JM BENAVIDEZ

As I walked towards the center of the gardens I noticed Etienne and Eirian sitting in the gazebo. They looked so happy that I decided to go around another way. Etienne called after me. "Hey Meira!" I stopped with my back towards him as he trotted towards me. I smiled and turned to face him. "Hi Etienne." He cast a quick glance over his shoulder at Eirian and then turned back towards me nervously. "Would you be terribly offended if I backed out of my dates with you?" I met Eirian's eyes and shook my head. "Are you kidding? Have you seen the way she looks at you?" He smiled. "I dreamt about her the first night and things were great between us but after the second night's dreams, things were a little patchy." I patted him on the elbow. "Who am I to stand in your way of happiness?" He nodded. "Thank you." I waved at Eirian and headed on my way.

I chuckled softly; it seemed that my schedule was clearing up rather nicely. I headed towards the dining hall for lunch. I was nearly to the dining hall when I heard Aimi's notorious giggle. I couldn't help but smile at the sound as I turned towards it. She was standing in her doorway looking up at Amadeus with her big green puppy dog eyes. The expression on his face told a story similar to hers. I nodded, feeling a mixture of sadness and relief. A soft tap on my elbow brought me back to reality and I turned my head away from Amadeus and Aimi. "Want to take a walk?" I smiled up at Elijah. "Sure." His blonde hair was a wild mane waving in all directions. He extended his elbow to me and I tucked my arm through it.

We walked past the dining hall and he raised his downward gaze, looking at me with his blue eyes. "How are you feeling?" I raised my eyebrows looking at him curiously. "What?" He wrinkled his brows, dropping his eyes momentarily. "You didn't look so good there for a minute." I smiled as I realized he was talking about Amadeus. "Oh, I'm fine. I was actually the one who encouraged him to seek other options." Elijah paused mid step as he looked at me. "You did?" I chuckled and we continued walking. "Yes. I can't possibly keep all of you now can I? At least a few of you are going to have to be interested in someone else." He tilted his head looking at me. "So who is left?" I shrugged. "It's hard to say for sure. Salathiel bowed out last night as you know. And just a minute ago Etienne backed out too." Elijah nodded. "For Eirian?" I smiled. "Yeah and they are so cute together." Elijah smiled. "They are. But I thought she was interested in someone else too." I shrugged. "She might be. I haven't talked to the girls about it yet. I guess we probably should though." 

I looked at Elijah curiously. "So where are we walking to? Did you have a destination or are we just walking blindly?" He looked up at me casually. "I thought we'd head to the birch grove and then double back for lunch. If you didn't mind." I leaned my head against his shoulder. "That sounds great. I could use a little escape." A tiny smirk crossed his face. "Is that so?" I nodded. "You don't mind if I run away with you do you?" He laughed. "Are you sure you want to run away with me?" I smiled. "Why not? You seem pretty low pressure and haven't scared me off yet." He shook his head. "Yeah, high pressure really isn't my style. I'm kind of a go with the flow guy." I nodded. "I can really appreciate that. I like to think of myself as a go with the flow person." I sighed. "So back to your question of who was still in the running." He nodded. "Well Amadeus hasn't officially excluded himself so he's still in and so is Zuriel and Nathanael. And I haven't gone out with you or Lael yet, so you both are also still in the running. But that's it, so I'm down to five." I shook my head laughing. "But it may as well be five hundred. Two seems like too many, much less five." Elijah smiled. "So you don't want to be like mom then? Having a sliver of every heart?" I nodded. "I like things simple. You know, easy."

Elijah stopped walking and opened his hand, palm up. "I can be easy." I placed my palm against his, lacing my fingers through his. "I have a feeling you can be a lot of things." He brought my hand up to his chest, pulling me close against his side. "There is one thing that I have never been, that I might like to become." I raised an eyebrow at him. "And what would that be?" He lowered his head, touching his forehead to mine. All traces of a smile gone from his face as his blue eyes searched my face. "I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now, but I think I might very much like to be yours." He closed his eyes, brushing his nose against mine. 

I closed my eyes, thinking about the first morning when all of the girls had revealed their dreams. "What about Aureliana?" He shrugged. "I don't know. Not about how I feel or about what she wants. But I do know this. I have never felt this at ease around her." He looked into my eyes again. "As we were walking, you lay your head against my shoulder, so comfortable that you didn't even think twice about it. Aureliana never would have done that. She wouldn't have laced her fingers through mine. She wouldn't let me get this close to her." He brushed his nose against mine again for emphasis. 

I closed my eyes. "I'm not neat; I'm not well put together. I'm messy and unpredictable. I'm a loaded gun that misfires at whim. But I'm also low pressure and easy to please." He brushed my cheek with his free hand. "I'm not asking for you to be anything you aren't. I'm just asking for the chance to show you who I am." I pressed my cheek into his hand. "I'm not going to stop you." He slid his hand back into the hair at the base of my head, drawing me closer but then hesitating just short of pressing his lips to mine. He pulled his head back watching me. I opened my eyes and the instant they met his he pressed his lips to mine. 

Something was different about his kiss than that all of the others that I had experienced. It wasn't all butterflies and desire. It was warm and welcoming, like coming home. The only time I had come close to that feeling was last night when I had dreamt that Lael had called me love. Elijah pulled away, slowly looking up into my eyes and I sighed involuntarily. "Wow." He smiled shyly and I thought it was so cute that he seemed nervous. He looked down at the ground and then back up into my eyes. "I think that about sums it up for me too." He nodded towards the birch trees about ten yards ahead. "Should we continue our walk or would you like to head back and grab lunch?" I shrugged. "What would you prefer? I'm fine either way." He smiled. "As much as I'd like to keep you to myself, maybe I should take you back for now. Especially since I'll get to steal you away again in a few hours." 

I looked up at him through my lashes as he turned and headed back towards the dining hall. "Thank you for the diversion." He curled his fingers tighter around my hand. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity." I giggled and he laughed as we walked towards the dining hall and the small crowd filing inside. He paused and looked at me. "Would you indulge me and wear something specific on our date? Even if it's not really you. I have an idea that I'd like to play on." I nodded. "I'll agree to it this time, but I can't promise to do it again." He chuckled. "I'll leave it on your doorstep before dinner." I frowned. "You mean I have to wear it to dinner? So everyone else can see me?" He paused looking at me. "No, I would never want to make you uncomfortable." I turned towards him, looking up into his eyes. "But would it make you happy if I did?" His eyes sparkled. "I think it would make everyone who saw you happy. You will be quite a vision." I sighed. "You are going to make me wear a dress aren't you?" He laughed. "Of course not; I'm going to ask that you wear a skirt." I shook my head laughing. "And will you be dressing to match me?" He chuckled. "No, I'm afraid I will not be wearing a skirt." 

I tossed my head back laughing hysterically and he broke out in laughter joining me. Several heads turned in our direction and I shot him a stern glance. "You know what I meant." He nodded, motioning for me to enter the dining hall. "Yes I did and yes, I'll be matching you." I nodded, leading the way inside as he dropped my hand. "Then I'll wear it." He tugged my hair playfully. "You're a tough nut to crack." I grinned at him over my shoulder and he grinned back. We grabbed plates and dished up. "So where are you sitting?" He asked as we neared the end of the buffet. "I don't know. I never know where I'm supposed to sit anymore." I turned looking around the room and my sisters flagged me down. I shot Elijah an apologetic look. "It appears I'm being confiscated." He smiled, raising his eyebrows playfully. "That's alright, I don't mind sharing." I chuckled as we parted ways and I made my way over to the table where my sisters sat. 

"Why hello ladies! How are you all today?" Five smiles and giggles greeted me as I sat down. Eirian cast a quick glance towards her brother and then ducked her head lowering her voice. “When is your date with Elijah?” I glanced over my shoulder at him and he waved playfully. “After dinner.” Eirian nodded and Aureliana set her fork down. “Good, we have time then. Mom wanted us all to get together and talk about the status of things. We were thinking we could do it between lunch and dinner if everyone had some free time.” I shrugged. “Sure, I’m free. What’s up?” Aimi shook her head. “Let’s wait until he had a more private place to talk.” I lifted my eyebrows curiously. “Is it that bad? Or that good?” Aureliana laughed, looking at me pointedly. “Why don’t you tell us?” I rolled my eyes. “Now don’t start that up or I’m taking off now.” Khittania bumped me with her elbow. “What’s she talking about?” I shook my head. “Does anyone ever know?” Aureliana opened her mouth but I shot her daggers and she changed her mind. We quickly ate, predominately in silence and then were preparing to leave when Azrael called for everyone’s attention. “We are going to take a quick break for a mandatory meeting. When you finish your lunches we’d like you to head to your respective dorms.” I shrugged and we made our way to what used to be the girls’ dorm.

The rest of my sisters had decided they were going to paint each other’s nails and toes while we were having this ‘meeting’ and I rolled my eyes, tucking my feet under me as I sat down. “No one is touching my nails. So what is this meeting about?” Mom smiled as she walked in, closing the door behind her. “We just needed to have everyone check in and give a status update of sorts.” I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” Mom leaned against the arm of the couch where I was sitting as my sisters began their pedicures. “There are six of you and no one wants to overstep their bounds when it comes to the guys. So we decided it would be good for everyone to take a few minutes and discuss who their interested in and see if we have any conflicts.” I shrugged. “That makes pretty good sense. But I’m not sure even the guys know what the current status is. I know I sure don’t.” 

Xoana leaned back against the couch looking at me casually. “I think the biggest concern is making sure we don’t upset each other. Especially since it’s pretty obvious that some of us like the same guys and you have quite a following right now.” I wrinkled my brows. “That’s not my fault and I’m encouraging them all to diversify their attention.” Aimi looked up at me nervously. “You are?” I smiled. “Yes sweetie. And I think what you have going with Amadeus is definitely a good thing.” She wrinkled her brow. “You do?” I nodded. “Right now I still have dates set up with Elijah, Zuriel and Lael. But I haven’t been able to get a withdrawal yet from Amadeus, Zuriel or Nathanael. I’m not saying I want those three specifically to withdraw, but there is no way I’m going to be able to handle six guys. Even two seemed rough.” 

Aureliana shifted uncomfortably and I tilted my head looking at her. “By all means stake a claim and I’ll send them your direction.” She looked down at the toe she was painting and then back up at me. “I’d like to try a date with Zuriel.” I chuckled. “I have a date with him in the morning. I’ll talk to him.” Eirian scratched her neck. “Why are you so cool about this?” I laughed. “Like I said, I have my hands full with more than I can handle. So who do you want?” She chewed her bottom lip. “I feel bad because I took Etienne from you already.” I laughed. “No you didn’t. He was yours from the beginning. Besides there’s eleven guys and six of us. You do the math, that’s one or two apiece and I’m more than willing to spread the love.”

My mom smiled looking down at me. “So who are you most interested in?” I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I like all six that are left, but I still have a few dates left too. Right now I feel the most comfortable around Elijah, Lael and Nathanael in no particular order.” Aureliana snickered. “Even after that steamy dream you had?” I shook my head. “I so wish you hadn’t been in the kitchen.” Mom looked down at me. “What dream?” I shook my head. “I had an actual dream, not a shared dream, about Lael.” Mom raised an eyebrow. “A steamy dream?” I groaned miserably. “Alright fine, it was a full on sex dream ok. A really, really good one.” I shook my head. “But that wasn’t really what threw me off about it.” Mom smiled. “So what was?” 

I shook my head knowing this was way more than I wanted to admit out loud. “Alright, so things were pretty intense and he stopped, pulled me close, holding me quite tenderly and called me love, when he asked if I was close.” My sisters giggled and my mom looked down at me with a soft smile. “And?” I shook my head. “I responded with, ‘Yes Lael, I am love.’ And then woke up.” I looked up at her and she nodded. “Something like that would be hard to shake.” I nodded. “It has been and I was freaking out about seeing him for the first time after the dream when I ducked into the kitchen in front of Aureliana.” I shot her daggers. “She almost gave me away too.”

Aureliana ducked her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was so intense.” I sighed. “I’m still nervous about going out on my date with him. Not because I think anything will happen, but because I don’t want to hold him accountable to a dream. One that I have no idea how I created something like that, because…” I stopped talking and shook my head looking up at mom. “Well, because I’ve never considered things like that. Especially not with him.” Mom walked around the couch sitting down in a chair. “Girls, these guys are their father’s sons. And that means they will make you think and feel things you never thought possible. And it’s ok to think and feel them. However I would like to offer a word of caution.” She paused and looked around at all of us. “You see how things have changed over the past three days. Don’t sell yourself short. Hold out until you know what you want for sure or you are going to end up hurt.”

I nodded and mom smiled. “So why don’t we get an official head count. Who knows for sure who they are interested in?” Xoana smiled. “I do.” Mom nodded. “Ok?” She cast a quick glance at me. “Seosamh and Salathiel.” Mom nodded again. “Is there a conflict with anyone on those two?” Five head shakes and mom smiled. “Anyone else?” Aimi cringed. “Me.” I smiled. “Go for it kid.” She nodded. “Matthias and Amadeus.” Mom looked at me. “Are you sure?” I shrugged. “I’m fine with it but I think she needs to convince Amadeus.” Aimi nodded and Khitt raised her hand. “I know.” We all laughed and mom nodded. “Zebulon and Bao.” She smiled. “Now that Meira and Xoana have freed them up.” We giggled and mom looked at my two older sisters. “And you two?” Eirian nodded. “Etienne and Nathanael, if Meira is alright with it.” I nodded. “Once again, you have to convince them, not me.” Aureliana looked down at her hands and then back up at me. “I’m really interested in Zuriel.” She frowned. “But also Elijah.” I nodded thoughtfully. “So no one is going to fight me for Lael then?” Five head shakes and I smiled. “Your loss ladies, your loss.” 

Everyone laughed and Mom looked at me. “So what do you want to do?” I shrugged. “I encourage you all to make your feelings known.” I looked at Aureliana. “That means you should tell both Zuriel and Elijah. Let them make up their minds too.” I frowned remembering what Elijah had said. “Can I offer a word of advice though?” Aureliana nodded. “Don’t be so high maintenance around Elijah, you make him uncomfortable and he’s afraid to approach you.” Eirian smiled. “You get him. I don’t mean that you get to have him, but that you understand him.” I nodded. “He just wants to be able to be close to someone. To be able to hold your hand.” I laughed lacing my fingers together. “I mean like this.” The room laughed as Aureliana looked at me strangely. “He wants you to feel comfortable around him. They all do. You can’t be afraid to touch them. Place a hand on their arm, lean your head on their shoulder, brush arms when you walk. That sort of thing. I think that’s why they all have wanted a date with me. I’m not afraid of them.” 

Mom grinned. “That’s exactly it Meira. They want to know that you are interested in them before they are willing to open themselves up to you. You all have so many options, but that means they can get easily dismissed.” Eirian shook her head. “When did you get so smart?” I giggled. “Did you also know that Nathanael plays guitar and is a great singer?” She shook her head. “No I didn’t. Did you know that Elijah is actually a pretty good dancer? But you’ll probably never catch him doing it unless you ask him to.” I smiled at Aimi. “Ask Amadeus to teach you about the pottery wheel.” I looked over at Aureliana. “And Zuriel… well… just try to keep your wits about you. He can be pretty intense too.” My mom sighed. “Well, I think that’s more than I wanted to hear. It looks like you girls have it all figured out. Just don’t be afraid to talk to each other as your feelings change.” We all nodded and she walked around the room, kissing each of us on the forehead. She kissed me last. “Can I have a word with you in private?” I nodded and followed her out onto the front porch.

“I noticed you never mentioned Zaaz.” I nodded. “I’ve got enough trouble with guys my own age. I don’t need to be breaking your heart also.” She wrapped an arm around me. “I appreciate that. But if your feelings change in that regard, please don’t be afraid to tell me. I’ll understand. Zaazanach is very easy to get addicted to.” She smiled looking down at me. “Just Lael by himself will be a lot for you to handle, but Elijah too? Just promise to think things through. If they are anything like their father’s, the end result will be well worth the wait, but a mistake could be devastating.” I nodded, throwing my arms around her. “Thank you for everything mom.” She hugged me back. “You’re welcome sweetheart.” I smiled up at her when she released me. “Do I have to go back in there? They are going to try and paint my toes!” She laughed. “Just poke your head in and say bye.” I nodded and did just that before dashing off towards the safety of my home, before my sisters and their wet toes could hobble after me.