Cassie pulled him forward, and he followed her toward the brighter lights and music of Indras. They walked under an archway made of shimmering cutouts. Bits of stellite and scrap metal formed into a halo above entering festivalgoers. Two urtazi spawn hopped excitedly as Cassie and Örim entered.
Little Grora was handing out circlets made of metal and shining pebbles. She produced a happy rumble in her throat and handed Cassie a smaller metal hoop decorated like the awning overhead.
“I saved my prettiest one for you,” Grora said shyly. “It’s got glass like your eyes. You could be the Moon Prima.”
“Thank you.” Cassie blushed at the compliment and bent her head to allow Grora to place the circlet. She wrapped her fingers around some of the dangling baubles, feeling warmth spread through her chest from Grora’s words. She’d saved this one for her. The urtazi spawn hopped away to welcome the next guests, and Cassie turned to Örim, who had placed a hand on his chin node in amusement.
“How does it look?” she asked, adjusting the circlet to fit more securely.
“It makes your eyes shine brighter.”
“Oh.” Heat filled her face. “Is that a good thing?”
“I’d love to see your eyes shine like that in the dark.”
The heat spread down her neck and over her whole body, leaving her tingling.
Rather than respond with something incoherent, she pulled Örim deeper into the festival grounds. Her ears followed folk music, so different than the polished waltzes, autopianos, and holoharps she was used to hearing. People were laughing. Younglings played games for prizes and chased each other between the stalls selling merchandise and food. There were more smells than she knew how to categorize. Something new.She wanted to try something new and interesting. All the meals in the Aviary were bland and uninteresting.
Thinking about food, her stomach gurgled loudly, and she realized she hadn’t eaten anything since that morning. Örim must have heard because he was beside her, rubbing his wrist nodes with concern.
“We should get you food. You skipped your afternoon meal.”
Before Cassie had a chance to respond, Wreeta came fluttering toward her with a few giradey she didn’t recognize. “Cassie! Look at you and your pretty feathers.” Wreeta fluffed the skirt of her dress. “I still owe you that sweet. We’re on our way to get some tetriaz. Come with us!” Wreeta grabbed her hand and pulled Cassie forward out of Örim’s grasp. She mouthed an apology in his direction as her friend brought her over to a nearby vendor and bought her a cup piled high with bright berries coated with sugary syrup.
“Try it! Try it!” Wreeta’s wings fluttered as her own mouth was full of berries. Cassie took a bite and smiled. It was teeth-achingly sweet, but she would eat it anyway.
“It’s great. Thank you!” And for the first time, she was able to choose her own level of enthusiasm. She finished the berries, trying hard to avoid dripping juice and syrup on her dress.
“No, thank you.” Wreeta twittered. “I will forever cherish the memory of S’samph getting pelted with a null pod. Come find me in the dancing circle later. Your mate looks like he wants to eat me.”
Cassie glanced back toward where she’d left Örim to find him standing still in the same place, waiting quietly as the brightness of the festival moved around him. She hurried back to his side.Thanks for waiting. Can we go to the dancing circle? I want to listen to the music.Örim acknowledged her with a tap of his elbow nodes.
“Anything you want, Cassie. We’re here for you.”
Before she could think. Before she could reconsider, Cassie stood on her toes to catch his face in her hands. She pressed her lips against his mouth. He didn’t have lips exactly, but she felt him still under her gesture. Cassie pulled herself back, worried she’d made another mistake. Maybe it was rude. She didn’t know anything about teösians aside from what Örim had told her, which wasn’t much. But he caught her hand in his before she could run.
Was that wrong?she asked.
“Not wrong.” He was silent for a long moment. “We don’t, teösians don’t do that. I’m not sure how, but it activated my mating node.”
What do you mean?
“I can’t kiss you. I don’t have lips.” His fingers brushed over his mouth. “But later, if you let me,” he pulled her closer until she was flush against him, “we can try some other things. I’ve been doing research on physical compatibility.”
Cassie shivered, partially with anticipation, partially with another sensation she couldn’t name. It was related to wanting. But she had no word for it in her experience. It was something deeper, richer, a feeling that left her aching between her thighs. “I want you to show me,” she said.
“Think about it. You can always change your mind.” Örim took a step back from her. “Should we go to the dancing circle?”
Cassie clapped her hands together once with excitement and followed the music to the center of Indras. Örim’s footsteps were steady behind her as she went through the crowd. She felt safe knowing he wouldn’t lose her. His hand found hers through the crowd, his grip firm but not painful. She could feel the heat of his gaze behind her. Cassie knew his wanting went deeper. There was an edge to it. She’d seen it before. But from him, it didn’t bother her. The wanting that bordered on obsession. He’d never crossed her lines. He always asked. Örim always asked.
They reached the center of the circle where several of the giradey had taken command of the dance floor. Even Ailairi was swaying in time to the beat. Delighted, Cassie watched the musicians and the dancers. She noticed Eleri in her purple dress and a female latil’e dancing together. S’samph and K’kaen stood on the sidelines, both with their tails swishing. Several of the younglings formed a circle off to the side and were taking turns jumping up and down and shrieking as they landed.
“Come dance with us, Cassie!” Wreeta spotted her from a cluster of giradey. She offered a feathered arm to her. Holding her hands up in protest, Cassie shook her head.
“I don’t know how to dance.”
“No one knows how to dance, silly. It’s not about knowing, it’s about feeling. Feel the music, move your feathers.” Wreeta tugged her forward. Cassie glanced back at Örim. She could tell he was waiting, waiting to see what she wanted. The tide of dancers pulled her in, and she moved. She couldn’t match Wreeta’s graceful fluttering or the high jumping style of the urtazi, but the music found its way into her body, flowing through her hips. She spun and laughed, and her skirt whirled up around her knees.
