Folio Two, Page Twenty-Four (svegra mos rokron tal-dros)
Anumë said something that I couldn’t quite catch, and Senet laughed. He had undermined her, even if he was one of the Karatha, and I doubted that she would take to him at all, let alone follow the order. Quite contrary to my expectations, she made no sound and did as he bade her.
Slowly, I pushed the cabinet door open and looked up at him. He was one of the most attractive men I have ever seen, but not indigenous to any part of Tveshë. Senet had creamy intermediate skin like someone from Comasja or Homor beyond the sea; over time, I would notice that he spoke with the same slight lilt when very tired or excited. His eyes reminded me of the calm ocean, and his partially-whitened hair curled like incense smoke. Despite the hair, he seemed much younger than Nikis or even Anumë.
We stared at each other without speaking. Nikis stood by the door. I saw her fingers drum against her thigh in my peripheral vision, and she shifted her weight back and forth like a pendulum.
I stood up at last and brushed myself off. Senet helped me make my outfit right. The care he took reminded me of my mother. I think I had fallen in love with him, at least a little.
“You may go now, Akah Litaras.” My aunt’s formal name sounded strange, even though I had read it in the disciplinary letters from school. Nobody in the neighborhood used it. “I will escort your niece downstairs and introduce her to the guests. It is the least I can do.”
“Akah Senet, I am sure —”
“My duty here is to act as an emissary of the Karatha to your prestigious family in their time of need. If I didn’t assist you, I would regret it completely.” He reached for my hand and squeezed it; my heart fluttered. “Regardless of our past differences with Salus, we have great respect for your family’s contributions to society.”
She cleared her throat. “How can we ever repay you for this kindness?”
He squeezed my hand again and brushed lint from his skirt with his other hand. “Actually, I have recently been assigned to Kobsarka and I am wondering which families are accepting non-blooded guests.”
“We have some spare rooms,” I said. “Can he stay here, Aunt Nikis?”
“I wouldn’t want to impose on a grieving family.”
“No, it’s all right — you wouldn’t find a family in a better position to accept a tenant. We have had too many sons.” She cleared her throat. “We have several choices of room. When would you want to move in?”
“As soon as possible. I am currently staying at our place in Menarka, but the living situation is somewhat tighter than we would like.”
“Give us until the end of the week,” she said, “for mourning.”
“Absolutely.”
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