The Girl Who Fell From The Sky - Rebecca Royce Page 0,44
and Orlis.”
Dreama rolled her eyes at this, and I was sure there was a story, probably an amusing one, but Farrin didn’t tell it. I’d have to ask Birdie about it later.
A third woman, who hadn’t spoken yet, offered a shy smile.
“You can call me Nina,” she said. “I’m bonded thrice, similar to your four, and reciting all their names every time I meet someone would be exhausting. That’s one thing to know, I suppose—your role in our City-State and to some extent your social status are dictated by tradition, but although our men use words like ‘claim’ and mark you with their numbers, they do not own you as they own cattle. Neither do they make claims for the purpose of politics or power.”
“Tell Sorcha that,” Dreama muttered.
Nina smiled and went on, “When a woman is claimed by one or many, she becomes his responsibility and purpose. His heart.” She flattened one palm over the center of her chest. “To some extent, your bondeds serve you. It is their goal to see you content and safe.”
“That isn’t exactly how they’ve presented the situation,” I said.
Nina laughed, and it was the sweetest, most musical sound. I wondered if she was a poetry-singer like Astor. “We are talking about Torrin and Astor, are we not? I can imagine how those two have described your situation.”
Dreama joined in the laughter. “That’s why Torrin wanted you marked right away,” she explained. “To protect you. He knew that he was essentially committing the rest of his life to your comfort and security. He always leads with his heart, poor brother.”
“But he offered all that, right off, to an alien who fell from the sky?” I said before I could stop myself. “That’s insane. He knew—he knows—nothing about me, not even whether we will get along.” So far, we weren’t doing just fantastic at that, Torrin and me.
Nina and Dreama exchanged a look.
“What?” I asked.
Dreama shook her head, but Nina responded carefully, “When our men engage in battle for the right to farm Eden, many of the rules are put aside. Raiders, Reamers… The dangers are everywhere. A pair bonding, the marks on your arm, is sometimes the only thing that keeps women from being kidnapped or sold or worse.”
I didn’t want to hear about the worse. I shuddered. “I should thank him, I guess.”
Dreama let out a scoffing laugh. “If you want to surprise the hell out of him, do just that.”
“If what you’re saying is true, he just—they all just committed their entire lives to keeping me safe, even though they had no guarantee I wasn’t a spy or a biological weapon. That’s a lot.”
Nina raised her brows and nibbled a corner of the sweet bread. Took her time. Swallowed. “I don’t know, if a potentially game-changing weapon fell from the sky into my lap, I’d want to put my numbers all over it right away, before somebody could steal it.”
She probably didn’t mean that to be as deflating as it sounded.
“But all of them?” Dreama said. “I could see your point if just Torrin had put his numbers on her, but there was no reason for Astor and Mattis and Nox to do so, too.”
Nina’s eyes widened, and her mouth formed an O, but before she could say anything, Birdie flitted back to our group and plopped down in her seat with a whole new armful of cloth pieces for her quilt. She made a thin woo sound and giggled. “Those are your four? Girl, you weren’t claimed because of your mysterious flying transport or weapons. If those particular men all put their numbers on you, this is something else, something much funner. You’re gonna… So who’s got first night?”
I was going to what? “Torrin. But I spent last night with Astor.”
Farrin sat forward. “Before you wore his marks and while you were just marked by Torrin?”
“Yes.” I made eye contact with Dreama, who winked at me. Why did she do that? “But I guess technically tonight is the first night.”
Nina smiled. “Have fun with that. I hear Torrin commands attention, not just on his throne. Hearts are breaking in the City-State tonight. And as for what they think versus what will happen… Give it a little time, Bianca. They’ve never had a woman bonded to them before. Nox will get it correct right away. He’s sweet. Good to his family. Loyal. Mattis may not trust it, and Dreama’s royal brothers will stumble around for a while. That is my prediction.”