These three closest friends were appealing with me to join them in their session with the Elites, which was, in a nutshell, a meeting for their families, most notably Ilya's parents. Ilya's face was aglow with a giddy smile as she pressed the palms of her hands together and brought them close to her breast. This action gave the impression that she was acting like a kid, despite the fact that she was already quite near to becoming an adult woman. On the other hand, Claire looked at me and pleaded with me as if I had no idea that she had seen me literally naked.

Argh! I should convince...