That enthusiastic voice belonged to a beautiful girl with long dark hair. She was dressed impeccably in a knee-length black dress and heels. Her clothes looked designer, the boat neckline showing off her slender shoulders.
“Come with me. I’ll find you something to wear. I’ve been collecting clothes for the secret keepers,” she added, holding her hand out to me.
“Uh.” I hesitated, my eyes moving to Xander’s even as my brain screamed at me not to rely on him for anything.
“This is Star,” he said, his smile lighting the dark planes of his face. “Lexen’s sister. She’s in charge of our fashion.”
Star slapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, gosh, I am so sorry. I’ve heard so much about you through the network, I feel like I already know you.”
I had to chuckle. Star had a way about her that put me right at ease immediately, a skill I wish I possessed. “It’s lovely to meet you. I’m Ava.”
Star nodded, her eyes sparkling as she ran them from the top of my head to my toes. “You’re much taller than I expected,” she mused, not really talking to anyone. “Slim and toned. You probably prefer lighter outfits that are easy to ditch in the water.”
“I do,” I said with another chuckle, interrupting her.
“What size are your shoes?” she asked.
My lips twitched, but this time I managed not to laugh out loud. “I’m usually a nine. Sometimes nine and a half, depending on brand.”
She reached for my hand again, but Xander intercepted her, sidling his body between us. “Roland has some news. Avalon can’t leave until she hears it.”
Star nodded a few times, that pondering look back on her face. “Yep. Yep, no worries. I will grab the clothes and be right back.”
She was gone as fast as she appeared. “She’s got a … lot of energy,” I said, blinking at the spot she’d just occupied.
Xander made a noise of agreement. “Yep, Star has a heart that is pure. A rare find in any world. Since Marsil, all of the Darkens have been grieving. It’s good to see a fraction of her spark return.”
The thought of that beautiful, sweet, kind woman grieving made my chest ache. Some people should never have to face the darkness in the world; they were too gentle for it. Lexen, he was more resilient. I expected he did his grieving in private, maybe with Emma. Star wore her emotions out there for all to see.
I hadn’t noticed until we moved further in the room, but there was more than just one stranger standing at the far end of the long table. The first one I saw was a man who looked a lot like Lexen, right down to the dark hair and overlord marks on his head. I was going to guess this was his father. He wore authority like it was part of his outfit.
As we got closer, I examined the two other people at the table, a man and woman, quietly staring down at the wood. Emma and Maya looked confused, standing a little to the side while Lexen and Chase spoke to Roland.
“What’s happening?” I whispered to Emma when I reached her side.
She turned to me, shrugging as she said, “I have no idea. I’m just waiting for Lexen to fill me in.”
As if he’d heard her, he turned and addressed all of us. “I’d like you all to meet Shirley and Jet.”
Shirley was a curvy woman, looking not much older than us. She had long red ringlets, large green eyes, and a fair complexion. She smiled and waved, some animation coming back into her face. Jet was tall, with blinding white teeth that stood out starkly against his dark skin. He didn’t wave, but he gave us a smile that was somewhat friendly.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Maya said, reaching out to shake both of their hands. She was so confident. I was a little envious; social interaction didn’t come as easily to me. I was surprised to find Emma acting standoffish as well though. She was usually so friendly.
“She is comfortable with the secret keepers. Considers you all family. But strangers, not so much,” Xander whispered in my ear.
I didn’t question how he knew what I was thinking. I often couldn’t hide my emotions. And I’d been staring right at Emma as she shied back toward Lexen.
“Jet and Shirley are former secret keepers,” Roland said, his deep, accented voice vibrating around the room. “We managed to track them down, hoping they might be able to give us some additional information.”
I paid closer attention to them now. All of us did. Emma especially, leaving the background, stepping right up to take a seat across from them. She leaned forward, eyes wide.
“You both look so young,” she exclaimed. “But you’re almost a hundred years old?”
Jet nodded, a wry grin tilting up his lips. “I aged normally to twenty, but from then on I have barely changed,” he said, his voice a rich timbre.
Unbelievable. I mean, they’d told me about the aging thing—very briefly—but being confronted with it like this … it was a lot to take in. Life could be really hard at times. I wasn’t sure I was ready for hundreds of years of that. Maybe if I found that home I was searching for though, it wouldn’t seem so bad.
“Which house were you born in?” Maya asked, taking the seat next to Emma.
