“Do me a favor and look a little distressed if we pass anyone. A Lunarian princess is a good get, and I’m aiming for second-in-command.”
Chapter
Seventeen
They walked through endless hallways, dimly lit by flickering torches as they passed under the city streets.
Strange doors peppered the walls, made from a myriad of materials, each stationed with guards who nodded dutifully as Daria passed with her captives.
Astra mentally cataloged questions for Luxuros as they approached the Aurellis family home on the far edge of the city, backing into the Empyrean Sea. Daria poked her head out of a creaking wooden door, looking both ways before she stepped aside and let them through. The street was silent save for a few cats that scattered at the sounds of their boots against the pale lavender cobblestone.
Daria pulled her black hood over her face, casting a dark shadow across her eyes.
The Crescent Manor’s stone walls ran along the last street in Ellume, bits of quartz and crystal sparkling under fading lamplights. A guardhouse glowed from within at the center of the wall. Two maidens perched on chairs inside passed a bottle of moonshine back and forth.
When one spotted Astra, her eyes widened, but she waved them off quickly as they crossed the street.
“Princess! We were not expecting the family.” Her heart exploded into a flurry of violet shame.
“It’s okay! We didn’t send notice. It’s just us. No need to make a fuss,” Astra assured her.
The group pulled back the stone and crystal gate, allowing them passage onto a long curved driveway with an end that disappeared into a lush garden of trees teeming with Summer blossoms. They tracked up the path as the crystal manor rose above them, shining against the velvet sky.
“While they visit the council, perhaps you could stop by the barracks, Commander,” Daria offered as they approached the glittering amethyst front door. “I wouldn’t mind getting your eyes on some things we’re working on. I imagine you have much more experience than I do with these things.”
Luxuros only nodded, his signature pensive stare crumbling as his eyes took in the bizarre array of flora on the manor’s porch.
“Eileen manages the house,” Astra said, noticing his fascination with the colorful spray of petals and leaves. “She’s got quite the green thumb.”
“Speaking of,” Ameera said, her eyes flickering to the glass door at the top of the steps.
Four maidens poured out of the door to greet their mistress. On the tail end stood a woman wrapped in iridescent threads, her robes slipping over the quartz tile of the porch. Her seasoned eyes quickly assessed who she was dealing with, a sigh of relief drawing a cerulean wave within her chest.
“Astra Leona!” The Head Maiden lifted her skirts and stomped across the porch.
“I promise that we have zero expectations, Eileen!”
“Have you forgotten how to write, Princess?”
Astra blushed. She had lapsed in many of her communications, but Eileen had perhaps been her biggest victim. “I am so sorry, Eileen. I promise you, it’s just for a night or two and I don’t care if we’re sleeping on the floor.”
She scoffed, arching an ancient brow.
“Put me to work,” Ameera said, taking Eileen’s hands in hers and disappearing into the house, leaving Astra, Luxuros, and Daria to stand in a tense silence.
The commander spoke first. “Where should we meet you tomorrow?”
“There’s a tavern across the street from the temple, The Waning Wren. Ask the barkeep for the Vega Special. She’ll get you to me.”
“Goodnight then,” Luxuros said, heading for the door. He left it cracked open slightly, unsure whether Astra would follow.
“We trust this guy?” Daria said, leaning against the railing of the porch, her opal hair tucked behind her ear.
“You’re the one shaking hands and speaking in foreign languages.”
“Vetting,” Daria said, flashing a grin.
A wave of burgundies and dusty roses wafted from the floors above them as maidens zipped room to room to prepare for house guests. Astra tried to tune them out, focusing instead on the rhythmic crashing of the waves against the beaches beyond the gardens.
