I gulp back my surprise.By the wings, I can't do this, I will not do this. When the engagement decree was declared, I was but six. Bekine traveled out of here to rent out his services as a Deag' a, an elite blade-slinging mercenary, with not even a backward glance.

"Don't worry, Kam, he's got that effect on people. I'm glad that he's around this time, maybe he might pledge for someone." She winks knowingly at me, I just blink dumbly at her and Madi's disturbing ones, I stumble. A furious storm brews within them. He looked like he wants to murder someone.

I track his gaze to where Bekine stands. Smoldering gaze holds enough fire to devour me, was that even a good thing? I grin and wave at Madi, letting go of all inhibitions. Madi stood in front of the crowd watching me, a strange look in his eyes. My skin prickle with unease, the gazes of the two plastered on me. He grins and waves back, Buma gives him a seductive glance. He gave her a curt nod; in his hand, I saw lots of scarves.

He's got pledges from almost all the girls dancing here, except me. An orange one stood out from them. Well, he should choose Buma, and everybody in town knew that they would make a lovely couple. It is the expectation.

Then why does his face look like he had sucked on the bitter crab-wood fruit? The dance came to an end, and I hurried towards him, swaying a little. My body paying the price for indulging a little too much of keju, bring me hordes of Reapers I can handle, but a tiny cup of liquor I can't, oh the woes of being me.

"Hey."

"Hey, beautiful."

Beautiful? Was he feeling okay? Did he have too much Keju to drink? Was he coming down with something? The Madi I knew never calls me beautiful.

"I believe that we haven't been introduced yet gorgeous again?" a honeyed, silky voice that burrows in my skin rang behind me, Madi scowls, I whirled around and spy Buma with her brother in tow heading for us, Madi's grip on my wrist tightened, I made a face at him. But he didn't notice. Too preoccupied with directing corrosive, deadly stares at my chosen mate.

"I thought that it is time to meet again," Buma interjected, her demanding, seductive gaze on Madi.

"Hi."

His hand envelops my left one since Madi didn't want to relinquish my right one.

The drums start again, this time more seductive, a ripple of excitement went through the crowd, here comes the climax of the night. I watched the crowd part, and I stared at the staff with the blue fluttering scarf in the middle of the crowd; I turned my gaze on Bekine, who took hold of my hand.

"I know that it's been some time since you heard from me, or seen a hide of mine but I pledge for you Kamili, I want to be yours, and you mine. Blood, bone, and flesh until the suns don't shine again until we cease to exist. My heart belongs to you and only you." He slips a bracelet shaped in the form of a falcon in flight, its wings outstretched tips touching an impossibly huge, blue Arkor-diamond winked down at me on my wrist. I open my mouth and close it, repeated the process all over again. He puts a finger on my lips.

My blood flamed, creating goosebumps all over my arms.

" You don't have to say yes yet, but can I please have this dance with you?"

I ogled the beautiful, exquisite, lush, expensive piece of jewelry on my wrist. As tradition demands, males have to give token pledges to their chosen or pledging mates. Dazedly, I nod at him, Madi hesitantly let go of my wrist reluctantly. I let Bekine lead me towards the bonfire, we joined the bodies of dancing pledgers when I glance back, Madi and Buma were nowhere in sight, knowing him he has taken her someplace where they could be alone. It was common for first-time mates to want to be alone, it's a start for paving the future. Would I want a future with him?

I stared at Bekine and don't know what to think. When I look at him, all reason flee out the window. He gave me a charming smile; I gave one back. My brain all cottony, feeling like my senses have been turned off. I stared at the pledging staffs, staffs with orange scarves scattered all over the pledging field, Buma sure has a lot of admirers. Another blue scarf fluttered forlornly in the wind.

Who pledged for me? And why would he? A second pledge? Who is it? My gaze went to my handsome chosen dancing with me, and I thought of why he would do such a thing? Pledge for me? The voice of reason asked. I need to find out who the second pledge belongs to, "I want to show you something."

"Would it be something good?" I ask my voice a little flirty and breathy.

"Close your eyes."

I gaze at him, my face showing my hesitance, he gave me a crooked smile." Trust me, I won't bite." He drawls out, pulls out a black scarf from his pockets, and blindfold me before I can even utter a word of protest. "Trust me, "he whispers again, his breath tickling my earlobe. I shiver.

He led me away from the festivities and farther into town. My hand in his guiding one, it only took some minutes, but to me, it felt like an eternity before he took my blindfold off, and I stared at the Aerie in all its glory.

Trees come into view, tall, wide, and majestic, heading towards forever. With thick, ropy-like vines hugging them, some hung down the branches kissing the ground. All around the trees were ladders of ropy-like vines cascading to the ground. I can never tire of seeing that. The feeling of watching the aerie is something I can never describe.

Something bright pulsed and flickered up in the air." What is that?"

"It's a surprise." Bekine jumps up a vine, swung up a branch, and soon was out of sight." Why don't you come up and find what it is?" his voice boomerangs down.

I grin and jump a vine, landing on a hollow branch, a blue flower lay at my feet, smiling I pinned it on my hair then climbed higher. Collecting the tokens of flowers he left behind. I couldn't wipe the giddy smile on my face, even if I had wanted to.

Each time I found one, I pin on my hair. I picked the last one and tucked it behind my ear lobe, Bekine jumps down, a blue flower in hand. "This reminds me of your eyes every time I see one, for you, beautiful." He hands me the flower, his finger touching mine, a jolt of electricity zings up and down my body. I held my gasp back.

"Thank you," I whisper, enchanted as I gawked at everything in awe. Hurricane lamps hung from vines, illuminating everything in gold and shadows, flimsy white curtains enclosed us inside, it felt intimate, a warm lover's nest. The moon shone down, bathing us in its silvery light. My gaze fell on the wooden telescope that hung from a vine, I moved towards it.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, When I open them, I was greeted with the star-speckled heavens, so many stars it took my breath away "Beautiful." I wondered if papa is one of  them. Our people believed that when we die, we ascend to the heavens to become one of the stars. That we never truly die, death was just a phase we have to pass through to become immortal and live on in the heavens as one of the stars.

"Yes, beautiful, but a greater beauty stands before me, something that nothing can hold a candle to. And my heart is but a slave to her desires."

I smile shyly at my chosen and held my breath as he came to stand behind me, his body blankets mine. Breathe stirring the fine hairs at my nape, arms wound around me, supporting them. I shivered.

For a second, it felt perfect like I have just found something missing, a vital part of me.

"Cold?" he pulled me closer to his body.

"Come, let's eat before it gets cold. I hope you are hungry because I'm famished. "The look Bekine gave me could set the Aerie on fire. He took my hand and lead me deeper into the treehouse, I sat on the soft carpet laid on the smooth surface of the branch, Something I haven't noticed while I was star struck by Bekine and the heavens, I stared at the sumptuous feast laid out on the carpet. It was a rainbow of delicacies, some I'm well acquainted with, and some I have never seen, taste or heard of before.

" I thought I would give you a taste of some of the dishes from my travels."

He washed my hands in the clay bowl, his fingers caress mine. I watched as he took an empty wooden plate and a wooden spoon.

First, he put spoonful after spoonful of the Findi; the steamed tiny grain that almost the whole town eats, on the plate, then came the chicken Domoda, groundnut soup with chunks of chicken meat floating in it, it tastes delightful, something I haven't eaten in so long, I wonder how he got ahold of groundnuts, even the well off would have to pay through their noses to get it. I widened my eyes at him when he scooped some with the spoon and held it towards me. Slowly I opened my mouth, and he put the spoon in. The spicy, hot taste had my taste buds in a frenzy. He hands me a plate, I stared at the honeyed-bread in wonder, then back at him.

" My treat."

I took a bite out of the honeyed-bread, closed my eyes. And moaned, I have gone to heaven and back, right now I don't care if a Reaper came running towards me, because I have reached the highest pinnacle." How is it?"

"It's divine," I whispered, taking another bite of the treat, savoring the taste of the honey, flour was not easy to come by, and honeyed bread is something only people like me dream of, only the rich could afford such luxury. Even they find it hard to get. Where in the name of the ancestors did he get his hands on honeyed bread? I took another greedy bite and chewed.

I stuffed the rest in my mouth as soon as I had enough room for more. Buma came hurtling upwards, tear-track marks on her face, her lower lip quivering.

Bekine took one look at her and took her into the next treehouse. I waited for him, something was going on, on a hunch, I stood up and sneak after them. "He does not want me, is she falling for your ploy?"

"She's eating out of my palm, soon, I will have her where I want her. She's attention-starved, a poor devil spawn. Who knew that all it took for the hell-spawn to feel loved is a little bit of attention?" Bekine's cruel words plunge a knife so deep in my heart that I took a step back, and let out a small sob into my palm, a hand on my chest, I knew that I don't love him or anything, but I can't believe that all that wooing was for his sister. "You think that I want her as a mate? My heart belongs to no one; I live only to make you happy. And it will make you happy to be with Madi."

"Turn on the charms; he wouldn't resist you, Buma. Has he pledged for anyone?"

"No! I don't think he did. But I can feel that he loves another, he will not talk about her to me. When the heart's given, it can't be revoked."

"Well, let him refuse you in front of the council when you bring your case tomorrow."

I knew the voice of reason that was questioning all he did was something that's not to be ignored. He had been making a fool of me all along, even though tradition dictates that I don't object on pledging eve until the next day unless I have more than one. Madi will have no choice but to accept unless he pledges for the mysterious girl Buma's talking about.

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