheveled appearance, Sarah and Liliat were stunning females, even by immortal standards. They would have no shortage of male attention when they got to the village, but neither of them could hold a candle to Tula.
They didn't have her fire, her strength, or the soft vulnerability he'd glimpsed in his visions that she hid from everyone else.
"I'll be more than happy to show you my collection and even carve your figurine."
"What about me?" Liliat asked. "Will you carve one of me as well?"
"Of course. I will carve figurines of all of you." He forced a smile. "The shelves in my workshop contain an entire society that's lost to us. I need to move on to carving those who live."
The ladies lost their smiles for a moment, but then Liliat found it again. "We will hold you to that."
Great. He would have to ask Roven and Davuh to be there when Sarah and Liliat visited so he could deflect the ladies' interest to his friends.
