"That's very generous," Tamira said. "I don't know how we will be able to repay you." Her hand closed over a gold pendant at the hollow of her neck. "All we have is the little jewelry we managed to bring with us."
Esag felt so bad for them. They had nothing. Not even a comb for their hair.
"Nonsense, darlings." Amanda waved a dismissive hand. "You all deserve to feel beautiful. I've already stuffed your closets with things I ordered online. Plenty of outfits to choose from, mix and match, see what you like. But for the party? We're going shopping properly. But speaking of closets," Amanda turned to motion for Ingrid to step forward, "our interior designer and director of housing is here to show you to your new homes."
The platinum blonde was impeccably dressed as always, in tailored pants and a cashmere sweater that skimmed her figure.
"Welcome." She smiled warmly. "I'll be helping you get settled. We've prepared residences for you based on what we understood of your situations, but everything is flexible. If you're not happy, we'll make changes."
"Now, let's get you to see the village proper," Amanda said, linking her arm through Tula's and walking out the pavilion's sliding glass doors.
Esag was curious to see Tula's reaction.
The village always made an impression. Nestled in the Malibu mountains, it was steeped in greenery and looked like a modern interpretation of an Italian town.
"It's beautiful," Tula breathed.
As they began walking, Esag trailed along at the back of the group. He didn't need a tour, but he wanted to see where they were taking Tula.
What struck him immediately was the number of people out and about, far more than usual for a weekday afternoon. The café was packed, with every chair taken in the outdoor seating. Pedestrians lined the walkways, waving and smiling. Some were even clapping.
Males significantly outnumbered females, Esag noted with a cynical smile. They were definitely scoping out the new arrivals.
He wondered where Roven and Davuh were. His roommates should have jumped at this opportunity to meet immortal women who were as old as they were and even older. It was difficult for him and his friends to connect with people who hadn't seen and experienced the things they had across the millennia.
Then again, Esag wasn't sure how much the ladies had actually been exposed to while living sheltered in the harem. There was a difference between living for five thousand years and being confined to one place for the same length of time.
Wonder had spent most of that time in stasis, and in a way, so had they.
"That's the café." Wonder pointed to the self-service kiosk with its outdoor seating and crowded clientele. "I work there mostdays, but I took a day off to welcome my sister. I might take another one tomorrow so we can spend more time together." She leaned to kiss Tula's temple as if she were still the twelve-year-old girl she'd been when Wonder had last seen her.
"That's the office building," Amanda said. "And that's the clinic." She turned to look at Tula. "You should make an appointment with Bridget. She's at the keep right now to evaluate Navuh, but she'll be back soon. She's our best physician."
They continued walking, and eventually Ingrid led them away from the village center toward a quieter section.
"This is what we call Phase Two," Ingrid explained. "It's somewhat newer construction, but the style is more or less the same. Our architect is fond of Mediterranean architecture, which works well in this climate. There are quite a few vacant houses here, which gave us flexibility in arranging your accommodations."
She motioned for them to cluster next to her. "I put you all in adjacent houses. After living together for so long, you're probably starving for some privacy, but you're also used to being together, so I didn't want to scatter you across the village."
"Thank you," Beulah said. "I'm not sure we would know what to do with ourselves without each other."
"That's what I thought." Ingrid smiled. "The single ladies will room together, three in one house and two in another. Couples get their own homes. Let me show you."
She led them to the first house, a charming two-bedroom villa with a small front yard where someone had planted rose bushes.
"Tamira and Elias, this is yours."
Tamira's face lit up. "It's perfect."
They were given a few minutes to explore while Esag hung back, his tension mounting. He knew what was coming next. He had pieced it together from Ingrid's comments about couples and housing assignments.
The next house was larger, with three bedrooms. Amanda bounded up the steps ahead of everyone, throwing open the door.
"Sarah, Beulah, and Liliat. This one is yours! I put the clothes I ordered for you in all the closets, but you can switch rooms if you want. Or switch houses entirely if you want. We're flexible."
The three women followed her inside, exclaiming over the space, the furniture, and the thoughtful touches. Esag had a feeling that they were exaggerating their responses in order to please their hosts and show their gratitude. From what he'd heard from Yamanu, who had been inside the harem, the place was a palace, and the ladies lived in luxury. These homes were modest in comparison.
Two houses down, Ingrid stopped again. "Rolenna and Raviki, this is yours. I gave you a three-bedroom even though there's only two of you, in case one of the other ladies wants to switch houses."
