She felt oddly ordinary as she glanced around at everyone. It seemed as though they all knew their place, and knew the rules that went along with it. While everyone sat together at the table, it still seemed as though they were sectioned into groups. Where she sat at the head of the table, there were three older men, including her father, and four of the younger people, including herself, the red haired girl, the classically beautiful girl, and Liam. If she looked at physical comparisons alone, she could assume that the older man with the white hair and strikingly blue eyes was Liam’s father, the man with the rich brown hair and elegant poise was the father of the dark haired girl, and then there was her own father, Clynn. Where the redhead’s father or mother was, Capri couldn’t be sure.
Further down the table where the two young men sat, were two tough looking older men that she assumed to be their fathers. The older man sitting beside the dark haired young man had equally dark features and seemed reserved, but polite. He had an oddly harsh and sour looking face, despite his pleasantly blank expression.
The other older man seemed charismatic and boisterous, if not a bit domineering. He was talking animatedly about something, his hands waving around in avid gestures. He had a full dark blonde beard just going gray to go with his hair, and his face was scarred in places, from what she didn’t know, but it was handsome nonetheless. He had a bark of a laugh and the same intelligent blue eyes as the young man she assumed was his son.
There were others down near the end of the table, though they seemed to only speak amongst themselves. Among them were three extremely beautiful women, who had fluid movements and lovely smiles. Sitting beside them were three bored looking teens.
Across the table from them sat a group of people who looked so morose that Capri felt an involuntary chill run up her spine as she looked at them. They all had dark hair, wildly curly, and they all seemed quite content to keep to themselves. Again, it was three older women and three teens, including the fourteen year old Capri had noticed earlier. He had the face of a gypsy, with wide dark eyes.
Graciously, it seemed, most of the people around her at the table seemed content to let her eat in peace, which she silently thanked them for. She figured it was either the deer in the headlights look in her eyes or her father’s doing that kept them from badgering her with questions. Either way, she was content to sit in silence and observe.
After dessert was cleared away, however, her anxiety returned. She felt her stomach tighten as she realized it was time to socialize.
Thea rose from her seat and suddenly everyone stopped speaking at once. They all turned to her with avid eyes, as though awaiting instructions.
“Let us all move into the parlor.” She announced, her arms motioning with flourish, her face beaming with a smile.
With the sounds of chairs scraping against the stone floor and idle chatter, everyone turned and left through another set of large doors that were off to the right hand side of the dining hall.
Capri stood and was about to follow them, when Clynn stopped her.
“Are you feeling alright?” He asked kindly, his eyes on hers.
Capri tried to smile. “Yup, just fine.”
She knew he could tell she was lying, but he lead her along towards the parlor anyways, his hand placed comfortingly on the small of her back.
“I’ll just take you around and introduce you, then we can go outside and get some air.”
“Oh! Before I forget.” Capri began, stopping her father before they reached the doors. “How did it change from morning to night so quickly?”
He looked amused. “Thea’s favorite times of day are early morning and night, so you’ll rarely find it any other time of day here.”
“She just changes it whenever she feels like it?”
“You’ll get used to it, trust me. You could say we are in our own little bubble here on Euphora, unaffected by the outside world.”
“Oh...so how did the food just appear out of thin air? Who cooked it all?”
He chuckled, smiling down at her. “We have a…staff that cooks and cleans for us.” He paused, his eyes twinkling. “Have you ever heard of fairies?”
Her mouth fell open as she gawked at him. “You’re kidding? But, if there are fairies here, why haven’t I seen them?”
“They are invisible to those who don’t believe in them, Capri.” His eyes clouded with sadness as he continued. “You used to be able to see them...”
Her heart broke a little at the look on his face, and at the news that there was yet another thing she had lost. She sighed, knowing there was little to be done about it now.
“Let’s go, darling. They are waiting for you.”
With that, he led her into the parlor, and into the throngs of people who had been waiting fifteen long years to see her again.
♦ ♦ ♦
CHAPTER THREE
The parlor was nearly as large as the dining room, with high ceilings and dozens of windows. It was filled with plush furniture, all done in rich earth tones, and there were plants and flowers gracing nearly every inch of the room that wasn’t covered with furniture. The ceiling was coffered with gold and white accents, and in the middle was the largest crystal chandelier Capri had ever seen. The only difference was that this chandelier appeared to move, or at least the lights inside of it did. They were flitting around like fireflies, and for a moment she considered the possibility that they were fireflies…
Just like they had at the table, everyone seemed to be sitting or standing in groups, kind of like the cliques she remembered from high school. Something she also remembered was that rarely did the cliques ever intermingle…would it be the same way here?
Clynn led her over to the first group, which included the redhead and Liam.
Liam smiled warmly and gave her a light kiss on the cheek as he greeted her. “Hope you enjoyed dinner.”
“That was more of a feast, really.” Capri mused, feeling increasingly more comfortable in his presence.
“Capri, this is Rohan and his daughter Rhiannon, they are the Earth Dryads.” Clynn introduced as Capri turned to look at the graceful dark haired girl and her father.
Rohan held out his hand politely, and Capri took it in hers. It was soft and elegant, not unlike her own father’s hands. His hair was dark brown, but feathered with pewter gray that only made him look even more handsome and distinguished.
“I am pleased to see you return home to us safely.” He said smoothly, his voice deep and confident. His eyes were the same sage green as his daughters, if not a touch darker.
“Yes, I can’t believe you’ve been living amongst humans all this time.” The girl named Rhiannon commented, shaking Capri’s hand as well. Her beauty was striking, from her smooth ivory skin to her slender, graceful femininity. “It must have been awful.”
“Um…well, it wasn’t all bad.” Capri replied, flushing with heated pride. She didn’t like the way this girl spoke, like she was superior in every way possible to everyone in the room. Classically beautiful, maybe, but Rhiannon sure had that perfect nose of hers held high in the air.
“Rhiannon, you’re such a brat.” The red haired girl said loudly, shoving Rhiannon out of the way, despite being half a foot shorter. Rhiannon looked extraordinarily insulted, and Capri felt a tinge of pleasure at seeing it. The red haired girl smiled brightly, her amber eyes glittering deviously. “I love hanging out with humans, they know how to have more fun than all these boring people.” She rolled her eyes dramatically as she laughed. “I’m Blythe, by the way. Fire Dryad.”
“Oh!” Capri’s eyes widened as she shook Blythe’s hand. “I should’ve guessed, the red hair and all.”
Blythe laughed again, and Capri blushed.
“Honestly, the hair thing is a fluke. Though I guess it’s fitting, huh?” Blythe smiled warmly and winked, brushing at a curly strand of wine colored hair that had fallen in front of her foxy triangular face that sported a light dusting of freckles. It was a face that was more given to sharp angles than soft curves, which only served to heighten her charm. “So Liam found you! I always knew he’d amount to something.”
“Oh, shut up.” Liam said, playfully pulling her into a headlock with his arm. “Someone’s gotta be the role model around here.”
“Dream on, buddy.” Blythe elbowed him in the gut and wrestled her way out of his strangle-hold. It was obvious to Capri that they were not only close friends, but as close to being brother and sister as two people can get without being related. She felt a hot rush of envy come over her just thinking about it.
Clynn cleared his throat, looking amused. “Anyway, this is Liam’s father, Lucian.”
The man with the long white hair nodded at her, his smile quick and infectious just like his son’s. His blue eyes were bright and humorous, set in a long face that was youthful despite his age. “Welcome home, dear. You’ll have to excuse the children; I don’t know why we keep them around.”
“Hey!” Liam called out as he and Blythe stopped wrestling each other. “You love us, don’t lie.”
Lucian sighed heavily, but his eyes twinkled with amusement. “I fear my love for you dried up long ago, son of mine.”
Liam pouted playfully. “Capri, convince your father to adopt me. Mine clearly doesn’t appreciate me.”
Capri grinned. “I want him all to myself, sorry.”
“Let me introduce you to the Furies, darling.” Clynn interjected, pulling her away.
They approached the rough and tumble looking men, who now sat together near one of the windows. The four of them stood up simultaneously when they saw Capri.
“We thought we’d never see you again, girl.” The older man with the scarred face said in a booming voice, holding out his hand and grinning. His hand was just as scarred as his bearded face, and he was powerfully built and muscular, towering over her and her father. “I’m Roarke, and this is my son Rian.”
Roarke shook Capri’s hand vigorously, and she noticed that his hand was much rougher than Rohan’s. She was curious to learn the reason why. Roarke nodded to his son, the young man with the dark blonde hair, who took her hand in his firmly. He was slightly shorter than Liam, more stockily built, and while he wasn’t as boyishly handsome as the Water Dryad, his face was compelling in a different way. It was sharper somehow, harder, as though he rarely had the occasion to laugh or even smile. His serious blue eyes bore into hers, and she had the distinct impression of being assessed. He said nothing, but merely bowed his head in acknowledgement.
He let go and shifted aside to allow the other two men to approach.
“This is Balgaire and his son Brogan.” Clynn introduced, and Capri shook their hands in turn. Balgaire was tall like Roarke, but leaner, sparer almost. He had a full head of dark hair and thick brows that arched over eerily dark eyes, with a clean shaven face tanned and lined with age. Unlike his partner, this man projected not charisma and power, but a kind of quiet and sharp intellect which led her to wonder if Balgaire was the brains behind Roarke’s brawn.
His son, in turn, was also slender, and his handshake much softer than that of his fellow Furies. When his eyes met hers, he seemed a bit nervous, as though he would have preferred quiet solitude to this impromptu party. He looked away from her the moment she let go of his hand, returning his stare resolutely to the floor.
When her father continued, Capri turned her attention away from shy Brogan. “They are Furies, basically like the Police force here on Euphora.”
So that was why he acted like a cop, Capri realized, her eyes shifting to Rian, who was still watching her closely. He basically was one.
“Clynn, we’re much more than your run of the mill human police force.” Roarke chuckled and patted Clynn heartily on the back. Capri could sense the power and pride emanating from him, and it was no wonder why he seemed to be the leader of this little group. “You see, Capri, we not only preserve the peace here on Euphora, but we also hunt down demons throughout the world and bring them to justice. Damn bastards like to wreak havoc sometimes, and it’s our job to stop them.”
“Sounds dangerous.” Capri said before she could catch herself. She caught the brief flicker of amusement in Rian’s eyes before she looked back to Roarke, who nodded in agreement.
“It is, which is why we have to be tough. Ain’t that right, son?” He patted Rian on the back, though to Rian’s credit he barely seemed to feel it.
“Yes, sir.”
“Damn straight.” Roarke beamed proudly at his son, then turned to Capri. “Rian trains every day, both physically and mentally. He’s going to be the best damn Fury we ever had on Euphora. Next to his old man, of course.”
“No one doubts that Rian will make a fine Fury.” Clynn said politely, and Capri understood that he wanted to move on to the next group. Capri could tell that Roarke enjoyed boasting about his accomplishments, and about those of his son, and that he could probably go on about the subject for hours on end.
They continued on, now heading towards a group of women and teens who sat around a lovely white grand piano. One of the women was playing, while the two other women were singing. Their voices were hauntingly lovely, and Capri had a brief image of sirens, singing their songs to ship wrecked sailors on some far away island.
Clynn waited until they finished the song, and then approached them.
“Capri, meet the Muses.”
The three women walked right up to Capri and hugged her one at a time, placing soft kisses on her cheeks. They were so lovely, and their movements so fluid, that Capri almost thought they floated on water.
They all had waist length hair, ranging from blonde to chestnut brown. When one of them spoke, it sounded like lovely, lilting music played from a harp.
“We always hoped you would find your way back to us.” The honey blonde said softly, clasping her hands together as she eyed Capri wistfully. “Thank goodness it has happened.”
“This is Serendipity, the one who lent you that dress. She is Rohan’s wife and Rhiannon’s mother.” Clynn smiled encouragingly, and Capri’s mouth fell open in surprise.
“Oh, thank you so much, it’s a lovely dress.” She said politely. She saw the resemblance now between this woman and the coolly superior Rhiannon. They were both heartbreakingly beautiful.