The Zodiac Stone

Chapter Fourteen: The Furniture

He climbed five staircases before he saw the first rays of the sun peeking over the jungle tree tops. By the time he had gotten to the top of the fifth stair he was out of breath and panting. He didn't know how he was going to be doing this for the time he was here. Not even considering after the year at Saziel was finally over.

He had to stop and sit on the top of the stair letting his breath catch up to him. He waited for his heart to slow down and got to his feet once he could breathe normally again. He was almost to the red room. He could see the door at the end of the hall across from the open windows now that he knew where it was.

He walked up to the door and knocked waiting only a few seconds and then opened the door. The same darkness flowed out from inside as it had the day before.

Aine didn't think he should say anything and refrained from opening his mouth. He stepped into the shadows and closed the doors.

He waited for the man to say something first and stayed by the door.

"You there, are you the one from yesterday?" he heard the ancient sounding voice from the bed.

"Yes, sir," Aine mumbled.

"Come over here. Help me up," the old man said.

Aine shuffled through the dark not wanting to bump a knee in the dark and made it over to the side of the bed.

He felt around on the mattress and the man's hand shot out like a jungle viper and clamped onto his arm with surprising strength for a man who was over one hundred.

Aine almost fell forward from the grip, having to put out his other arm to catch himself.

He felt the old man pull himself up into a sitting position. "Grab my legs, Ophi."

Aine didn't like that term and felt a small twinge of belittlement even though he strongly believed he was not an Ophiuchus. But then what Cotton-head said the other day repeated in his head.

None of us are Ophiuchus.

It couldn't be true. But to ease his mind on the matter he would go to ShynCity before the end of the year was over. He could even try asking Caedra to drop him off at ShynCity on their way back to the academy.

He reached forward once Sir Talber had sat up, and was holding his position and had to pull the blankets off.

Aine felt the bed until he felt the soft fabric of the man's night pants and hefted his legs to the edge pf the bed. He could feel the thin skin over the very narrow bones.

"Sir Talber," Aine started and then remembered he wasn't supposed to speak unless spoken to. But he'd already started. "Would you mind if we opened the drapes a little?"

A sharp jab caught him off guard. His legs buckled and the wind was sucked out of his lungs for a moment. He wheezed in air.

"Did I ask you to? No. Get me out of this bed!"

Aine helped the man to the edge of the bed and swung his legs around. The skin of the man was dry and scaly and almost made Aine retch from the nasty feeling.

He moved closer having to grab under the arms but then once he had the old man half out of the bed he didn't know where he was going and stood awkwardly with his arms stretched out.

"Bring me to the desk. I need to write a letter and then you will go and fetch me breakfast from the kitchens once I have finished. How is your handwriting?"

Aine looked over his shoulder and squinted in the dark trying to see the desk.

"I write well, sir," Aine struggled to answer. He had an idea he would be writing the letter for him.