nettled like a gnarled weed. She could request, at any time, that Hauk take her to Kayli, but not to anyone else, because ultimately, Kayli had control.
She was Arbiter, the leader of the council.
She was the one all others looked to.
Yet her daughter had the most powerful system of control in their entire colony. When the rest of the council had named it so, how was she to dispute the necessity of the defense system?
She could not.
Only she saw the ludicrousness of it. They’d had little enough use for defenses—until now.
Her pulse raced until she felt light-headed. “Oh heavens, where are those girls?”
Within minutes, twenty-year-old Idola and eighteen-year-old Mesha rushed through the door.
Dressed in a froth of gossamer fabrics and ribbons, her hair curled and her lips rouged, Idola led the way. “Mother, what is it?”
Right behind her, hair tied up with bows and misted with a light, sweet fragrance, Mesha asked, “Are you all right?”
Raemay waved off their concerns. “Tomorrow you will meet the stranger.” Too frantic to remain still, she paced as she spoke. “He is a giant of a man, but you won’t be timid, do you understand? Don’t let his size and overbearing manners deter you. You are both beautiful. Very beautiful.”
With their long dark hair and pale blue eyes, skin like porcelain and lush figures, they should be all a man would want—especially given their connection to the council and the power that came with being in the hierarchy.
But . . . Raemay closed her eyes and put a fist to her heart. She knew, oh how she knew, the appeal of fair hair and golden eyes.
“Mother?”
Collecting herself, Raemay said, “I’m arranging a private audience with each of you before the other females present themselves. It is imperative that one of you win him over.”
Slightly rebellious, yet at the same time more than a little tentative, Mesha asked, “Which of us?”
“Either of you!” Regretting the outburst, which caused each of her frail daughters to quail, Raemay rubbed her forehead. “Either of you would suit. But one of you must. Must. Do you understand?”
Idola touched her mother’s shoulder. “Shh, now Mother. It will be all right. I will see to it. He’ll find no fault with me, I promise you.”
Poor, misguided Idola. She discounted Kayli without a thought. But then, Raemay had discounted her as well until she saw the way the stranger looked at her oldest daughter, a look she recognized only too well.
The thought sent a shudder down her spine. Raemay didn’t know if it was disgust . . . or yearning.
“It must be more than that.” She grabbed Idola’s hands, squeezing for emphasis. “He must want you more than any other.” He had to want her more than he’d want her fair-haired, golden eyed daughter.
“Mother!” Scandalized, Mesha went pink in the cheeks and lowered her tone to a breathy whisper. “Do you suggest we tempt him?”
“Yes! Yes, you must tempt him. In every manner that you can.” Drawing in a calming breath, Raemay forced a smile for her offspring. “And after you win him over, he will take you in union and your life, our lives, will be set—as should be.”
Raemay watched as the two sisters looked at each other and smiled. Neither of them gave Kayli a thought, not in terms of tempting, not in terms of a union.
Kayli wasn’t competition for them; most times, they barely accounted her as a woman. Unfortunately, Michael Manchester saw Kayli as exactly that—a woman—and not much else.
Raemay had raised foolish children. She herself had been foolish. And selfish.
Now she’d have to do her utmost to manipulate things to her advantage. If the stranger had to stay—and she supposed he must—then she needed an alliance with him.
And not through Kayli.
Never that.
She couldn’t chance it.
“ THE mother plots.”
Striding along, examining the massive spaceship as he went, Mallet gradually got used to the idea that he’d been
She was Arbiter, the leader of the council.
She was the one all others looked to.
Yet her daughter had the most powerful system of control in their entire colony. When the rest of the council had named it so, how was she to dispute the necessity of the defense system?
She could not.
Only she saw the ludicrousness of it. They’d had little enough use for defenses—until now.
Her pulse raced until she felt light-headed. “Oh heavens, where are those girls?”
Within minutes, twenty-year-old Idola and eighteen-year-old Mesha rushed through the door.
Dressed in a froth of gossamer fabrics and ribbons, her hair curled and her lips rouged, Idola led the way. “Mother, what is it?”
Right behind her, hair tied up with bows and misted with a light, sweet fragrance, Mesha asked, “Are you all right?”
Raemay waved off their concerns. “Tomorrow you will meet the stranger.” Too frantic to remain still, she paced as she spoke. “He is a giant of a man, but you won’t be timid, do you understand? Don’t let his size and overbearing manners deter you. You are both beautiful. Very beautiful.”
With their long dark hair and pale blue eyes, skin like porcelain and lush figures, they should be all a man would want—especially given their connection to the council and the power that came with being in the hierarchy.
But . . . Raemay closed her eyes and put a fist to her heart. She knew, oh how she knew, the appeal of fair hair and golden eyes.
“Mother?”
Collecting herself, Raemay said, “I’m arranging a private audience with each of you before the other females present themselves. It is imperative that one of you win him over.”
Slightly rebellious, yet at the same time more than a little tentative, Mesha asked, “Which of us?”
“Either of you!” Regretting the outburst, which caused each of her frail daughters to quail, Raemay rubbed her forehead. “Either of you would suit. But one of you must. Must. Do you understand?”
Idola touched her mother’s shoulder. “Shh, now Mother. It will be all right. I will see to it. He’ll find no fault with me, I promise you.”
Poor, misguided Idola. She discounted Kayli without a thought. But then, Raemay had discounted her as well until she saw the way the stranger looked at her oldest daughter, a look she recognized only too well.
The thought sent a shudder down her spine. Raemay didn’t know if it was disgust . . . or yearning.
“It must be more than that.” She grabbed Idola’s hands, squeezing for emphasis. “He must want you more than any other.” He had to want her more than he’d want her fair-haired, golden eyed daughter.
“Mother!” Scandalized, Mesha went pink in the cheeks and lowered her tone to a breathy whisper. “Do you suggest we tempt him?”
“Yes! Yes, you must tempt him. In every manner that you can.” Drawing in a calming breath, Raemay forced a smile for her offspring. “And after you win him over, he will take you in union and your life, our lives, will be set—as should be.”
Raemay watched as the two sisters looked at each other and smiled. Neither of them gave Kayli a thought, not in terms of tempting, not in terms of a union.
Kayli wasn’t competition for them; most times, they barely accounted her as a woman. Unfortunately, Michael Manchester saw Kayli as exactly that—a woman—and not much else.
Raemay had raised foolish children. She herself had been foolish. And selfish.
Now she’d have to do her utmost to manipulate things to her advantage. If the stranger had to stay—and she supposed he must—then she needed an alliance with him.
And not through Kayli.
Never that.
She couldn’t chance it.
“ THE mother plots.”
Striding along, examining the massive spaceship as he went, Mallet gradually got used to the idea that he’d been
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