The Opelux and Other Monsters || Book One

CHAPTER 8 - UNKNOWN

"Protected from what? Horace Asis seemed nice enough, and yet, I'm pretty sure Tritteon told him to steer clear of me."

Colleena frowned. "Horace? Oh, no. Horace is in the Infirmary. He came to see me later that night."

I took a step toward her. "Is he alright?"

"He will be fine in a few days."

"Did Tritteon hurt him?"

"What? No! He's just very sick! Tritteon would never do anything to hurt those he is charged to look after."

"But he was so hostile toward him."

"If he seemed hostile, it was only because we ignored his order to stay put and it put him on edge."

"I don't know what Tritteon has to be on edge about. What could I possibly need protecting from?"

"You've read about the Monarchs of ConCiagon. I saw the book and I know how fast you read. Six of the seven are currently here, including their Ambassadors and Guardians."

"It didn't have anything in it on current affairs. Are they not presently getting along?"

"The point of this holiday is to help relieve any tensions." Her eyes darted to my hair for at least the hundredth time since I'd arrived. I'd asked her on multiple occasions over the last few days why she and everyone else did it, but she'd changed the subject every time and I'd given up for the time being. I wouldn't stop noting it though. "But with everything that has happened over the years, you never know." She pointed to the bathroom behind me. "Why don't you go shower before I show you what I brought?"

I eyed the bag, trying to calm my irritation, and nodded.

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Colleena's fingers moved down the front of my new dress like robe, Veehming the buttons into the holes. It looked similar to hers, with its row of tiny silver buttons trailing from right shoulder to left hip and straight down to the hem and its perfect fit around my too thin waist. Mine was white, though, covered in swirling, pearly patterns, and made of a couple layers of silk that split at the front and back to reveal the white, silk pants I wore beneath it.

I would've been working on the buttons myself if I hadn't discovered immediately that doing it manually would have taken forever. I'd already attempted to wrestle one into a hole, the thing so small my shaky fingers couldn't grip it right. After I'd finally succeeded, nearly ripping it off its thread in the process, I realized I had put it through the wrong one.

I eyed my bare toes with their newly formed toenails, where jagged or ripped up ones had been when I'd first arrived. The healing process had been fascinating—Colleena with her glowing fingertips and glowing eyes, sweat on her brow as she had held each foot and hand, pressing two, silver fingers to the sides of each toe or finger, and the toenails and fingernails had slowly regrown.

She stood, stepping back to look me over. "There. Done. That was harder than I thought it would be. Your buttons are smaller than mine." She reached around me to the chest at the foot of the bed and pulled the last item from the bag—a pair of green, slipper shoes. "Green, just like your eyes."

I paused slipping on a shoe. Even four days later, I had yet to find a mirror to see myself. The only things I knew were that I was a malnourished wraith, I had dark red hair, a brand on the back of my neck, and now, green eyes.

She straightened, smoothing out her own dress. "Are you ready?"

I slipped the shoes on, fastening the single satin strap around my ankles and stood, slowly. "I'm not sure now."