The Opelux and Other Monsters || Book One

CHAPTER 27 (PART 1) - ORION

"Orion?"

I opened my eyes slowly, blinking away blurriness, wondering why he was already waking me up. I could've sworn I'd drifted off only seconds ago. Narrowed, golden eyes came into focus inches from my face, so close I could see a subtle, bluish ring around the iris'.

I gasped and toppled off the bed.

Tritteon shook his head, smirking down at me.

"Ow," I grumbled, rubbing the back of my head. "How long did you let me sleep like that?"

"Seconds. Sorry, but I do not cuddle," he said, sitting up. He stretched his arm and winced, clenching and unclenching his fist like his arm had gone to sleep. "And Colette is coming."

I shot a look toward the blue curtain. A steady beeping sound came from within and Colleena sat outside of it in a chair, her chin resting on her chest as she slept. When had she gotten there?

I picked myself up, relieved by the lack of pain or stiffness in the rest of my body, and plopped down onto my bed. My head pounded, and it wasn't because of my fall. I crushed the heels of my palms against my eyebrows, squishing them together and rubbing them in circular motions. Sleep sounded so good. Just five minutes. That's all I wanted.

I wasn't sure how long it had ended up taking, but I had ingrained in my brain every face of every person working and visiting, their names, where they were from, and, to my dismay, a little of the good and bad things they'd done in their lives. I knew the schedule, the schedule's twenty backup plans, and how to execute them. I knew the exact layout of the entire building and how to use, what Tritteon called, the Portal doors...

"Get up," a voice said above me.

I jumped—and groaned as sharp pains stabbed through my head. I'd actually dozed off. I squinted up at the face leering down at me, trying to blink the heaviness away, and couldn't stop my mouth from falling open.

The woman could easily have been a goddess. Her eyes were a deep brown with what looked like gold surrounding the irises. Her dark skin held a strange, internal glow, with gold dusted along her cheekbones, and the thick, dark curls piled high on her head were full of glittering, gold strands. She walked around to stand next to my bed, her hands on her hips. She was at least seven feet tall, slim and elegant in a floor sweeping, wispy black dress covered in gold flowers.

"Forgive her slowness, Colette," Tritteon said. "She tends to gawk at everything new."

"Sorry." I sat up and rolled my head around on my shoulders. Colette's left eye twinged as my neck let out a short chorus of cracking sounds.

"I've always considered these beds to be more comfortable than that," she said with a grin. "What did you do? Sleep sitting up?"

"Basically." I inclined my head in a bow as I'd seen Tritteon do before. "Uh—Theena Aveeve."

She returned the gesture. "Faber Colette. Royal in-house stylist. You're the new Guardian-in-training?"

"Prospective-Guardian-in-training," Tritteon corrected her.

She waved her hand dismissively. "Don't correct me. I'm not in the mood today." She scanned me. "You look a little ill, sweetie."

I shot Tritteon a look. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to lead a security team today, let alone intimidate FengDohrn, when I feel so awful?"

"You get used to it," Tritteon said dismissively, like my concerns were meaningless.

Colette smiled. "Don't you worry. I'll have you looking the part. And Pharro will have an easy remedy for that headache you look like you have." Her smile turned sly. "She's quite lovely, isn't she Tritteon? Have you kissed this one yet?"