32. Marina

32

MARINA

W hen Marina collapsed into the passenger seat of Peter's car, her body was exhausted, but her spirit was exhilarated. The trunk was filled to bursting with shopping bags, a testament to the whirlwind day of indulgence they had spent.

Growing up in Igor's compound, shopping had been as foreign to her as the idea of freedom. Her life had been simple, defined by her duties and designated place in the hierarchy. The funny thing was that, at the time, she hadn't considered her life terrible. She had known her place and what had been expected of her, and as long as she'd toed the line, she was safe. Others in the compound hadn't had it any better, not the humans anyway, and even the Kra-ell had lived modestly, including Igor himself. He had been a glutton for power but not for luxury.

It was so easy to get used to all the good things Peter introduced her to. The lovely big house was professionally decorated, with a comfortable bed that felt like sleeping on a cloud. And now the shopping extravaganza had been so over the top that Marina was having difficulty internalizing the amount of money Peter had wasted on her. A village could buy food for a month with that kind of money.

Still, it was his money, and he didn't owe it to anyone. He had earned and saved it, and if it made him happy to spend it on her, she would oblige him.

As Peter glanced at his watch, his brow furrowed. "We will have to rush things a bit to make it in time to By Invitation Only ." He looked at her with a smirk. "And we do want to make it on time. They are very strict about that. If you are not in their parking lot at the scheduled time, they will not wait for more than fifteen minutes."

Marina wanted to ask why they were meeting someone in a parking lot to go to a restaurant, but she didn't want to appear too provincial.

Besides, she didn't have the energy. She was tired, and the prospect of dressing up and going out to a fancy restaurant seemed daunting. Not that she was going to say a thing. Peter had gone to a lot of trouble planning this day for her, but he had forgotten that she was human with human limitations and reserves of energy. Nevertheless, she had no intention of disappointing him and putting a damper on the magic.

Summoning a smile, she pushed down the fatigue and focused on the thrill of anticipation. "I can't wait."

Peter wasn't fooled, though. He was too attuned to her to fall for the brave face she put on. Reaching over, he took her hand. "Shopping is hard work." He sighed dramatically. "I suggest that you recline the seat and nap on the way home to recharge your batteries for tonight."

That was a good idea, but it wasn't as easy as just closing her eyes. "Can you thrall me to feel sleepy?"

Peter hesitated. "I'd rather not. I don't take thralling lightly, and I don't do it casually. I can sing you a lullaby, though."

Marina didn't want him to do anything he wasn't comfortable with, so she reclined her seat, curled on her side, and closed her eyes. "I'd like to hear you sing."

Not surprisingly, Peter had a beautiful singing voice. It was deep and velvety, and his pitch was perfect. In no time, she felt sleepy.

"Wake me up when we get home," she murmured.

As they merged onto the highway, Marina was carried away by the gentle rocking motion of the vehicle and the soft, steady thrum of the engine, and she let her mind drift,

Hovering on the edge of sleep, the word home echoed through her mind.

She'd lived in the village less than a handful of days, yet it felt more like home than any other place she'd lived in because she was with Peter, and Peter was her home.