The Mating Call

ELIA

She'd had a lovely dinner with Candace, and Gahrye had sat with her for a while too. The entire city was planning to attend what they called a Reading that night—apparently some kind of show where actors read a story in the amphitheater. Elia was eager to see it and share the experience, she'd yet to see entertainment in Anima. But staring at Reth's empty chair—again—for the whole meal had worn her out. The weight of his absence pressed her down. There was still no news about where he was, or why he'd been gone for so long. And the worried burrowed under her skin. She'd barely slept the night before, thinking of all the things that could have gone wrong, and stroking the furs where he last lay. She'd even given in and curled up on his sleeping platform, just to be close to his smell.