El and Onine by Ambroziak K. P

Author:Ambroziak, K. P. [Ambroziak, K. P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: K. P. Ambroziak
Published: 2015-03-20T23:00:00+00:00

EL

I tried to recall the things Onine told me in the garden but my memory seemed muddled and I couldn’t be sure if I imagined his admission of love. You are still mine. Did he really say that? Could I really understand his Venusian shrieks? Maybe I’d imagined Tiro’s speech in the steam of the slender tower at the rear of the bathhouse too.

I waited on the golden stones for Tiro to arrive. I’d barely slept but was energized by the thought of seeing Saturnia’s sister at the Temple. Her words would soothe my fear and I could ask her what to do. When Em went to the hall of stones, she said Saturnia’s sister was there.

“She’s one of the three,” she’d said. “She’s the one who told me it’s Tal.”

If Saturnia’s sister sat on the council of three, she knew I was chosen for Tiro, but she may also be the one who convinced the goddess to give me to him. When I thought about that, my courage waned. I hadn’t been invited to the hall of stones and officially given my assignment. She’d want to know how I knew about Tiro and I couldn’t risk Tal’s being discovered. I also couldn’t tell her I understood Venusian tongue and that I’d heard the Kyprian tell me himself in the slender tower. Before I reached the Temple, I convinced myself to abandon my plan to speak with her.

“What’s got you so dazed?”

I’d barely greeted Bee and Em when I got in the cart. They’d been whispering in the corner and I’d only said hello. I couldn’t stand to hear about her and Tal. No doubt she’d have plenty of attempts to report and I’d have trouble getting the thought of them out of my mind as I did last time.

“Nothing,” I said.

“You look exhausted,” Bee said. “Didn’t you sleep?”

I expected them to giggle but they didn’t. When I looked more closely, I saw Em was in tears.

“I’m fine,” I said. “What’s the matter with you?”

She waved her hand at me, but Bee nudged her to tell. “Maybe she can help,” she said.

“If I can,” I said, “I will.”

Em leaned back and put her head on Bee’s shoulder. “You tell her,” she whispered.

“They’ve called it off,” Bee said.

“Called what off?”

“Em’s assignment,” she said. “They told her—”

Em broke in with a tearful plea. “I haven’t seen him for several moonscapes and when they came for me again, I knew that was the reason. I just knew it.” She cried into her veil, as Bee patted her head. I kept one ear open for the road, making sure the cart wasn’t about to stop. “The council called me forward,” she said, “and made me kneel and then I was given a horrid mixture to drink, which made me sick right there on the glass floor in front of them. Saturnia’s sister assured me the sickness would pass and then she sent me off without an escort.”

I found it difficult to understand her through the sobs.

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