Looking up, I realise our little threesome is now a fivesome, with two luminescent-scaled people standing beside Rivern.Silvers?Riverndoes not seem concerned by their appearance, so I take his lead, going for his outstretched hand.
When I’m out of Gideon’s grip, my heart slows, and a sense of forlornness washes over me. I frown and grip Rivern’s hand tighter.
The female before us, wearing nothing but a thin slip dress that ends at her upper thighs, moves to grasp Rivern’s remaining hand. My eyes involuntarily go wide at the sight, and an aggressive sound emanates from my throat—an almost growl, strange to my ears.
“I do not wish you harm, Seraph,” the female says. Up until now, I have been so transfixed on Rivern I have not noticed that the whispered voices around me are making sense to my ears. The words are a slithered glide over my skin. For the first time, I look at this woman properly. She stands a few inches shorter than me. Behind her scales are toned muscles, and as she blinks, her eyelids slide behind her skin, revealing blue irises that peer out at me.In an ethereal, beastly way, she is beautiful. The thought hits deep.
“My name is Dove,” I respond. “Why are you calling meSeraph?”Maybe if I can understand her, she can understand me?
The silver’s face splits into a wide grin. “You speak our language?” She exudes excitement.
I speak her language?
A God answers my question.“Remember, my power is now your power, Pet. This is one of the ways my power is showing through you.”
Fury’s news leaves me struck.I can speak other languages?Well, the Silver Sands language, at least. Truthfully, I can’t think of anything that would serve me better on this endeavour. It took me rotations to learn Ancient Fae for the Goddess’s song, and now, in a heartbeat, I can just talk to a completely different species. It’s crazy how suddenly life canchange. One day, you’re living in fear of the unknown world. The next, you’re speaking a language you never knew existed.
“Dove?” A concerned note spills from Rivern as he questions me. I squeeze his hand reassuringly, focusing on the female who seems way too familiar with my bonded.
“Yes, I can speak your tongue.”
Moyrie’s face is utterly glued to mine, eyes wide. The whispers around us grow louder and louder.
“She has come.”
“The Seraph.”
“She rode on the red dragon’s back. She is the one.”
“She speaks our language.”
The female in front of me takes my hand. “I knew you would come one day. He said you would, and I just knew it would be in my life cycle.” I let her take my hand—better mine than Rivern’s—and she wrenches me forward. With Moyrie’s hand now firmly in mine, I feel the softness of her scales. How they cool my clammy palm, making me want to grip onto her tighter.
Pulling Rivern behind us, we are soon forming a parade around Saff, leaving my intimate in the circular, open-air space surrounded by silvers. I pause, looking into red eyes. “Go. I will be safe,” she answers my unsaid question within my mind. The worry about leaving her behind gradually recedes at her words. I nod swiftly before Moyrie tugs my hand, pulling me and Rivern through the white curtains of a creamy-toned building by the dais. A stern-faced Gideon follows closely behind.
three
Dove
Asunkensittingarealiesbefore us, carved from the same sandstone the kingdom seems to be built from. Sheeted light material moves in waves above us, blocking the heaviness of the suns’ rays. The overall colour palette is bland, yet it makes the shimmering scales of the Silver Sands people stand out even more. Rectangle-shaped windows are carved into the opposite wall, allowing sunshine to bring the sitting area to life. A soft tinkling of copper chimes can be heard from just outside the door.
When my eyes narrow in on the plush cushions lining the sunken steps that circle a round, low table, my first thought is,I wonder if theywill notice if I take a nap on those cushions?The events of the last few turns are a hundred percent catching up with me as the comforting embrace of a resting place comes into view. The two Silver Sands individuals lower themselves onto the cushions, effortlessly relaxed, eyeing my small entourage.
I notice two servers along the back wall holding trays with a light green liquid, my body giving an involuntary shudder at the sight.Are they expecting us to drink that?
“Sit, sit.” Moyrie motions towards the cushions in front of them, surrounding a low table. I still, hesitating, stopping the indomitable force of the shifter behind me, close enough to feel his dyre wolf heat.
Rivern, showing no concern over these people, pulls me into the proffered space. His confidence in our safety here fills me with contentment, relaxing my body.Here I was worried that he would be angry over me leaving Terra.Nothing could be further from the truth. Upon seeing him on that dais, surrounded by the silvers, pure joy had washed over me. It was just as much my joy at seeing him safe and unharmed as it was his own at seeing me similarly.
Sitting on an upper ring of cushions, Rivern pulls me next to him, tucking me into his side while Gideon stays by the door. Directly opposing us lies my other reason for being here, Moyrie, and an older male, the creases around his eyes giving off some seniority. Otherwise, it is hard to gauge his age with his lack of hair and luminous scales. There is a softness around the eyes that speaks to turns of movement. The one thing I think I do have correct is his sex—he wears a cloth only around his lower half.
The male motions towards the servers, and they bring everyone seated a glass of the strange green liquid. Soft lips grace my ear, whispering, “Just sip. That stuff is strong.”
I nod, looking down at the glittering liquid. If it weren’t for its green tinge, I would’ve mistaken it for water since it has a see-through quality. The two slitted-eyed silvers take a big gulp, forked tongues making an appearance. Instinctively, I press into Rivern’s side, our bond humming at the closeness, my nose sucking down his sunshine comfort.
Rivern takes a small sip, and then everyone looks expectantly at me. The impulse to please these people is strong. Following Rivern’s lead, I bring the brass cup to my lips, sniffing. Surprisingly, the drink reminds me of sour apples. I take a sip, suppressing the urge to screw my face at the initial sourness before I feel a wash of sweet syrup coat my throat.Not bad. I could drink more than a sip. The urge to take a gulp, like I saw the sparkling people in front of me do, is a real struggle. Instead, I place it down on the short table, buffering us from the silvers.
Wide smiles come from the people on the other side. Moyrie speaks, “You like?”
