Made sense. What didn’t make sense was how disappointed his reason for hanging around made me feel.
Before he could sense my curious and confusing musings, I sidestepped him and headed toward the far door.
When I reached for the handle, he added, “And because I don’t trust human men around you. They swarm you. And it’s worse in clubs, under the influence of alcohol.”
“They donotswarm me.”
“Because your guards are tasked with keeping them away.”
“Well, it would be nice if they stopped doing that,” I huffed. “I’m not some helpless kid. I can take care of myself. Like you love to remind me, I’m the Trifecta.” I opened the door a crack, enough to peek behind it and make sure the ground beyond—hardwood . . .good, we weren’t back outside—wasn’t crawling with snakes. It wasn’t. “Seriously, Remo, I’d really appreciate it if you stopped alienating me from people.”
“It’s for your own safety.”
“Is it?”
As he approached, his lips jammed together.
“Is it for my safety?” I repeated.
He wrapped his hand over the edge of the turquoise wood and drew it wider. “A spiral. Your favorite.”
I guessed the topic of ostracizing Amara was closed.For now.“At least the stairs lead up.” I didn’t feel like spending any more time in a basement.
Slender openings had been carved into the coarse husk, acting as windows. As we plodded up the stairs, I glanced through one. The mist, which had been high overhead when we’d arrived, was now draped over the land making it seem as though thecalimborswere rooted in clouds.
“Do you think this is what Neverra looked like under my grandfather’s reign?”
Remo peered out one of the openings. “It’s exactly what it looked like. Have you never seen the paintings of our land from that time?”
“I saw some pencil sketches but never a painting. Where did you see one?”
“Grandfather has a couple in his home.”
“He probably misses the mist.”
I sensed Remo’s eyes on the back of my neck even though I was giving the wooden stairs my full attention, desperate to avoid another tumble.
“Believe it or not,prinsisa, my grandfather was opposed to the creation of the mist. He told your grandfather it was a mistake.”
I raised my gazeandan eyebrow.
“He said it would hurt the land, and it did. Crops took a hit. Thecaligosubibecame poor, which sparked uprisings.”
I knew our history as well as Remo. “Which were all squashed by thewariff.Yourgrandfather.”
“Under Linus’s orders.”
“Just because he was following orders doesn’t make it any less his fault. He gassed hundreds of men and women. Shut them incupolas.” Nima referred to them as the cage of nightmares. She would know since Gregor confined her into one to punish her after she’d been brought to Neverra. Even though for years, she hadn’t wanted to speak of her experience inside, I finally forced her to tell me about it. I wanted to know how she’d survived when so many hadn’t. “Probably shipped a bunch of them in here.”
Unsurprisingly, Remo stayed mute on the subject as we climbed. He knew where I stood; I knew where he stood.
The second floor of thecalimborwasn’t as fancy and modern as the apartments ground-dwellers now occupied in real Neverra, but it was nonetheless homey with its assortment of pale wooden furniture set against the same shade of turquoise as the shop. Iridescent seashells in all shapes and sizes decorated the walls of the bathroom. The sink was a ruffled clam and the bath shimmered as though made of crushed mother-of-pearl. I twisted the tap but didn’t hold my breath for running water.
When it gushed through the pipes, I exhaled a gasp and cupped a hand to gather some to drink.
“I can’t decide if you’re fearless or clueless.” Remo leaned against the doorframe, arms tied in a loose knot.
I drank whatever didn’t slide through my fingers. When I didn’t puff out of existence, I went for a refill. I used some to wash my face and rinse the blood off my ear. The scrape had already scabbed over.Mikostongues were thankfully more sandpaper than cheese grater. I picked up a turquoise towel embroidered with conchs and patted myself dry.
