The Two Sides of a Sword

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Are you ready?" Kofi glanced down at her as they neared his brother's home.

Well, room. Suite? It's still inside the compound, but it's large enough to host a family get-together, so it's not just like a hotel room or something. She nodded, tucking her wings a little closer to her body.

She had borrowed some clothes from the closet in her room in an effort to dress a little less raggedy than she had been of late. She didn't know what nice clothes looked like here, so she just took something similar to what she would have worn at home: loose skirt, plain shirt, neutral shoes. She had noticed all the shoes in her closet either went over the ankle, or had a latch around the foot, there weren't any plain flats. She deduced this type of footwear was designed for flying, so everything would need to be securely on their feet.

"Don't be nervous," Kofi said, nudging her with his wing. "It's just my family."

"I know." Sometimes I just can't help but be nervous though. "I'm sure they have a lot of expectations for me."

"They probably do, but you're going to exceed them all, so I wouldn't worry about it." He grinned at her as they stopped in front of a door and knocked. "Oh, by the way, this is my family we're talking about, so you're going to have to stop with all of the flirting with me. They don't need to know about all the time we spend alone on dates either."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me? I do not flirt with you. I'm not sure where you got that delusion from, but—" The door opened, cutting off her words and Kofi's laugh.

"Kofi. You're here practically on time. What a nice change," said the male valicara that was filling in the doorframe. He had the same nose as Kofi, but didn't seem that much older than him, so Rocki guessed this was a brother. "Savioress, what a pleasure it is to meet you." He bowed his head low. "I hope you are in good health?"

"Yes, thank you," Rocki said. "It's nice to meet you as well."

"Please, come in. Kofi will get you introduced to everyone." He stepped aside. Rocki didn't move, forcing Kofi to take the lead. She didn't want to have to stand there awkwardly, not knowing where to go. The house was bigger than her room, of course, with the same open concept, but it didn't feel much homier. Everything was pristine and clean-cut, with lavender being the chief color.

There were people scattered across the living space, adults and children. She had been expecting a bit more noise, but everything, including the little ones, was hushed.

"Kofi." An older female valicara greeted him, stepping forward to nudge his head with her own. Another male came to do the same.

"Hello, Mother, Father." He seemed a bit stiff, but there wasn't time for Rocki to dwell on it. "Everyone, this is Roxanne. Rocki, this is my family. My mother, Narloh and my father, Rek."

"Narloh'hofinat'ocushri'panre and Rek'desioklo'humina'barten," said his mother after bowing her head to Rocki. "Don't forget your manners, Kofi."

He frowned a little. "She's not used to valicaran names, Mother. I don't want to overwhelm her." He walked Rocki farther into the room before his parents could protest. Three adult valicara were lined up, one of them the brother who had answered the door. "These are my siblings. My eldest sister, Wish. The second eldest brother, Crem. And the third, my brother Shu." All three bowed their heads deeply. Rocki smile at them awkwardly. The children and spouses were introduced as well, but for the life of her, Rocki couldn't remember any of their names.

The children were dismissed after introductions to go play in another room while the adults sat down to converse. Rocki was given a chair, with Kofi on a couch to her left. She felt a bit in the spotlight as the family faced her.