Falling for Kindred Claus: A Kindred Tales Novel (Brides of the Kindred) Read online

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Lisa looked in disappointment at the glasses ranged in front of her. They were filled with vividly colored liquids—grass green, dark, inky blue, brilliant yellow, burnt orange, deep red, bright pink, and pearly gray—and of course they looked interesting. But she’d been hoping for feast food and instead, it seemed like all they were going to get was a bunch of weird drinks.

  She wondered if they were alcoholic but a quick sniff let her know they weren’t. So what were they then, she wondered? The head priest had said they were “distilled emotions” but how could you put emotions in a glass and drink them?

  “Join with me now,” the high priest said, still holding the glass of grass-green liquid. “In tasting the excitement a young Potentate feels when she knows that the hour of her coronation draws near.”

  He knocked back the entire shot glass of bright green at once—which was how everyone at the table seemed to be drinking as well.

  Lisa was a little more careful. She took a sip at first but nothing happened.

  “Excuse me,” the Chorkay noblewoman who was seated beside her said. “But you must drink the entire glass at once to feel the effects. And,” she went on in a whisper, “It is considered an affront to the Potentates if you do not.”

  “Oh, sorry!” Quickly, Lisa drained the green liquid and sat the fine crystal shot glass back down on the table.

  Then it hit her—Excitement! But not just any old excitement. This was the same feeling you got when you were a kid and Christmas was almost here. She wanted to bounce in her seat, she was so filled with anticipation. This was amazing!

  “Oh my God!” she exclaimed, turning to Asher. “I can’t believe this—I can hardly sit still!”

  “I know—I feel the same.” His green eyes seemed to be glowing and he grinned broadly. All around them, people up and down the table were talking animatedly as the green drink hit them all at the same time.

  Then, as quickly as the emotion had come, it faded, leaving Lisa wanting more.

  “Oh, it’s gone,” she said, disappointed. “Well, that was over fast.”

  “I suppose it’s not meant to last forever,” Asher remarked. “After all, we have six more glasses to get through.”

  “And now,” the high priest said, raising his voice to be heard over the chatter of the diners. “Raise the next glass with me…” Here he raised the shot glass filled with inky blue drink. “And experience the fear a young Potentate has when she knows that the mantle of responsibility has fallen upon her and the country is solely in her care.”

  He downed the inky blue drink and so did everyone else at the table—including Lisa.

  She wondered, apprehensively, if she was going to feel a terrible weight of responsibility, which must be how the Potentate felt—like the weight of the entire world was resting on her shoulders.

  Instead, she felt an awful surge of stark terror—even worse than she’d felt the night before when she’d had the flashback to last Christmas Eve.

  “Oh m-my G-g-god,” she stammered, so frightened her teeth were chattering. “It’s t-terrible! It’s Cameron—he’s c-coming for me! And this time he’s going to kill me!”

  “No!” Asher gathered her to him, pulling her close so Lisa could bury her face in his broad chest. “No, I won’t let him—I won’t let him hurt you!” he growled and she realized through her own haze of terror what Asher was most afraid of was losing her.

  He squeezed her tightly and she pressed against him, trying to fight the fear that threatened to overwhelm her.

  It’s just the drink, she told herself over and over again. It’s just the drink—it’s not real. It’s NOT REAL!

  The fear faded eventually, though it seemed to take a long time to go. But even when she felt it was finally gone, Lisa still didn’t want to move. She felt safe in the big Kindred’s arms—his warm, masculine, spicy scent smelled like safety and home.

  If only I could stay with him forever, I’d be safe, she thought. Safe and cared for. Safe and loved…

  But where had that thought come from? Slowly, she made herself straighten up.

  “Sorry,” she murmured to Asher, who was still looking at her intently. “I, uh, guess I freaked out a little.”

  “I think we all did,” he murmured back. “I certainly hope we don’t have to go through any more emotions like that last one.”

  “I hope not either!” Lisa said fervently.

  But luckily, when the high priest held up the next shot glass—filled with brilliant neon yellow drink, he said, “Join me now in tasting the joy of a successful Potentate when she knows she has brought our nation safety and prosperity.”

  That sounded like a nice, if somewhat stuffy emotion, but Lisa looked doubtfully at the bright yellow drink which looked like highlighter ink. Was she going to be overwhelmed and freak out again? She hoped not. She wished in a way she could be excused from drinking the yellow liquid, but she was certain that would give great offense to the Chorkays.

  Steeling herself for whatever effects might come, she downed the drink and waited.

  The next thing she knew, she was flooded with joy—an emotion so pure and soaring she felt like a bird taking wing high over the ocean. It was wonderful—incredible.

  “I’ve never been this happy before,” she told Asher, whose eyes were also shining with the pure emotion. “Not even on my wedding day, back when I thought Cameron was a good guy. I’m just so filled with joy.”

  “I am too,” he murmured. “And sharing it with you makes it all the better.” He held her hands and they looked into each other’s eyes. For a moment, Lisa almost felt like the intense emotion was jumping back and forth between them—an emotion so pure it was almost hard to stand and yet also so wonderful it was impossible not to want it to last forever.

  Yet, as the other emotions had passed, so did the joy. Lisa sighed when the last of the incredible feeling finally faded.

  “Oh,” she said sadly. “It’s gone.”

  “Not completely,” Asher said softly. “Because we shared it together—a bit of it lingers in each of us.”

  Lisa smiled. “I think you’re right, Asher. I’m glad we had that experience together. From now until the end of my life when I think about the moment I was most happy, I’m going to think of you.”

  “I will think the same,” he said softly, looking into her eyes. For a moment, Lisa felt like she couldn’t look away—didn’t want to look away.

  And then the high priest was calling on them to lift the next glass, which was filled with burnt orange liquid that looked like melted crayons.

  “Taste the anger a Potentate feels when our nation is threatened!” he declared and downed the burnt orange shot.

  Feeling apprehensive, Lisa downed her shot as well while everyone at the table did the same. There was a moment of silence—and then a babble of angry voices filled the air.

  “I hate him!” Lisa heard herself saying passionately. “That bastard, Cameron—he hurt me! He ruined my life! Now I live on the run with no home to go back to, afraid he’s going to track me down at any minute. I shouldn’t have to live that way—he’s an asshole!”

  “I hate him too.” Asher’s voice was low and dangerous and his eyes were flaring red. “If I ever meet him, I’ll kill him for hurting you,” he swore. “He’s dead, Lisa—anyone who hurts you is dead.”

  He turned his eyes across the table to Ambassador Ba’deal at this point but even through the all-consuming rage that filled her, Lisa could see that Ba’deal wasn’t staring back at Asher. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the Old and New Potentates and there was such hatred on his twisted, purple face and his three red eyes that she almost felt afraid again.

  My God—he looks like he wants to kill them! she thought. What did they ever do to him?

  Maybe it was just because the Northern and Southern continents had been at odds for so long, she speculated. Or maybe Ba’deal was a misogynist who couldn’t stand the idea of a female ruler�€