Eris Vanserra Fanfiction-A Land Of Lavender And Thistle-Book One

CHAPTER XXIX

Ruth

I don't know how long I sat on the floor of the hallway, calming myself and steadying my breaths. All I knew was that I didn't fail to note the abrupt tension of Brux's body, his head lifting and pointing toward the other end of the hallway.

That was enough to make me get up, dust off my green skirt, fix the pallu at my shoulder, then stride nonchalantly in the opposite direction of the footsteps I later registered. They eventually faded away, leaving Brux and I in the melody of our footfalls and the soft rustle of my saree as I rounded corner after corner, mindlessly pacing to no particular destination.

My thoughts were racing, memories I never wanted to think of – ones I hadn't recalled in years – were resurfacing like a geyser, oozing from the graves of memory I dug them into.

At one moment, I began to fear that they would never leave; now that they had found their way back to my mind – now that his voice, his words, his laugh and cold, rough hands returned to my consciousness – I would never find a way back to my peace.

When my heart began to pound at that idea, when I felt fire in my blood and tasted ash on my tongue, I forced myself to think of something else. I forced myself to gaze at every sparkle on the walls or the doors or the polished floors, to label every color I saw, to notice every trickle of light coming through the tall windows, to hear every sound in each corridor or vast chamber I passed.

Once I ventured through a small garden with a lovely fountain in the corner, I made myself touch every flower, recognize each species and name and meaning. Anything, anything to forget him, to get him out of my head.

As Brux and I veered into a long, broad breezeway curving around a dome at my left, I watched the sunlight skewing through the green leaves and the yellow flowers of the vine honeysuckle. I trod to the crawling plant, brushing my fingertips over the pretty flowers, when a screech of an eagle snagged my attention.

I peered up through the arched opening of the breezeway, looking out at the cloudless cyan sky. As I was not in one of the towers now, but near the bigger buildings of the House, the trees below were not quite as far. Their tree tops were perhaps two stories away, gilded by the sun. However, my eyes kept searching the sky, until I found him; a bald eagle graced the blue surface not that far up, its silhouette almost black from my vantage point.

At the memory of the Fae with tattoos whom I'd killed yesterday, along with his oversized pigeon with sharp claws, I scowled. I still couldn't remember where I had seen that eagle, but it definitely made me skeptic now as I watched this bird soar in several circles before it charged north. I gazed after it all until it was a mere dot in the horizon. Seconds after, scratching Brux behind a soft ear, I continued my journey down the breezeway.

Then, the merry sound of the sarod and the lively drum of the tabla took control of my feet, guiding me along the left wall until I found myself beside a massive pair of ajar doors.

The music was coming from inside.

Biting my lip, I touched the triple moon pendant laying against the green of the pallu while carefully stepping to the doors. Like a child who'd done something wrong, I maid sure I was out of view as I glanced into the immense, dazzling dome. There were no windows, yet light came from everywhere: candelabras in the alcoves, multiple waterfall chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, pouring buttery light onto the mesmerizing, polished walls and floor.

But, what really caught my attention were the dozens of females in Autumn Court attire of all colors. Across the space, a trio – two males and a female – played a sarod and a double tabla, their music streaming through the dome. In the meantime, singing to their melody, a striking woman of sallow skin in a blue-and-yellow saree stood in front of the dancing group, directing them in between the verses. Jhumka earrings gleamed from her arched ears, long, chestnut wavy hair draped down her back as she waved her slim hands at the dancers.