CHAPTER 155

Well, almost the last. Beth had stopped to wait for him.

"You look very pretty," he told her, his mouth suddenly dry.

"Thanks," she said. "This whole thing kind of reminds me of prom. Everyone dressing up for a night of dancing and fun with friends. Takes me back a bit."

"I never went to my prom. And even if I had..." he contemplated the portal for a moment. "Then I bet this is going to be way more fun."

"I agree. Shall we?" She crooked her arm out for him to take, and just as he was about to slide his arm through hers, Tink appeared through the portal.

"Husband too slow," she declared, then grabbed him by the hand and pulled him through.

Laughing, he allowed her to lead him into the centaur's village. The yurts had all been decorated with floral arrangements, and tall tables had been set out for the centaurs to eat and drink at. A table had been set up on a platform that would allow Mike and the others to sit at eye level with the tribe, and he was warmly greeted with handshakes and the occasional back slap that threatened to topple him. Everyone had already taken their seats at the table, and the centaurs had gathered around to talk with them.

Overhead, the fairies were darting about, chased by eager centaur children who laughed and giggled. Cerulea allowed herself to be captured in a jar and made faces at the kids for their amusement, until she squeezed free to join her sisters.

Around the edges of the village, the centaurs had set up instruments and were playing a variety of drums, flutes, and stringed instruments that reminded Mike of sitars. The whole affair reminded him of the summer he had gone to a renaissance festival with a former girlfriend and gotten sick from being out in the sun for too long. So far, the food here was much better, and the company even more so. For a change, everyone seemed enthralled by the festivities, which allowed him to sit back and snack on some fried vegetables on a stick that had been brought to him.

"Caretaker?" A centaur lass approached him, her hair hanging from her head in thick braids. "The future chief would like a word with you."

He nodded and bid farewell to the others. As he left, he looked back to see Kisa watching a nearby centaur perform, and was almost knocked over by a centaur child as it went running past in an attempt to catch Olivia. When he glanced over to the herd of children, he laughed when he saw Tink riding one of them and handing out make-shift nets to the other kids. He was so happy that she was having a great time.

Led away from the center of the village, he found himself standing before a large, decorated yurt that looked more like a small circus tent than a home. Standing outside of it was a pair of armed centaurs who stood at attention once Mike was in view. They greeted him warmly and held open the flaps so that he could step inside.

The inside of the yurt revealed decorated walls and a small cluster of centaur women who were fussing about a central figure standing on a pedestal. It was Zel, and she waved him over.

"Just a minute," she told him. "Once they're done braiding my hair, we can talk."

"Yeah, sure." He looked for something to sit on and found a nearby stack of boxes filled with fruit. After making sure the arrangement was stable, he took a seat and watched as the women around Zel finished placing long, intricate braids in her hair. They incorporated beads and feathers, and when they stepped away, he saw she was wearing an ornate vest that hugged her torso.

"You look great," he told her.

"Thank you." She blushed and then waved her attendants off. "I need a private word with the Caretaker."

The centaurs left, but more than a couple gave Mike lingering glances on their way out. Once they were alone, Zel walked over to him and smiled.

"It's the big day," she said, then did a little circle. "Do I look okay? I mean, I know I look okay, but what do you think?"

"You look great." He stood so that they were closer to eye level. "Everything okay?"

She nodded, then led him over to a table that had some food laid out. "I won't get much of a chance to eat once the ceremony starts, so I've been snacking through the day. Go ahead and help yourself."

"Thanks." He picked up an apple and bit into it, the juice running down his face. "I didn't know there were apples growing in the greenhouse."

"They don't. These are imported from the other world, where the old tribe lives." Zel's previous tribe had exiled most of the men and women who now lived in the village. Though relations were strained, they did have a truce, and the greenhouse was packed full of rare vegetation that the tribe could use for trade. "It will take a few years before we can grow them on our own."

"I see. So what's up? If you called me here for advice on how to be a leader, I am definitely the wrong person for it."

"No, not that. I already know I'm a far better leader than you." She said this without a trace of malice. "However, I think you give yourself far too little credit."

"Perhaps," he agreed.

"I called you here for a couple of reasons. The first one is that I miss you." A sad smile crossed her face. "It seems like I've barely seen you for the last month or so, but that's not anybody's fault. I've been busy here, and you've been busy trying to get Cecilia back. It happens. I just thought it would be nice to sit with you for a bit and catch up."

Mike nodded. "We can absolutely do that. I'm actually headed off to the Underworld myself in just a few days, hopefully, I can bring Cecilia back and everything will settle down."