Arezoo gave her a skeptical look. "How? Do you even know how to cook?"
"I'm not planning on cooking personally. Do you think I'm insane?" Amanda waved her hand as if swatting away the very idea of domestic labor. "The Odus will handle everything. There are five of them in the village right now, and they can prepare enough food for an army in a matter of hours. Believe me, the food at your cocktail reception will be better than anything a caterer could produce. Odus don't get tired, they don't cut corners, and they never mess up a recipe."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ruvon asked.
"I have a storage unit full of decorations from previous events," Amanda said. "I will need help putting them up, and we will be short on Guardians, so if you can organize your friends to help, that would be great." Seeing the worried look on Arezoo's face, she quickly added, "I'm not going to touch any of the wedding decorations. Those stay packed for the ceremony in two weeks. But I have more than enough for a cocktail party on the village green. String lights, lanterns, table settings, flowers, and so on. I've been collecting this stuff for a long time. Trust me, it will look stunning."
9
ANNANI
Mia looked adorable in medical scrubs.
That was not the most strategically relevant observation Annani could have made as they drove through the evening traffic toward the keep, but it was true nonetheless. The pale blue fabric hung loosely on Mia's small frame, and the white Crocs on her feet made her look like a child playing dress-up in her mother's work clothes. Her dark hair was pulled back in a short ponytail, and she had even hung a lanyard with a fake identification badge around her neck.
Annani wondered if that was her idea or Bridget's.
Probably hers.
The poor girl had a lot of experience with hospital staff. She had spent years in rehabilitation after both her legs had been amputated and had had enough interactions with doctors, nurses, and therapists to emulate them perfectly.
"I never knew that scrubs and Crocs could look so charming," Toven said, echoing Annani's observation. "I am tempted to try a new Perfect Match adventure with you, but I can't decide if Iwant to be your patient or a fellow medical provider who seduces you in the employee lounge."
Mia blushed and rolled her eyes at her mate's lack of social decorum.
"Too much information, Toven," Anandur said from the front of the SUV. "As the oldest being on this planet, you should know what things should and should not be shared with company."
"As the oldest being on this planet, I don't give a damn," Toven deadpanned. "I'll compliment my mate anywhere and anytime."
"Good point," Anandur said. "Very old humans are like that, too. They say whatever is on their mind."
"Toven is not like that," Mia defended her mate. "He would never say anything offensive unless it was rightfully earned."
"That's right." Toven wrapped his arm around Mia's slim shoulders. "You look adorable and sexy in equal measures, my love."
Annani had to agree.
Mia was almost as small as Annani, and Toven was as tall as her Khiann, and the resemblance struck her with an unexpected feeling of solidarity. The fierce spirit housed in a diminutive body, and the protective towering male beside the petite female, trying very hard not to appear overbearing. It did not matter that Annani had never needed Khiann to protect her. It had been nice to be cared for with such dedication and intensity.
Anandur didn't respond, but his massive shoulders twitched suspiciously as if he was trying very hard not to laugh. Beside him, Brundar sat in his usual perfect stillness.
"I have been thinking about how this will work," Annani said, turning to Mia. "Are you sure that we do not need to touch for you to enhance my power?"
Mia nodded. "I'm like a battery or a charger that doesn't need wires to enhance paranormal talents."
"You are more like a Wi-Fi booster," Anandur offered from the driver's seat.
"That's a good analogy," Kian said.
Anandur grinned at him through the rearview mirror. "I know, right?"
Toven shifted in his seat. "I've found that Mia's enhancement is strongest when we're in physical contact. But that might be our mate bond amplifying the effect. I have no way to separate the two variables."
That was an interesting question. Did the mate bond add to the combined power, or was physical proximity the sole factor? If it were the bond, then Annani might receive a lesser boost than Toven did. But if it was proximity alone, then holding Mia's hand should suffice. It was also possible that her being close by would be enough.
There was no way to ascertain the effect until it was tried and tested.
"Have you attempted to enter Navuh's mind on your own?" Mia asked.
