Gathering Storm (The Salvation of Tempestria Book 2) by Gary Stringer (howl and other poems .txt) 📕

while you’re with us. Just wanted to tell you, your breakfast is ready if you’d like to follow me…”

The pair walked with her, through to the dining room, where someone was just finishing up preparing a table for them. Her skin tone was ever-so-slightly paler, Mandalee thought, but otherwise she looked remarkably similar to Jessica. She hoped that wasn’t racist. Just because they were ‘alien’ from her perspective, she’d hate to be one of those people who thought they ‘all looked alike.’

Her fears proved unfounded, however, as Jessica introduced her as, “Sara – my twin sister.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Mandalee offered.

“Likewise,” Sara returned.

Cat remained silent. Jessica and Sara’s eyes flickered towards each other but otherwise did their best to pretend they hadn’t noticed. “If you’d care to sit down, loves?” Jessica invited them. “Cheers,” she smiled when they complied. “Right now, first thing I need to ask: do you have any food allergies I should know about?”

“Food allergies?” Cat wondered.

“Not that we know of,” Mandalee agreed, looking equally blank.

“Well, it’s always good to check,” Jessica opined. “We wouldn’t want to poison Daelen’s visitors on their first day. It’s bad manners,” she laughed.

Then, noticing that her sister seemed to have zoned out for a moment, she declared, “Earth to Sara!”

Sara gave a start. “Hmmm?”

“Shouldn’t you be getting back in the kitchen, love? Before you burn something?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry,” Sara apologised to their guests, “still recovering from the afterparty,” she explained. “Two hours’ sleep.”

“Hey, it’s the same for me,” Jessica objected, “but I’m proper bright-eyed and,” she flared out the end of her tail, “bushy-tailed as always. You’re just getting old, that’s what it is.” she teased.

“I thought you said you were twins?” Mandalee put in, enjoying their banter.

Jessica was about to say something, but Sara cut her off. “This is the part where she says she’s younger by, like, ten minutes.”

Jessica grinned, “You’re as old as the person you feel, dearie. Speaking of which, how old was that elf boy you were snogging in the corner last night?”

“You saw that?”

“Sara, love, everybody saw that! They put it up on the big screen. Was he really an elf or just a human dressed up?”

“Jessica!” Sara admonished her sister. “You know I never kiss and tell.” With that, she excused herself, saying, “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

As she walked away, Jessica turned back to the two guests and whispered, “To be honest, loves, I’m cream-crackered myself. I just hide it better.

“Now,” she continued, “normally I’d ask what you’d like, but we weren’t sure what you’re used to where you’re from, so we figured it’d probably be best if we were to give you a full breakfast and then you can leave anything you don’t want. We won’t be offended. OK, dears?”

Mandalee agreed that sounded reasonable. Cat just nodded, which left Jessica hesitant.

“You sure?” she pressed gently.

“Yes, fine!” Cat affirmed in a belligerent tone.

Jessica flickered a nervous smile and glanced at Mandalee, who offered a small shake of the head in a silent, apologetic, ‘please ignore my friend.’

“There’s water and orange juice on the table,” Jessica told them. “Anything else you need, just give us a nudge, OK, loves?”

“Thank you, Jessica,” Mandalee replied, doing her best to reassure her. “It smells delicious.”

“Well, we’ll do our best,” she replied and left for the kitchen.

When she’d left the room, keeping her voice down, Mandalee rebuked her friend, “Cat, that was rude. Whatever your problem is, I’m pretty sure it’s not Sara and Jessica’s fault. If you want to be grumpy with Daelen and me, fine, but don’t take it out on them.”

Cat’s eyes flashed for a moment, but the fire faltered, and with a sigh, she admitted, “You’re right.” She still wasn’t forthcoming about what her problem was, but she did apologise when Jessica returned. “And say sorry to Sara for me, too, will you?”

“No problem, love,” she replied with a smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eye as she placed their cooked meals in front of them. “That was nothing. You should see Daelen when he’s in one of his moods.” She shrugged. “It’s part of the job.”

“Well, it shouldn’t be,” Cat insisted, frowning. “I was wrong, it won’t happen again, and next time Daelen’s rude to you, make sure you tell him it’s unacceptable.”

“Maybe I will, at that,” Jessica, her cheeks taking on a golden sheen. Her species’ equivalent of a blush, Cat supposed. “Anyway, I’d best not keep you talking. Don’t want you leaving a bad review on the ‘net cause your breakfast was cold, do I?” she laughed. Then, seeing the blank looks, she dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “Don’t mind me. I’m not from around here – obviously,” she added with a giggle, indicating her body, “but I’ve been here a while and picked up a lot of the lingo with the way I talk. Sara’s not so into it, but I don’t even realise I’m doing it, half the time. Anyway, I’ll leave you guys to it. Give us a nudge if you need anything else, OK, dears?”

With a fresh smile and a wink, she left the room once more.

“I like her,” Cat remarked, as she tucked into her breakfast, smiling what Mandalee thought was, without doubt, the broadest smile she’d seen on her face since they came to this world.

“Well, she’s perked you up, that’s for sure,” the cleric observed, between mouthfuls of sausage, bacon and eggs.

“Yeah, sorry,” Cat nodded. “It’s just this place.” She waved a fork in the air to vaguely encompass their surroundings. “Don’t know if it’s the world or just because we’re in a huge city full of concrete, but I’ve never been so cut off from nature, and I don’t like it.”

Suddenly, Mandalee realised that must be what Shyleen meant about taking ‘special care’ of Catriona during her ‘difficult time.’

“Shyleen knew you’d feel this way,” she realised, “I just didn’t think.”

Catriona recalled how, years ago, back on Tempestria, her father had ventured into a human city and