Shadows of Discovery by Brenda K. Davies
Chapter Forty-Eight
Amaris stayedwith Lexi as she made her way lower through the palace. She opened doors and peered into countless rooms. Many of them were bedrooms, and some were nurseries; there were dens, libraries, art studios, a couple of music rooms, and one trophy room that made her blood run cold before she shut the door.
And those were the doors that opened for her. There were more than a few that simply refused to budge. She stared curiously at those doors and pulled on the knob a little more than she should have before conceding defeat.
“Many of the rooms have never allowed us entrance,” Amaris said.
“Have you been through the whole palace?”
“I think so, but I’m not sure. I swear the palace sometimes changes around us. Or maybe I only believe that because those have always been the rumors. But it’s so large, and there are so many halls, rooms, secret passages, and stairwells it’s impossible to keep track of them all. I could have been through this whole place dozens of times, or maybe I’ve only ever seen a quarter of it.”
“How fascinating,” Lexi murmured.
“It is a wondrous place.”
“Do you… do you work here willingly?”
“Yes. Though some helots are here because they’re being punished or owe a debt, many others are here to serve our king. I am here to serve my king.”
“Good.”
Lexi would have hated it if this beautiful, kind woman was obligated to be here. But then, for all she knew, Amaris was playing with her and she wasn’t kind at all. She could be trying to gain her trust to learn secrets about Cole.
An uneasy feeling churned in her stomach. She couldn’t trust anyone in this realm, but she hoped time would change that.
When they arrived on the first floor, the unseen clock chimed eleven in the distance.
“I must leave for a bit,” Amaris said. “Would you like me to return you to Lord Colburn’s rooms?”
“No, thank you. I’d like to find the moon room again.”
“It’s right down that hall.” Amaris pointed to the hall on their right. “You can’t miss it. I’ll meet you there at twelve, and we can return to get you ready.”
“Thank you for staying with me.”
“It has been my pleasure.”
When Amaris walked away, Lexi strolled down the hall. As she wandered, she opened and closed doors. Her face reddened when she came across the dance studio, but she smiled before shutting the door.
The next few doors wouldn’t open to her, and then she was in the moon room. A sense of peace descended over her as she took in the glass walls and gold beams carved to look like branches running across the ceiling.
Countless brown vines and green leaves covered half of the glass walls, but the ceiling remained clear of the plants. One of the four moons was directly overhead, but the sun's glow drowned out its silver radiance.
The multicolored, vibrant blooms of the luna flowers turned toward that moon; they weren’t as fully in bloom as the last time she saw them. She suspected the sun’s rays had caused this change.
She entered the room, settled onto the bench, and rested her head against the glass to study the flowers. Some of them turned toward her and revealed their beautiful petals before they closed. When they turned back to the moon, their petals unfurled once more.
The vines rustled as they moved across the glass, and then one of them caressed her hand. She almost jerked her fingers away from the exploring vine that wiggled in the air like a caterpillar in search of a more stable perch but stopped herself before she did.
When she left her hand on the bench, the tip of the vine brushed her finger again before encircling it. The vine enclosed her finger and hand before stopping at her wrist. There, it rose a couple of inches in the air and wiggled its tip like it was waving at her.
Lexi giggled and waved back. When she did, it dipped down and curled into itself a little. It was as if it were ducking bashfully before rising to poke her arm. When she held out her palm, it tapped her as if they were exchanging a high five.
She’d never seen anything like these amazing flowers before; she could spend every day in here playing with them. And they were playful.
The vine relinquished her hand and slid forward until it rested on her lap. Lexi stroked its leaves as it settled there like a dog looking for love. As she caressed the leaves, more vines slid forward until they covered both her hands and her lap.
One of them brushed against Cole’s mark before tapping it as if in recognition. Then it snuggled close against her neck.
There were so many of them, but she didn’t feel uneasy around the plants. Instead, she felt safe and protected beneath their growing weight and the patch of green encompassing her lower half. Resting her head against the glass again, she closed her eyes as she tilted her face toward the sun and moon.
Lexi wondered how Orin and Sahira were getting along, but she would find out soon enough. Tonight, after the ceremony, she would tell Cole about Orin. Once she did, he would want to see his brother. She didn’t know what would happen afterward.
Until then, she planned to enjoy this room and these plants. When she closed her eyes, the warmth of the room and the comfortable weight of the vines lulled her into a peaceful sleep.