A door groaned open. A woman with cropped purple hair entered the room dressed in a simple black dress, carrying a tray. “Hi,” I croaked, surprised by the weakness of my voice.
The woman stopped abruptly. Her eyes widened. She said nothing.
I cleared my throat, then waved the leather wraps at her. “Are you able to explain these?”
She only stared.
Well, then. “Given the color black is everywhere, I assume I’m in Scorpio. I’m apparently needed by your seer.” I hopped to my feet. “I need… to…oh.” The blood rushed from my head too quickly. My vision darkened as I fell backwards onto plush cushioning.
Metal crashed against the floor, and moments later the purple-haired woman hovered above me with a displeased frown. Her lips moved, but a faint ringing filled my ears. Everything spun.
Purple Hair was suddenly joined by a fierce woman with tightly braided blonde hair cascading down both shoulders. She bore a black, sleeveless leather top fitted to her bodice with capped shoulders. Gold scorpion pins decorated a draping black cloak attached to the collar. It was an elegant yet intimidating uniform unlike anything I’d ever seen.
A uniform fit for a guardian, I determined, given the sun symbol in the center of her forehead. Her eyes were the same shade of gold as the man who brought me here, though her face was considerably softer than his. She exuded strength in a way that made me feel at ease.
As the ringing subsided, I realized both women were speaking. I could only discern the words “safe” and “hurt.”
“You’re in Scorpio,” the guardian said clearly. I wasn’t losing my mind. She looked at Purple Hair and held up a single finger at me, encouraging me to wait. She returned shortly with a smile on her face. In her hands, she held a familiar quartz crystal necklace.
“Here, sit up and put this on.” She reached for me, gesturing to sit up. “It might help with future conversations to come.”
I leaned onto my side. A bark of pain shot up my arms as I pushed upright. “That’s acommunica, right? I was wearing one earlier.”
“With it you’ll be able to understand anything we say, as we will understand you,” the guardian explained once the necklace was placed. “Communicasare more accurate the larger the quartz is cut, hence why they are mostly worn as necklaces. All stones, lesser or talismanic, are activated by metal, so that’s why stones are often worn as jewelry, rather than simply held in your hand?—”
“How about,” Purple Hair interrupted the guardian’s rambling, “introducing yourself first before spewing the entire history of common and lesser stones?”
She grinned fondly at Purple Hair before looking back at me. “My name is Felaf, and thischipperwoman is Letti. She’s been taking care of you.”
“I’m Rahzlyn.” I glanced at Letti, a lithe woman with fair skin and narrow eyes. Upon further observation, her hair appearedas vibrant as a lilac. A beautiful color, and one I’d never seen on hair before. “I suppose these bindings were courtesy of you?”
She scowled in response.
Felaf knelt beside the cushioned chair. “Don’t mind her. She’s all bark with little bite.”
“Comforting. Can either of you tell me what’s happened? The last thing I remember is flying on the back of a Pegasus with aninsufferableguardian.”
“It’s been a few days since you arrived. Two, in fact,” Felaf said. “Letti says you’ve been in and out of consciousness, but it seems this is the first time you are awake. The bindings were to keep you from scratching your wounds as they start to heal, which you were doing quite often.”
“Arrived where? What is this place?”
“The royal Scorpion palace,” Felaf said proudly. “Specifically, the royal observatory. Apologies for the inadequate sleeping arrangement. We needed to keep your arrival quiet and couldn’t risk moving you to the royal chambers just yet. Maryn is going toloseher mind soon enough once she finds out about you.”
So the language they’d been speakingwasScorpion. I suspected as much based on the slower and melodic pronunciation. Pahn had taught us the foundations of the other languages, but it had been a long time since I’d put any of them to practice.
“If I’m here, then where is he?” I demanded. “The guardian who brought me here.”
“Ah, Raithe. He’ll be back shortly. The sun is out, you see,” she said, pointing at the large glass window. “Solar guardians are required to stand watch during daylight. As soon as the sun sets, Raithe will join us. Though you’re safe in here due to the Astrals’ magic that wards this room.”
“Safe… from what?”
“Oh, all kinds of threats now that you’re a?—”
Letti nudged Felaf sharply as if in disapproval of all she shared with me. I cast aside my confusion aboutwardsand why Raithe would be in trouble when he so adamantly claimed he was tasked with bringing me here.
“I would like a word with your seer,” I said instead of asking any of the questions tickling my tongue.
“Of course, but I must insist you stay horizontal. You lost a bit of blood. A lot of blood. More blood than most. You almostdied?—”
