The Lost Animas (The Ammonite Galaxy Series, Book 5)

Chapter 2

DIVA STARED AT the sorry group standing in the ante­chamber and her eyebrows nearly reached the ceiling dome.

"Honestly?" she said. "Honestly? You couldn't manage to stay out of trouble for just one afternoon?"

Six was eager to tell her about it. "Yes, but you should see Tartalus, he—"

She narrowed her eyes. "You PROMISED!"

"Yes, but Diva—"

"Do you even know what a promise is, no-name?"

"He started it! It wasn't my fault! What did you expect me—"

"I expected you to behave like a consort!"

Six stopped and fell quiet. He thought for a few moments, and then it was his turn to start to seethe. They could tell that a dark anger was surging through him by the slight tightening of his jaw. He took a deep breath. "Then you should have known better, shouldn't you? After all, I'm only a Kwaidian untouchable, right?"

Grace, who had been standing to one side with Cimma, touched Six quietly on the sleeve to make him stop talking. This conversation was going nowhere, she felt, and was not the right topic immediately before the reinstatement ceremony.

"I gather it was unavoidable, Diva," she told her friend. "From what I hear, Tartalus really did start it."

Diva looked angry. "But they could have walked away, couldn't they?"

Grace giggled at the expressions of disgust on all the men's faces. "Would you have walked away?"

Diva looked torn, and then gave in. "All right, I suppose I wouldn't."

She gave a sniff. "But you had better all put those robes on. And pull the hoods up this time; it might help to hide some of the damage."

Six tried to appease her. "You look very smart!"

"I wish I could say the same for you!" Her glance took in all of their battered faces, which now sported bruises of all sorts of colours.

"Yes, but Diva ... you should have seen the other guys!"

She looked at him. He was unrepentant.

"—What? You can't be saying I shouldn't have fought for you!"

She sighed. "I suppose not. But you might at least sound sorry."

Six duly hung his head, exchanging grins and a grimace with Ledin behind his hand.

"Well, come on, we're late for the ceremony," Diva told them, not without a suspicious look in his direction.

They shuffled into the magmite chamber after her, Tallen falling in beside his sister, who was looking jealous.

"And I missed all the fun," Petra whispered fiercely. "Next time, you can take the Mesteta bath!"

Tallen put his chin up, deeming her comment unworthy of reply. They both looked around the chamber with distaste. Any of the rich wall hangings around the walls would have kept one of the clans for a year.

THE MIXED GROUP who trailed in behind Diva were not the only ones who were reluctant to attend the ceremony, it seemed. Tartalus was sitting rigidly in his appointed seat, a large bandage covering his nose, and an expression of utter contempt on the rest of his face. Maximus was peering over at the various members of the group, clearly finding them lacking, and Indomita seemed absolutely horrified at their appearance, shooting a look of total incomprehension at her daughter.