At first glance, it didn't look as if the brothers spent a lot of time together, especially when it came to dinner. But as they all sat down to take their seats at the table, Alauria noticed the familiarity and routine the men seemed to have. Charisma was in control of the kitchen, cooking dishes Alauria had only seen in high class magazines. Jameson dutifully assisted her, while occasionally stopping to take breaks to murmur about a regular assistant Charisma had sent on vacation. Alexis and Lindsay set the table silently, and Liam grumbled as he learned that he would have to do the dishes for the third time in a month. Alauria volunteered to help, but was quickly denied by Alexis who used the excuse of her health to keep her seated. She felt fine and made sure to argue the fact, but there was no use in arguing with someone who made her feel like a five-year-old with one simple look, especially when he had his brother for back-up. So she sat and watched the family, yearning for a moment with her mother. Soon. She would see her mother soon and life would be a bit more normal than it currently was.
"Where were you just then?"
Alauria blinked herself out of her self-induced trance and smiled at Jameson's curious expression to mask her embarrassment. "I was just thinking about my mother."
"It's been a long time since I spoke to someone who had one of those." Jameson paused for a moment as he thought about the many beings he knew. "Well, a human one, anyway."
She smiled again at the sparkle in his grey eyes, as it helped her become a little less homesick. Jameson's welcoming and easy-going nature surely made him her second favorite brother, and someone she knew she'd make fast friends with. "I thought that you guys didn't get out much other than to go kill things that go bump in the night."
Liam snorted as he said, "Not Jameson. He shops more than a spoiled housewife."
Alauria smiled at Lindsay's laugh and appreciated the way Jameson let the insult roll off his shoulders. "There is nothing wrong with shopping."
"It's kind of weird when every person at every store in the mall knows you by name." Charisma gave Alauria a sideways glace as she placed a platter of salad on the table and tried to asses her mood. Alauria looked cordial enough, but one never knew.
"What are you complaining about?" Liam asked, "You're the one he shops for half the time."
"You should take some notes," Alauria said to Lindsay. She grinned at his loud laugh, then winced at the dull ache at the back of her head.
"Dinner's ready," Charisma said as she lifted another platter of food off the cart she'd wheeled into the dining room. She waited for the men to settle themselves before serving them and made sure to give Alauria a wide berth. She ignored Jameson's raised eyebrow; while he'd believed what she told him, he was positive that Alauria was harmless.
The second the food was placed in front of her, Alauria felt her stomach lurch in protest. She found it odd, considering the dishes looked and smelled wonderful. She decided to focus on anything but the food until the nausea passed, and found herself taking in the atmosphere of the dining room. Warm but attention-seeking red walls were beautifully accented by the white pained trimmings and ceiling. Just above the large mahogany table was an iron chandelier that utilized actual candles for effect. Large, scenic paintings adorned the walls and contrasted the mahogany triple curio cabinet that wonderfully displayed the sparkling silver. On top of it was a seemingly gleaming silver tea set. Along the opposite wall rested a bar cabinet which no doubt held expensive bottles of liquor. Behind Alexis' seat, wide French doors were propped open to let in the flower scented air from the garden. Alauria finished her mental tour of the room by glancing down at the large Asian rugged docked beneath the table. The room was enough to make royalty envious. The men sure knew how to spend the massive amount of money they had.
She breathed a sigh of relief as the nausea finally faded. With a victorious smile, she patiently waited for her queue to begin her meal and hoped that she didn't have to fight another bout of nausea. "Do you do a prayer or anything like that before you eat?"
"No," Liam answered with a sarcastic grunt.
"If you'd like to, you're more than welcome," Alexis said. He'd noticed the way Alauria's eyes narrowed at Liam's remark and took it upon himself to run damage control.
"No, I was just curious." There was a sizzle that went up her spine as she stared at Liam. For some odd reason, she only seemed to become more annoyed by his presence. His eyes were too blue and she itched to scratch the sarcastic look out of them. His hair was too bright as well; it looked like copper and almost hurt her eyes. And his skin was too pale; he was almost transparent.
"Is there something wrong?"
Alauria looked over at Alexis and smiled to cover the small flush that took over her face. "No, nothing. I guess I got lost in my head for a minute there."
"You're not feeling sick again, are you?" Lindsay reached over to take hold of her hand in the event he had to take her back upstairs. Alauria looked fine, but that didn't mean that she wasn't hiding anything. "You want to go back upstairs?"
"No, I'm fine, I promise." To prove her point, Alauria took a bite out of her food. A second later, she had to fight to keep the food in her mouth; she forgotten to make sure it was cool enough to consume first. Alauria heard Jameson cough back a laugh to spare her feelings and her cheeks burst into a fierce blush in response. Yes, she certainly was a poised one.
Lindsay merely shook his head as he went back to his food. While he enjoyed the meal, he wasn't used to eating more than once every few weeks. But Alauria wanted to know his brothers, which meant he would eat and allow her to bond with his family.
"Why the hell didn't you call me before?"
"What?"
Liam ignored the confused look on Lindsay's face as he said, "You said she was sick before. Why didn't you call me?"
"She was fine when I checked on her," Lindsay replied.
"What the fuck is the point of having the ability to heal if none of you sons of bitches call me when someone is unwell?"
"I would say it would be to sit there and look pretty, but that would imply that you're attractive in some way."
Lindsay stared at Alauria in shock. The silence in the room told him that everyone else was in much the same condition. Alauria's complexion had gone pale, telling him that she wasn't feeling well again, but it was the confusion on her face that had him worried. "Alauria?"
