Dark Awakening: Echoes of Destiny (The Children Of The Gods #88)

8. Rob

8

ROB

R ob wandered through the winding pathways of the village, enjoying the cool, fresh air and the incredible quiet. With no cars and no heavy machinery, the only sounds were produced by nature.

He wasn't in a rush to reach the café and didn't even care if he was walking in the right direction. In truth, he was searching for the mysterious Kra-ell, but so far, he had only encountered immortals. They were all friendly, and no one seemed overly surprised to see a stranger in their midst, so he assumed that news of his arrival had already spread.

Mia had warned him that the village was a small community and that everyone knew what everyone else was doing, and that included who was spending the night in whose house.

Not that those nightly escapades were clandestine affairs.

The immortals were not shy about sex, and those in committed relationships did not stray, which Rob found refreshing. That alone would have been enough for him to want to become part of this community.

He'd vowed never to allow himself to be cheated on again, but since he hated to live with constant suspicion, his choices were to either never commit again or to live in a community where everyone knew everyone, making cheating nearly impossible.

If people wanted an open relationship, he had no problem with that, as long as they were honest about it and both partners agreed to the arrangement.

As a conversation in a foreign, guttural-sounding language drew his attention to two males working on the bushes lining the path ahead, he quickened his step.

The males had to be Kra-ell.

When he got closer, it took him a moment to register the differences. They weren't as alien looking as he had imagined, but they definitely didn't look human. Tall and very slim, they still looked powerful, and the fierce expressions in their enormous eyes were intimidating.

They wore their long black hair in low ponytails, secured at their napes with a cord. If not looked at too closely, they could pass for Asians or Native Americans.

Up close, though, the alien eyes gave them away.

"Hello." Rob offered a friendly smile.

Those strange eyes fixed on him with an intensity that made him squirm. They didn't return his greeting; they just stared at him with what seemed like suspicion and then gave him a curt nod before returning to their work.

Not very friendly now, were they?

Mia hadn't warned him about them being so intimidating.

No wonder people suspected the Kra-ell of the recent thefts and sabotage that Toven had told him about. They looked like they were planning their next attack.

Shaking his head, Rob continued on his way, this time intending to go straight to the café. After getting turned around a couple of times, he stopped someone and asked for directions.

Thankfully, he didn't encounter any more Kra-ell, and the smell of fresh coffee guided him the rest of the way.

A few people were seated at the outdoor tables enjoying the pleasant weather, and as he scanned the patrons, hoping to spot Lusha, he saw a woman who must be Aliya, sitting with a male who also seemed to be a hybrid Kra-ell.

Their appearance was striking. They were both slim and dark-haired, but their facial features were softened by their human genes, so they didn't look quite as alien as the purebloods he had encountered on the way.

Not wanting to stare, Rob forced his gaze to shift to the display of pastries. With the warm aroma of coffee enveloping him, he could almost pretend that he was in a normal coffee shop in Anyplace USA, but another quick glance in the direction of the hybrid Kra-ell couple shattered that illusion.

He ordered a cappuccino and a muffin, and as he waited for his order, he listened to the conversations at the nearby tables, hoping to overhear something useful.

"…do you know what the assembly tonight is about?"

"…the thefts, of course. Didn't you see the message on the bulletin board asking for the perpetrator to step forward?"

"…just don't trust the Kra-ell, never have…”

"…what if it's not them?"

"…then who?"

The undercurrent of tension was palpable.

Rob collected his order and found a small table in the back. Sitting down, he suddenly felt very alone in this bustling café full of immortals. His colleagues at work were his only friends, and now that he was moving into the village and probably quitting that job, he would have none.

And what would become of his parents?

Would the big boss allow them into the village the way he allowed Mia's grandparents?

Probably not.

Rob didn't have the sway of a powerful member of the community vouching for his relatives like Mia had in Toven.

As more murmurs about the Kra-ell reached his ears, his gaze drifted back to Aliya and her companion. They seemed oblivious to the gossip going on around them, so maybe they didn't think that the suspicions were directed at them.

Maybe only the purebloods were suspect?

Those he had encountered before looked dangerous, but he assumed that Mia would have warned him about them if they were, so what he had interpreted as hostility was probably just a cultural difference. Perhaps the Kra-ell didn't exchange greetings with a smile. Like the fictional Klingons in the Star Trek universe, they might prefer getting straight to the point instead of wasting time on niceties.