Raven's Return - Ruby Dixon Page 0,63

miss the person I pretend to be. "Um…"

U'dron pries Brooke off of me gently, stepping between me and the crowd of people who want hugs. "Let her sit and she will tell her story. She can hug and kiss afterward."

Flor giggles at that. "Do you think we all sit around kissing each other?"

"The French do," Brooke says helpfully. "Have you guys met Marlene? She'll kiss you on each cheek."

"I would like to meet this female," someone mutters.

"Yes," Penny exclaims. "Come sit. Callie and I made breakfast. Grab a bowl and make yourself comfortable." She gestures at the nearby seats with her ladle. "We're having shrimp tea and Icehome oatmeal."

"What's Icehome oatmeal?"

"It's spicy," Callie says helpfully.

"You like everything spicy," Sam grumbles. "Is there a less spicy version for the kids and those of us who don't need our sinuses cleared?"

Callie gestures at a tripod over the second of the cook fires. "The baby version is over here, yes." She grins at me, lifting her chin in a subtle challenge. "Which one do you want?"

I shrug. "I don't mind spicy." Other than the snack that U'dron left for me, I've eaten nothing but raw tentacles for the last few days. A few hot meals would be terrific. Callie makes me a bowl of food and hands me a carved spoon. It's a mush of some kind, probably made with seeds and chopped up roots. There's a lot of spices in it and a few leaves, and I stir it curiously. "It doesn't look very breakfast-like."

"Just eat it." She mutters something in Spanish that my translator doesn't catch and goes back to stirring. Penny's lips twitch and she looks over at me with amusement.

"Thank you, Callie. I'm sure it's spectacular." I can't help but keep my tone a little sweeter than it normally is, falling back into my old “routine” as Raven all over again. I take a bite of the gruel and cough. A surge of spices floods my mouth, followed by a burst of sweetness, and my nose immediately runs in response. "This is amazing," I tell her between bites of food. "If my lips don't burn off, I want seconds."

Callie just chuckles, nudging Penny. "I told you so."

"I didn't say anything!" Penny says, exasperated. "I said it was delicious! Sam is the one that said she didn't like spices."

I down another burning hot mouthful as U'dron moves into the seat next to mine. He hands me a cup of shrimp tea, and I gulp it down happily as Sam and Callie bicker over breakfast and Harlow's new baby begins to cry and Rukh gets up to soothe it. There are people everywhere, crowding around the fire, and I see Hannah seated with Brooke, taking braiding lessons as they both work on their mates' hair. I see Lauren feeding tidbits to K'thar's ugly pet bat-thing, and Farli brushing Chompy's fuzzy coat as she talks to her mate. Raahosh and Liz feed their children, and Bek and Elly seem as if they're in their own little world while Flor signals me, silently asking if I'm fucking U'dron and wiggling her eyebrows at me.

I bite back a smile, pretending to ignore her signals, and she tosses a tiny shell in my direction. It pings off of my calf and I fight back a girlish giggle as U'dron's tail curls around my ankle. Warming it, no doubt.

God, I missed all this. Being here on the beach with the smoke from the fire in my face and shrimp tea in my cup, listening to everyone chatter and talk over each other? I absolutely adore this. I love being around people. Love an audience. Love the wild conversations that spring up, and how everyone always has something to contribute. I know it can get overwhelming to some people like Mari or Hannah, but I love a crowd. I can't imagine living like Pak and Juth, with no one to depend on, no one else around you to lean on. It seems like hell to me.

R'jaal comes and sits across from U'dron and myself. He gestures at my nearly empty food bowl. "When you are finished, speak. We wish to hear the story."

My smile fades a little, but I nod.

U'dron growls at him, putting a possessive hand on my knee. "She will speak when she is ready. Do not rush her."

R'jaal frowns, leaning back. He exchanges a look with Raahosh, and then speaks again. "Is there a resonance we should know about?"

"No," I butt in before things