61. Rob

61

ROB

M ia opened the door and stepped outside, holding it open for Rob. "The best way to get to know everyone is to hang out in the café." She smiled apologetically. "I don't feel like cooking when Toven is not home. Usually, I go to my grandparents, who live right over there," she pointed at the next house over, "But they are not back from their weekend in the city, so that leaves the café."

"I don't expect you to cook for me, Mia. I feel bad enough about staying with you and Toven." He frowned as the rest of what she'd said registered. "Your grandparents moved with you into the immortals' village?"

"Of course." She closed the door behind him. "After all they have done for me, I couldn't just leave them. They like to spend time with their friends, though, so on the weekends, they usually go to their old house."

Following her down the winding path, he shook his head. "If your grandparents can get to know about immortals and join you in the village, why didn't Margo tell me about what had really happened to her instead of making up a story about witnessing a mafia crime and being in the witness protection program?"

Mia smiled another apologetic smile. "It wasn't a story. Not all of it anyway, and she couldn't tell you anything as long as you were with Lynda. Also, Margo's transition was very recent, and mine happened more than a year ago. I've had much more time to process everything and make arrangements for my grandparents to move into the village. But my biggest advantage over Margo is Toven. Aside from being a powerful compeller, he's also the Clan Mother's cousin, and he took responsibility for my grandparents."

There were still so many pieces of the story Rob was missing, but his head was already spinning from the whirlwind of revelations and changes that had swept through his life in the past twenty-four hours, and he wasn't ready for more.

Walking beside Mia through the winding paths of the village, he tried to make sense of the surreal situation he found himself in.

Yesterday, he had been about to be married. His life had been mapped out in comfortable if somewhat stifling certainty, and today, he was walking through a secret community of immortals, contemplating his own potential for eternal life.

The village was beautiful, with small to medium-sized homes that varied only a little in style and had been very obviously designed by the same architect and built about the same time. There were no streets or roads, just meandering paths steeped in lush greenery.

It was serene, and the few occupants they had passed on the way impressed him with the otherworldly quality of their grace and beauty, which made him acutely aware of his own mortality.

"That's the famous café." Mia gestured to an area located in the sprawling village square that was sectioned off with low shrubs. "That's the best place to meet people and get a feel for the community."

As they headed toward the small building in the center, where two dark-haired women were serving cappuccinos and pastries to a long line of patrons, the rich aroma of coffee and freshly baked goods enveloped Rob.

"Is it always this busy?" he asked.

Mia laughed. "This is considered a slow time. You should see what goes on here at lunchtime."

Several of the patrons looked at him, their curious gazes lingering. He felt a flush creep up his neck, suddenly very aware of his outsider status.

"Let's get a table," Mia said.

That was easier said than done since there were none available.

"Mia." A dark-haired woman sitting at a table with another blue-haired lady waved them over. "Come join us."

They were both lovely but not nearly as striking as most of the other patrons. Were they human?

"Rob, I'd like you to meet Lusha," Mia said, indicating the dark-haired woman, "and Marina," she added, gesturing to the blue-haired one. "Ladies, this is Rob, Margo's brother and the newest addition to the clan."

Marina offered a warm smile. "Welcome to the village, Rob."

There was a spark of interest in Lusha's eyes as she looked Rob over. "It's nice to meet you."

As they settled into their seats, he found his gaze drawn to Lusha. There was something about her that intrigued him. She wasn't as beautiful as the other immortal ladies, and she wasn't as well put together as Lynda, but there was a keen intelligence in her penetrating dark eyes and a quiet confidence that seemed to radiate from her.

"How is Margo doing?" Marina asked. "I haven't seen her since the cruise."

He frowned. "So that part was true? She really was on a cruise?"

"Why wouldn't it be true?"

Mia chuckled. "Margo told her family that she was in the witness protection program because she had seen a crime committed and her life was in danger."

Lusha nodded her understanding, but Marina seemed lost.

"I don't understand," she said.

Lusha patted her hand. "I'll explain it to you later."

Marina frowned at her friend. "You weren't on the cruise. How would you know?"

"I know what a witness protection program is, so I deduced the rest."

When she launched into an explanation, Rob wondered why Marina hadn't known about it. Had she grown up in some cultish community where movies and television were not allowed?

"Now, I get it," Marina said when Lusha was done. "But Margo did not need to testify against the Modanas. It's not like the immortals reported them to the authorities for kidnapping her."

"What?" Rob lifted a hand to stop them. "Margo was kidnapped? I thought she had just seen a crime committed and had been whisked into the witness protection program until the trial."

Mia winced. "There is more to the story, but I think you should ask Margo about it."

"I can't." He threw his hands in the air. "Your fiancé took my phone and my laptop, which I need to do work. I have to put at least several hours in."

"Toven will bring them back after our tech guys secure them. He's in a council meeting right now, but he will do that as soon as it is over."

"Yeah, you told me so." He sighed. "I'm sorry for unloading my frustration on you. It's not your fault that my sister lied to me, my fiancé lied and cheated on me, and I was too dumb and naive to doubt their stories even though deep down I knew I should have."