But she was here now.
"He must tell me about his travels and his discoveries," she said. "I want to know everything."
"He will," Annani assured her. "You don't need to rush. You have all the time in the world to catch up on all that you've missed and to start making new memories."
Areana nodded, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill.
She couldn't cry now. There was a party waiting for her.
She straightened her spine and turned toward the glass doors that led outside. Through them, she could see the village spreading out before her, looking pastoral and peaceful, with manicured greenery and Mediterranean-style architecture.
It looked like something out of a fairy tale. A sanctuary hidden in plain sight.
They stepped out through the glass doors, and Areana got her first unobstructed view of the village square and a big lawn that had been transformed into a celebration.
Banners in bright colors stretched between trees, fluttering in the gentle breeze. Balloons in clusters of gold and silver bobbed at intervals around the perimeter. Long tables covered in white cloths held an assortment of wines, or maybe champagne, and there was a long buffet at one side, with covered dishes kept warm, and cold appetizers on large platters, with small windmills next to each one. To keep the insects away, she realized. A stage had been set up at another end, and music drifted across the lawn from loudspeakers that were mounted on the trees.
People milled about, laughing, talking, eating, drinking.
This was what her sister had built. A thriving community.
Areana's throat tightened.
"There you are!" a familiar voice called out, and Areana turned to see a group of women separating from the crowd and rushing toward her.
Tamira reached her first, throwing her arms around Areana with a fierce embrace. "We've missed you so much."
"And I’ve missed you." Areana clung to Tamira as if she hadn't seen her in years.
Then Sarah was there, and Raviki, and Beulah, and Liliat, and Rolenna—all of them pressing close, all of them reaching out to touch her, to hold her.
Tears spilled down Areana's cheeks, and she didn't try to stop them this time. Around her, her friends were crying too, but not because they were sad. These were tears of joy, of relief, of overwhelming emotion that couldn't be contained.
"I can't believe we're all here," Sarah said, her voice wobbling. "All of us together and free."
"It doesn't feel real," Liliat agreed, her accent thickened by emotion. "I keep expecting to wake up and find myself back in the harem."
"It's real," Raviki said with a smile. She was wearing a stunning red dress and low-heeled mules. "We're free."
"That chapter of our lives is finally over," Beulah said. "For good."
Areana looked at her friends, her sisters in all but blood, the women who had shared her captivity and now shared her freedom, and she felt her heart swell with love and appreciation for them.
"I'm so proud of you," she said. "You've been so brave, so strong. And now look at you." She gestured at their beautiful dresses, their styled hair, their faces free of the guarded expressions they'd worn for so long. "You look radiant."
"So do you," Tamira said softly. "But you also look a little tired. Are you sleeping?"
Leave it to Tamira to notice.
"Not as well as I'd like," Areana admitted. "I've been spending most of my time with Navuh, and watching him struggle with his immobility is difficult."
The mood shifted, the joy tempered by the reality of Areana's situation. While they had been liberated, Areana remained bound, not by chains or walls, but by love.
"How is he doing?" Sarah asked.
"Healing slowly." Areana didn't want to discuss Navuh's condition while surrounded by people who had no reason to wish him well. "The doctor says he'll make a full recovery eventually."
"And then what?" Raviki's voice was sharp. "What happens when he can walk again?"
