family.
Celaise glanced to Jerani. Well, maybe not so strange.
When the time came, Jerani picked up the urn. It shook with fox frenzy. They walked between the snoozing llamas, around the banyans. “Maybe it’s not a grove,” she said. “Maybe it’s one monstrous tree.”
“You think? Ah!” Jerani set down the fox’s urn to point. “There.”
Purple ribbons of light shone between the roots. A path of brightness led into the banyans. She could see it now, a way in.
Celaise smelled coconut oil frying, the same scent from last morning when the Lady of Gems had left behind her fox.
“She’s here,” Celaise said, “and worried about her pet.”
Jerani hoisted the urn. He held out his other hand to Celaise.
She took it, and the fine roots of her gloves pierced his skin. They dug through the meat of his palm, between his bones, and out the other side. He sweated a fine mist of cinnamon, but he didn’t cry out. He wouldn’t have even when his family had scarred his face. He was a warrior.
And he trusted her, too much. Just enough.
They went together into the glowing grove.
Celaise’s True Dress carried her between the last two pillars of roots and into a clearing. The place throbbed with purple.
Violet lotuses choked off a pond. There were no ponds in the jungle. All the water was in the air, or sinking out of sight toward the tree roots. But here was a pond. Between the water flowers, fish sparkled like jewels. Real gemstones piled around a shack, as high as its roof. They looked like amethysts, some as wide as bowls, most much smaller. The ones that shone brightest were closest to the Lady of Gems.
She wasn’t wearing the sack from that morning but a gown of jewel spirals. On her bare back sparkled diamond dust in the pattern of an octopus. It might’ve been a kraken. The lord father had mentioned something about a kraken. Maybe the lord and lady had more in common than Celaise had guessed.
“You and I first met in Oasis City,” the Lady of Gems said without glancing up. “Where you were of no use whatsoever.”
“Don’t think I’ve seen you before,” Celaise said.
“I was with an industrious young man with a sword. He’ll likely be at the wedding.” With a cracking sound, flecks of rock drifted up above the lady’s head into a floating ball. “The next time we crossed paths in Jaraah city. You were together then but still did nothing for my predicament. I was a prisoner.”
Jerani cocked a brow at Celaise. She shrugged.
“All is forgiven, however. You have brought my fennec.” The Lady of Gems spun about. Between her hands glistened a slab of amethyst. It flew to the top of a pile of crystals each with the same pointed shape. Like big spearheads.
The lady leapt and glided to the fox. She took it into her arms, and it started a singsong ruckus. She fussed over the worthless creature. The fox had tormented Celaise and Jerani for weeks, but it was adorable in the lady’s arms with its puff tail and bitty black claws. Each fuzzy ear was bigger than its head.
A dragonfly darted by, catching a mosquito out of the air. Another streaked past in a line of purple.
Jerani wandered off, flexing the hand Celaise had burrowed her roots into. They had slipped back out and left his flesh whole. She would never harm him. No one would hurt him. He tapped his fingers against his chin, looking at the mounds of gemstone.
He had turned his back on the Lady of Gems. Celaise wouldn’t do that. The lady hadn’t been right. They never had met. Celaise had never seen a woman with jewel-studded arms. The lady had a pull to her. It was like she was at the center of a pit, and you couldn’t help falling toward her. Celaise’s insides slid forward. She had to lean back for balance.
The lady’s dress wasn’t a total embarrassment. The gossamer would be like wearing a veil over the body, with gemstones filling voids in the fabric. The stones spiraled inward, smaller and smaller, as if descending into a
Celaise glanced to Jerani. Well, maybe not so strange.
When the time came, Jerani picked up the urn. It shook with fox frenzy. They walked between the snoozing llamas, around the banyans. “Maybe it’s not a grove,” she said. “Maybe it’s one monstrous tree.”
“You think? Ah!” Jerani set down the fox’s urn to point. “There.”
Purple ribbons of light shone between the roots. A path of brightness led into the banyans. She could see it now, a way in.
Celaise smelled coconut oil frying, the same scent from last morning when the Lady of Gems had left behind her fox.
“She’s here,” Celaise said, “and worried about her pet.”
Jerani hoisted the urn. He held out his other hand to Celaise.
She took it, and the fine roots of her gloves pierced his skin. They dug through the meat of his palm, between his bones, and out the other side. He sweated a fine mist of cinnamon, but he didn’t cry out. He wouldn’t have even when his family had scarred his face. He was a warrior.
And he trusted her, too much. Just enough.
They went together into the glowing grove.
Celaise’s True Dress carried her between the last two pillars of roots and into a clearing. The place throbbed with purple.
Violet lotuses choked off a pond. There were no ponds in the jungle. All the water was in the air, or sinking out of sight toward the tree roots. But here was a pond. Between the water flowers, fish sparkled like jewels. Real gemstones piled around a shack, as high as its roof. They looked like amethysts, some as wide as bowls, most much smaller. The ones that shone brightest were closest to the Lady of Gems.
She wasn’t wearing the sack from that morning but a gown of jewel spirals. On her bare back sparkled diamond dust in the pattern of an octopus. It might’ve been a kraken. The lord father had mentioned something about a kraken. Maybe the lord and lady had more in common than Celaise had guessed.
“You and I first met in Oasis City,” the Lady of Gems said without glancing up. “Where you were of no use whatsoever.”
“Don’t think I’ve seen you before,” Celaise said.
“I was with an industrious young man with a sword. He’ll likely be at the wedding.” With a cracking sound, flecks of rock drifted up above the lady’s head into a floating ball. “The next time we crossed paths in Jaraah city. You were together then but still did nothing for my predicament. I was a prisoner.”
Jerani cocked a brow at Celaise. She shrugged.
“All is forgiven, however. You have brought my fennec.” The Lady of Gems spun about. Between her hands glistened a slab of amethyst. It flew to the top of a pile of crystals each with the same pointed shape. Like big spearheads.
The lady leapt and glided to the fox. She took it into her arms, and it started a singsong ruckus. She fussed over the worthless creature. The fox had tormented Celaise and Jerani for weeks, but it was adorable in the lady’s arms with its puff tail and bitty black claws. Each fuzzy ear was bigger than its head.
A dragonfly darted by, catching a mosquito out of the air. Another streaked past in a line of purple.
Jerani wandered off, flexing the hand Celaise had burrowed her roots into. They had slipped back out and left his flesh whole. She would never harm him. No one would hurt him. He tapped his fingers against his chin, looking at the mounds of gemstone.
He had turned his back on the Lady of Gems. Celaise wouldn’t do that. The lady hadn’t been right. They never had met. Celaise had never seen a woman with jewel-studded arms. The lady had a pull to her. It was like she was at the center of a pit, and you couldn’t help falling toward her. Celaise’s insides slid forward. She had to lean back for balance.
The lady’s dress wasn’t a total embarrassment. The gossamer would be like wearing a veil over the body, with gemstones filling voids in the fabric. The stones spiraled inward, smaller and smaller, as if descending into a
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