Winning Souls Read Online Free

head high and made a wonderful cooing sound as she stroked it. Enher smiled at the small trill of pleasure, and she moved on to the next beast, stroking it as well.
    They had an hour to spend observing the birds, and she was able to stroke all of the animals twice before they returned to the skimmer.
    The sun was setting as they took to the skies once again. Enher felt the irritated looks from the other tourists, but she couldn’t do anything about it.
    The tour guide spoke up. “Ladies and gentlemen, some folks resonate more profoundly with the beasts of Nurmegar than others. Enjoy that your tour mate brings them in close and have your own experiences.”
    They looked back at Enher, and she shrugged helplessly. With the matter out in the open, they headed for their final stop, the glowing night birds of Arenil and their dinner.
    Instead of being off to one side, the group gathered around Enher and Ulises while they had dinner, and one by one, the night birds came into the circle for a visit.
    The birds were small, phosphorescent and exceedingly friendly when Enher stroked them, as well as when the other tourists offered them approved food.
    It went from being a tense moment to a magical event shared by all.
    At the end of the night, Enher was exhausted and only too happy to be dropped off at her hotel. She shared her room data with Ulises if he cared to join her on the following day for an outing in the city. He smiled and wished her a night of fascinating dreams.
    Enher-Dahl entered her room and headed for the shower. Somehow, she didn’t feel that dreams were going to elude her. She had enough fodder from the day to last a lifetime.
     
    Her in-room com rang as she finished brushing her hair. Breakfast was a good way to meet new people, and she had just been on her way down.
    “Hello?” she didn’t flick on the video.
    “Good morning, Enher-Dahl. Would you care to join me downstairs for breakfast?”
    She chuckled. “Of course, Ulises. I was just on my way down.”
    Enher checked her reflection, made a face and headed down to breakfast.
    Ulises was waiting near the lifts. “You are a vision.”
    He offered her his arm, and instead of heading for the hotel restaurant, he led her out into the soft morning daylight.
    “We aren’t eating at the hotel?”
    “I am sure it is nutritious, but there is a lovely spot just down the street, and it will give you a solid impression of the locals.” He smiled.
    Too handsome for words. That was the best way to describe him. She might be Reedamani, but she could appreciate beauty when it was in front of her.
    The small café was indeed an excellent place to watch the locals. Enher and Ulises crammed into a small booth, and then, he went off to bring them a meal.
    The pastries he returned with were flaky and crowned with a cluster of gooey fresh fruit that she enjoyed. A small pie had a portion of meat, and a series of tiny globes were filled with fresh cream, topped with more berries.
    The caf was a rich, dark mix that she had never tasted before.
    Silence reigned at their table while they ate, and Enher listened to all the conversations around her. The locals who worked at the hotels were inside and talking about some of the tourists, but it was all light gossip. There was nothing mean-spirited about the conversations and no signs of resentment at being in a tourist-run economy.
    Enher finished her meal and looked to Ulises. “Is there a local museum of natural history?”
    He finished his third meat pie and licked pastry from his lips. “On the outskirts. I can fly us there if you would like to go.”
    She sipped at the last of her caf and sighed. “One more cup and then we can go. That was damned good.”
    He grinned. “I will be right back.”
    She watched him move through the crowd and admitted that he had an advantage. No one got in his way, the wings gently but firmly kept his path clear.
    When she thought about being in the air with him once again, she shivered. It