Felaf raised her fists. “Raithe isn’t the only skilled warrior, remember?”
Then it clicked. “I was wondering who taught Letti. She’s deceptively violent.”
“Oh, she was born that way. I simply help sharpen her claws.”
“And what do you get in return?”
Felaf merely shrugged. “She listens.”
I was about to ask what it was that Letti listened to when we reached the public bathhouse. It consisted of a grand circular design with elegant columns encircling a deep central pool. Scorpion symbols were etched into nearly every crevice. The space was adorned with statues of Scorpio, terra-cotta urns, and draped seating areas illuminated by the light pouring down from the open roof above.
Dozens swam or lounged along the sides, basking in the sun. Some in robes, some partially clothed, some fully nude. Even in winter, it was still mild enough at midday to swim without beingtoocold. The people paid us no attention as we neared, and I couldn’t help but admire their contentment. They swam in the water for the sake of enjoyment, not necessity.
A group of people clustered nearby with instruments, their sounds blending together to create a soothing and lively melody. I drew closer, enraptured as one strummed a lyre in their hands, one with a tambourine-looking object, and two others blew on an instrument resembling a flute.
“What’s that they're playing?” I pointed to the two musicians at the end.
“An aulos,” she identified. “Quite a reedy sound, isn’t it?”
It was utterly enchanting. “I swear I’ve heard it before, but I’ve never seen that particular instrument in Gemini.”
“Not surprising. That and the drum-like one, the krotala, are native to the southern realm, made from the sycamore trees that grow here.”
The sounds produced between these two instruments struck something in me. It was beautiful and melodic, soft as a breeze and profound as a lake. Then it dawned on me—Ihadheard such music before: in the wind. How remarkable to finally identifyone of the instruments that inspired the magical breeze, if that was even how it worked. Most days I was content to simply listen to it without questioning, but there were others like today where I wished my grandparents had known more about the nature of our familial gift.
A group of dancers moved fluidly, gracefully, and without abandon. The scene reminded me of how I must have once looked, lost in my own world when caught in a symphony of wind or rain. I missed that feeling.
A young girl ran up to me despite her mother’s objection, inviting me to dance with her. She appeared the same age as the desperate, starving boy. I swallowed past the emotion obstructing my throat in remembrance of him. Obliging the girl, I lowered my scarf to smile warmly at her mother, showing I meant no harm. My body was curious about the foreign music, eager to dance and be free from the weight on my shoulders.
The rhythm guided the dancers’ hips and shoulders. Unlike Gemini, where tunes were lively and often resulted in skipping or jumping into the air, this was rooted in flow and ease. Surprisingly, many of the movements I learned from Yarah and Allory as the Black Rose fit perfectly to this music.
My stomach soured thinking of the blonde-haired snake.
I ignored the unwanted thought and returned to my body, feeling lighter than I had in a long time. It may not have been a normalized occupation, but my body wasbornfor this.
Even some of the bathers in the thermae moved to the music, as if they couldn’t help themselves. Just like I couldn’t help myself, either.
The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning: the music, the dancing, the nearby swimmers and onlookers, the painters from the gallery… Everyone's passions and dreams centered around water. Water was not a basic necessity here, it was awayof life,and one that I’d lived without even knowing. My love for dancing in the wind, in therain, had been with me from the start.
Deep down, I’d always been Scorpion.
This was my home now, my people, my… queendom.
There was so much I still needed to learn about it, but whatever it meant to be Scorpion was worth protecting. Just not at the cost of so many other lives lost. There had to be another way to bridge the disparity besides Maryn’s dividing oversight.
There was, of course.
By becoming a queen.
The glimmering surface of the thermae’s water caught my attention. I stared at it, listening for a voice or a feeling orsomethingthat would resemble the call ofhudroI was supposed to find. I’d loved rainstorms and baths growing up, but that was all they’d been to me. Nothing as significant as the wind.
I was standing in my own way, as Gregorios so kindly reminded me every day. I didn’t understand what that meant.I’d accepted my new life, hadn’t I?Raithe had helped me connect with—and face—the parts of myself that I was ashamed of from my life in Gemini. He saw them and didn’t look with judgement, but acceptance. Wonder, even.
Or so I’d thought. Given his solitary nature, he was likely scared by what we’d almost done—he’d never experienced such intimacy before. But that didn’t justify his cruelty. Not after what we’d shared and the friendship we’d formed. It went beyond that of a guardian and his princess.
A small black critter crawled near our shoes. I screamed, lurching backwards. Felaf spun me around and assumed a defensive stance. She sheathed her sword before chortling at the sight that had caused me alarm.
“It’s a scorpion,” she announced to me and the alarmed dancers nearby. “Plenty of those around here. My mother thought it meant good luck, while my father believed it to be anomen if one crosses your path. Either way, it’s a sign that our Astral is nearby.” Felaf looked around diligently.
