Heir of Gods by E. Menozzi

Author:E. Menozzi [Menozzi, E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Elizabeth Menozzi

14

We’d almost reached the archway when the curvy figure of a woman appeared, silhouetted in the opening. “Ezri? Enough already. You’re keeping everyone waiting.”

“We’re on our way, Mother,” Ezri replied.

The Shal shifted in the doorway. She made a brief sound of either acknowledgment or dismissal, then placed one hand on her hip and lifted a goblet to her lips.

I stiffened, and my grip on Ezri’s arm tightened. In my excitement about setting my eyes on the sea, I’d forgotten for a moment that we would be joining others of the household for dinner.

He caressed the back of my hand in a soothing motion. “Relax. It will be fine.”

I looked up at him, and he smiled and winked at me. I released the breath I had been holding in and took another. When I looked back at the archway, the Shal turned away and walked back out onto the balcony, out of view.

“You needn’t fear her,” Ezri whispered to me. “She won’t bite.”

I knew a bit about mothers and sons from watching my mother fuss over my older brothers, and I remembered what Ezri had said about the Shal’s feelings about gods and folklore. I suspected Ezri was just trying to make me feel better, which I appreciated. But I still braced myself for our introduction.

We stepped out of the tower and onto the balcony, where a salty breeze caught the stray hairs that framed my face and swept them across my forehead. In front of us, beyond the thick stone railing of the balcony, lay the mixed blues of water and sky. I turned my face into the wind and breathed in, resisting the undignified urge to run to the railing. Instead, I pulled my gaze away from the blue horizon and scanned the other people mingling around the long wooden table set for dinner.

“Ah! See, Filna-sha? Here he is. Our Ezri-ruh, returned.” A man dressed in a pale pink tunic walked toward us. An embroidered rose pattern stitched in a rich shade of plum wrapped around the collar and continued down the front placard, ending just above his round belly. “And this must be the Nahla.”

He stopped in front of us and reached for my free hand, bringing it to his lips to place a dry kiss on the back of it. I smiled and bobbed my head.

“Cala-nah, is it?” he asked. My smile disappeared for a moment in shock, but I forced it back into place and was forming a reply when Ezri spoke.

“Ayla-nah, Uncle.”

The man’s eyes narrowed slightly. He inclined his head and repeated, “Ayla-nah,” stressing my given name. Then he looked from me to Ezri. “You chose the younger girl?”

A woman in a long, jewel-green dress, tied at the back with a grey ribbon that wrapped under her full bust, sashayed forward and snaked her arm around the man’s, pressing herself to his side. She pouted as she appraised me through narrowed eyes and long lashes.

Ezri ignored his uncle’s comment and turned to me. “Ayla-nah, may I present my uncle, Jeln-sha and his partner, Vie.

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