would surely get used to the potency of that smile one of these days.
“Guess it’s time to get up and moving, huh?”
He nodded once without expression. “I’ll wait for you in my room. Gabriel will be dropping in shortly to discuss the day’s activities with me.”
She waved him off as she slid off the side of the bed and headed toward her bathroom. He watched the sway of her hips with unbidden fascination. “Yeah, yeah. I know the drill. Go and plot your devious workout routines and weapons training that Amber and I will suffer through today.” When she reached the bathroom and turned, one hand on the door, she said, “Try not to get too much enjoyment out of it.”
He froze for a moment, thinking she had caught him staring. Then he realized she was teasing him about planning her daily activities. Nodding abruptly, he turned and walked back to his room. Her vibrant laughter floated after him. And as he acknowledged to himself every time he heard it, the joyful sound made him want to smile.
This time, since no one was there to see him, he did.
He wasn’t smiling two hours later.
Estilorian Central was, in fact, the primary location that most Estilorians considered home. It was heavily protected by the powers of the class elders, preventing the Mercesti from identifying its location. As that location was in the air hovering over the middle of the vast ocean in what humans called the Bermuda Triangle, finding it would be quite the feat even without those protections in place.
The base of the airborne Estilorian stronghold, which also served as the Elphresti class’s homeland, was the largest habitable area comprising the base. While each of the other non-Mercesti classes had their individual homelands spiraling up into the air over the ocean from this hub, those were all much smaller in size. The design of the stronghold had been intended to have a central area where all classes could gather as wanted and warranted. Over the centuries, however, the classes had grown more isolated, rarely congregating in the larger, more public center of their stronghold.
The arrival of Saraqael’s daughters a little less than six months ago had changed all that.
Caleb had noticed almost immediately how more members of all of the classes were suddenly making appearances at the base. The Lekwuesti elder, Sebastian, had established their adjoining rooms here so as not to show favoritism or impose upon any certain class. It was also in the plans to bring the sisters to each of the different homelands as soon as Olivia and James returned from their honeymoon. But until then, curiosity seekers abounded.
As they did nearly every morning, the girls were training in the base’s main courtyard. Their daily training ranged to include such things as physical conditioning, flight training, weapons training, and spiritual and mental awareness and focus. Because the sisters were potential targets by both Mercesti and even some non-Mercesti Estilorians due to their unprecedented parentage, the elders had implemented this training regimen months ago in hopes the girls would ultimately be able to protect themselves as needed. Of course, as the incident with Olivia had shown them, all it took was one moment of inattention or deception to put the sisters at risk.
Caleb approached the training sessions very seriously. He was quietly pleased that Skye did, as well. Of the three sisters, she had the most difficulty focusing. But he had never seen her treat her training lightly.
However, it had grown notably difficult for any of them to focus with the growing crowds.
“Gosh,” Skye said, looking up with wide eyes from her position on the ground where she was completing her stretches before beginning the day’s exercise routines. “What’s the deal?”
He followed her gaze from his position standing beside her. There were so many Estilorians gathered around the courtyard that the outer edges were no longer visible. A few of them,