“Come along. Tiny can call Lucian while we fix your hair.”
“Yes, you can’t go around looking like that. I thought you’d been scalped when I first saw it,” Mabel said from somewhere behind her, then asked, “Are there supposed to be pink patches in your hair, or is that a result of the extensions?”
“She had fuchsia tips before Marguerite took her to the hairdresser,” Elvi explained in a hushed tone.
“Oh, my, well…that’s…interesting, child,” Mabel responded weakly, and Mirabeau felt a bubble of laughter at the back of her throat. It was obvious the woman wasn’t sure what to make of it, but then despite her youthful looks, Mabel was somewhere in her early sixties and probably not into the new styles. Of course, Mirabeau was even older still, but had been born immortal and had never looked or even really felt old. These two ladies were new turns who had been gray-haired and grandmotherly before their turn. Which was probably why Mabel had called her child when Mirabeau was actually her elder. The woman hadn’t gotten used to the idea that, at least physically, she was now a young woman.
“Here we are,” Elvi said cheerfully, steering them into a large room with a king-sized bed and sitting area. “This will be your and Tiny’s room while you’re here.”
Mirabeau was blinking at the announcement, when Mabel explained, “Marguerite told us she felt sure the two of you were life mates when she had Lucian put the two of you together to bring Stephanie here. And it’s obvious she was right.”
“It is?” Mirabeau asked with dismay, sure she hadn’t said or done anything that might give away her feelings for the mortal.
“You don’t have to say anything, dear,” Elvi said gently. “Your thoughts are pretty loud. They must be. Mabel and I haven’t quite got the hang of reading thoughts yet. We can barely read mortals, and only then with a lot of effort, but you and Tiny are like a pair of radios playing at top volume.”
“And you’re broadcasting a porno station,” Mabel announced with a grin. “Every time you glance his way, your mind is undressing and doing delicious things to him, and he’s no better.”
“I told you you were screaming your thoughts,” Stephanie said with vindication.
Mirabeau merely closed her eyes and wished she were dead.
“You can hear her thoughts then too?” Elvi asked with surprise, and Mirabeau opened her eyes to see Stephanie nod.
“I can hear you too, and everyone downstairs,” she admitted.
“Even Harper?” Mabel asked with a frown.
“Yes.”
“Well, aren’t you clever?” Elvi said, rubbing the girl’s shoulder. “That must be a special talent then, because Harper is apparently quite hard to read.”
“Really?” Stephanie asked, standing a little straighter under the praise.
“Yes indeed. Even Victor has trouble reading him since he lost his mate.” She sighed unhappily, and explained, “He and the other boys found life mates while here the summer before last. But Harper’s didn’t survive the turn.”
“Hmm,” Mabel muttered, urging Mirabeau to sit on the bed so that she could fuss with her hair. “And that was a shock, I can tell you. We were all worried about Alessandro’s mate because she is in her eighties, but she came through with flying colors. Instead, Harper’s life mate, who was young and seemingly in good health, was the one to have trouble. It seems she had a bad ticker no one knew about. She died before the nanos could get to her heart to repair and strengthen it.”
Silence filled the room for a moment, then Mabel announced, “I think I can get these out, but we’re going to have to move to the bathroom to do it.”
Mirabeau immediately found herself ushered to the bathroom.
Chapter Eleven
“Would you like a drink?” Victor asked, as the women disappeared upstairs.
Tiny nodded. The chili dog had been delicious but a bit salty, and he’d been parched for the last half hour of the drive.
“Yes, you can’t go around looking like that. I thought you’d been scalped when I first saw it,” Mabel said from somewhere behind her, then asked, “Are there supposed to be pink patches in your hair, or is that a result of the extensions?”
“She had fuchsia tips before Marguerite took her to the hairdresser,” Elvi explained in a hushed tone.
“Oh, my, well…that’s…interesting, child,” Mabel responded weakly, and Mirabeau felt a bubble of laughter at the back of her throat. It was obvious the woman wasn’t sure what to make of it, but then despite her youthful looks, Mabel was somewhere in her early sixties and probably not into the new styles. Of course, Mirabeau was even older still, but had been born immortal and had never looked or even really felt old. These two ladies were new turns who had been gray-haired and grandmotherly before their turn. Which was probably why Mabel had called her child when Mirabeau was actually her elder. The woman hadn’t gotten used to the idea that, at least physically, she was now a young woman.
“Here we are,” Elvi said cheerfully, steering them into a large room with a king-sized bed and sitting area. “This will be your and Tiny’s room while you’re here.”
Mirabeau was blinking at the announcement, when Mabel explained, “Marguerite told us she felt sure the two of you were life mates when she had Lucian put the two of you together to bring Stephanie here. And it’s obvious she was right.”
“It is?” Mirabeau asked with dismay, sure she hadn’t said or done anything that might give away her feelings for the mortal.
“You don’t have to say anything, dear,” Elvi said gently. “Your thoughts are pretty loud. They must be. Mabel and I haven’t quite got the hang of reading thoughts yet. We can barely read mortals, and only then with a lot of effort, but you and Tiny are like a pair of radios playing at top volume.”
“And you’re broadcasting a porno station,” Mabel announced with a grin. “Every time you glance his way, your mind is undressing and doing delicious things to him, and he’s no better.”
“I told you you were screaming your thoughts,” Stephanie said with vindication.
Mirabeau merely closed her eyes and wished she were dead.
“You can hear her thoughts then too?” Elvi asked with surprise, and Mirabeau opened her eyes to see Stephanie nod.
“I can hear you too, and everyone downstairs,” she admitted.
“Even Harper?” Mabel asked with a frown.
“Yes.”
“Well, aren’t you clever?” Elvi said, rubbing the girl’s shoulder. “That must be a special talent then, because Harper is apparently quite hard to read.”
“Really?” Stephanie asked, standing a little straighter under the praise.
“Yes indeed. Even Victor has trouble reading him since he lost his mate.” She sighed unhappily, and explained, “He and the other boys found life mates while here the summer before last. But Harper’s didn’t survive the turn.”
“Hmm,” Mabel muttered, urging Mirabeau to sit on the bed so that she could fuss with her hair. “And that was a shock, I can tell you. We were all worried about Alessandro’s mate because she is in her eighties, but she came through with flying colors. Instead, Harper’s life mate, who was young and seemingly in good health, was the one to have trouble. It seems she had a bad ticker no one knew about. She died before the nanos could get to her heart to repair and strengthen it.”
Silence filled the room for a moment, then Mabel announced, “I think I can get these out, but we’re going to have to move to the bathroom to do it.”
Mirabeau immediately found herself ushered to the bathroom.
Chapter Eleven
“Would you like a drink?” Victor asked, as the women disappeared upstairs.
Tiny nodded. The chili dog had been delicious but a bit salty, and he’d been parched for the last half hour of the drive.
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