The Gathering (13 page)

"So tell me, Daughter, have you any favorites among the Squad for the evening festivities?"

Sara rolled her eyes.

"No, Mother."

The “Sara Squad”, as Chris had dubbed it, was a group of local boys ranging in age from fifteen to nineteen who followed Sara around, the majority of the time.
 
It wasn't an official group, they all just happened to gather, trying to goad one another into asking Sara out.
 
Although to most young girls it would be slightly frightening, Sara's brothers, Chris and Tanner, had made sure the Squad knew the rules.
 
On occasion, a member of the Squad would work up the courage to ask Sara on a date.
 
She usually declined, but on the rare occasion where she did accept, the date started very early, ended very early and there was never a second date.
 

The boys in the Squad would come and go.
 
The only constant for Sara was Elian Merganser.
 
He asked her to dance at every Gathering and would drone on and on about how his colony's conversions were going, which Sara had no interest in, but since he was a dignitary's son and she was single, she always felt obligated to dance with him.
 
Sara looked at her mother.

"Is the jackass Stephan Merganser?"

"How'd you know?"

Sara smiled and looked at her mother.

"The real reason I’m waiting to go out later…Jackass Junior."

Alia laughed.
 

"Poor Albion.
 
At least when his mom was alive he had her, now he's stuck with them."

Sara laughed with Alia.
 
Sara was just glad to have her mother to herself for a moment.
 
As they sat talking and laughing, Sara realized sometimes she really missed the quiet days when she had both her mom and dad.

Alia saw the sadness on her daughter's face.

"What's the matter, Baby?"

Sara smiled and let a tear run down her cheek.

"I miss them."

Alia looked at her girl and wiped the tear away.
 
Alia wrapped her arms around Sara and rocked her gently.

"Me, too, Baby.
 
Me, too."

Alia rested her head on top of Sara's and they sat quietly, rocking back and forth, allowing themselves a moment of sadness.
 
After all, the Gathering was a time to remember.

16

Kaley Stark had finished changing out of her ceremonial dress and was sitting in the main turret of the east side of the castle and looking out over the festivities when she saw him- Ian Turner.
 
He looked exactly as she remembered, but somehow he seemed older and more like a man.
 
She marveled at how much they differed in appearance.
 

Kaley looked like her grandmother, with dark hair, long and straight and green eyes with flecks of gold.
 
Her body was thin and willowy, so much so that her father had taken to calling her the lady ghost, because he said she floated when she walked.
 
Ian was tall and strapping.
 
His blond hair was long all around and reached to just above his shoulders.
 
His eyes were as blue as the sky and he had a dimple on his left cheek just below his mouth.

Kaley felt her face flush and she groaned at her behavior.
 
She wasn't like other girls.
 
She had things to think about besides boys.

In spite of herself, she looked out the window again.
 
He was standing in the sun, helping his father set up a tent for one of their people.
 
The sun was bearing down and he had leaned back, the wetness of his hair sticking to his face and she could see the sweat glisten around his forehead.
 

She watched as Chris and Tanner walked over to greet Ian.
 
They spoke for a few minutes and she watched as they nodded and shook hands.
 
Her brothers then walked off towards the castle, leaving Ian to go back to work.

He picked up a hammer and walked over to where a tent stake had been placed loosely in the ground.
 
He then looked back at the sun and laid the hammer down.
 
He grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head.

Kaley felt the air sharply enter her lungs as she watched him.
 
She could see the ripple of every muscle on his chest and stomach, his skin lightly coated with golden hair and glistening with sweat.
 
He grabbed the hammer, lifted the tool behind his head and then pulled it down to the spike, striking it hard.
 
Her fingers curled tightly around the drapery as her left hand came to her mouth and the tips of her fingers lightly caressed her lips.

"You like him, huh?" came the soft voice from behind Kaley's head.

Kaley jumped and grabbed her heart.

"Damn it, Shay.
 
Why to you have to be so quiet?"

"Sorry."

Coeli started to move out of the turret, when Kaley grabbed her sister's arm and turned her around.

"I didn't mean to snap, you just startled me."

As the sixteen-year-old turned around, Kaley could see her sister was on the verge of tears.

"Oh, Sweetie.
 
I'm sorry."

Coeli shook her head.

"It's not you.
 
It's just…"

"What?" Kaley asked.

"Well, there's this boy I like…"

Kaley groaned and Coeli looked like Kaley had just slapped her.
 
Realizing she was about to make a mess of things, Kaley began to explain.

"I'm sorry, Honey.
 
It's just that all the girls in this family seem to think about are boys and I was hoping…"

"I'd think about girls?"

Kaley started to laugh at her sister's wit and although Coeli tried to be indignant, she too soon smiled.

"No" Coeli said.
 
"It's just that I like this boy a lot, but I think he likes Sara.
 
Like every other boy our age does."

"So who is this guy?"

Coeli stared intently at the floor with her large charcoal-gray eyes and twirled her long black hair between her fingers, catching the little curls around her fingertips.

Kaley reached over and took her sister's face gently in her hands and lifted Coeli's eyes to meet her own.
 
Kaley looked into those eyes and saw the fear and longing she knew so well in her own heart.

"Who, Sweetie?"

"Sam Hearst," Coeli answered in almost a whisper.

"Of Pasadena?
 
He's a nice boy, Shay.
 
He's very cute."

"Yeah, I think so."

"Why do you think he likes Sara?"

"I don't know, just a feeling I guess.
 
At the last Gathering, all he did was stare at her.
 
She's so beautiful, you know?"

Kaley folded her arms and furrowed her brow, much like her mother.

"I guess you haven't looked in a mirror lately, huh?"

Coeli's face flushed at the compliment, but she looked at the floor when she smiled.
 
Kaley once again took her sister's face into her hands and stared into those lovely charcoal eyes.
 
In that moment, Kaley realized how much she looked like their other grandmother.
 

"Listen to me, Little Girl.
 
Sara is beautiful, but so are you.
 
You know why all those boys flock to Sara don't you?"

Coeli shook her head.

"She has confidence, Shay.
 
She walks into a room as if she owns it.
 
I bet if you lifted your head and walked with that air of confidence that you have when you’re singing, half of the Sara Squad would be the Coeli Squad."

Coeli smiled.

"I just want the one.
 
I'm not greedy."

Kaley's brow arched to see if she had made a dent.

"But I understand, " Coeli continued.
 
"Just put out the same vibe I do when I sing and pretend everyone wants me, right?"

"Right."

"I'll try."

Coeli hugged her sister and turned to leave the turret.
 
Kaley sat back down by the window and slyly glanced back down at where Ian had been standing moments before only to see him pour a bucket of water over his head and then run his fingers through his hair, pushing it back from his closed eyes.
 
She felt her knees go weak.

"Oh, wow."

A giggling came from behind her.

"You're right," Coeli piped up.
 
"All the girls in this family are boy crazy."

"That's it!"

Kaley jumped up and chased Coeli out of the room.
 
Below, Ian Turner gazed up to the turret.
 
He was wondering if Kaley Stark was thinking about him.
 
He hoped she was as he turned and went back to work.

17

The day moved quickly from morning to afternoon as the remaining colonies arrived one by one, except for St. Viviana's, who didn't attend the Gatherings, and Salt Lake II, who often came late as they had set up their village near the old Nevada border.

The air was heady with the scents of food, wine, beer and incense, as by now, most of the vending booths were set up and shopping had begun.
 

Vance Worley had spent the entire day assisting his father, Duncan.
 
Duncan Worley was the head of the Lia Fail construction department.
 
He and his workers maintained the buildings and defensive walls of Lia Fail and during the next ten days they were the ones to assist in the set up and ultimate dismantling of the visiting villages, stages, etc.
 

He and Vance were inspecting the stands and the wagons of the visitors and making sure that they were properly housed and that if they had animals, they were of no threat to anyone and were also properly housed.
   

Vance’s lean, muscular frame was stretched to the top of a tent while he secured the main pole when Duncan turned the flap and walked towards him.

"Wha'cha doin'?"

Vance looked at his father and gave him a crooked smile.