Luminous

80 - Warmly We Welcome Thee

Hyacinth "Castle" was the largest adobe complex boasting the most windcatchers, built at the innermost of the city, with the Blue Mountains as its rear defense.

Lady Amoriah Hyacinth lounged on her throne, legs parted, one foot resting on her other knee, her fingers stirring in a bowl of dates. Her clean-shaven scalp and blue-black eyes gleamed in the sunlight streaming in through the windows. Her bare breasts spilled over her three-tiered belly, which in turn spilled over her groin. She stood up and threw out her arms, then crushed little Amara within them. Once the poor winded girl had toddled off to take her place beside her three hulking sisters, Amoriah turned to her gathered guests.

"The infamous Coris Hadrian!" She cried in delight as she descended the steps, arms thrown out wide as her smile. She swooped down for the customary cheek-rubs, then drew back and surveyed him head to toe.

"Have you grown thinner, my boy? You should give my Ahmundi some advice. Can't have the boy take after his mother, can I? Ha-ha-ha—"

Her hearty belly laugh was replaced by a scowl once she'd sensed the lack of her son in the room. She glanced about, arms on her hips.

"Where is that boy? Must've sent for him a quarter hour ago!" She barked at a manservant in the shadows, who hastily bowed and scurried out a side-door.

Coris creaked up an uneasy smile.

"I hope you're joking, Amoriah. You wouldn't want your only son to adopt my methods, I'm sure." Amoriah spun back, eyebrows raised, then shrugged.

Meya blinked, aghast.

How dare she! Did she just proclaim Coris's torture to be beauty? Would she rather her own son scorch his bowels if that was what it takes to achieve a figure like Ozid?

Meya opened her mouth, but Coris beat her to it with a bow.

"I'm so sorry for all the trouble." Amoriah rolled her eyes and waved in exasperation, but he persisted, "We owe you our lives. I've written to Father. I'm sure he'd no longer haggle on Hyacinth's richest carmine."

Amoriah threw her head back and snorted.

"Agh, letters. I'd pick the reek of spit over ink any day." She shook an exacting finger before Coris's sweating nose. "I won't squish one beetle until you've asked him to the face and received a yes. You could do that right now, in fact."

She cocked her head to the side, a mischievous grin dancing on her lips. As her visitors gawked in confusion, she turned and nodded at the shadows. Two familiar figures emerged.

Kellis and Sylvia Hadrian.

Air itself seemed to have frozen. By the steely glint in their eyes, Meya realized in terror that their jig was up. Partially or all—it was up to them to test the waters and contain the fallout.

"Father. Mother. What brings you here?"

Coris stepped up to shield her on instinct, his bright smile distracting them from his trembling arms. Sylvia blanched bone-white in exasperation.

"You nearly died, Lexi! Shouldn't that warrant at least a letter?" She snapped. She'd flounced halfway down the steps, before Kellis stopped her with a gentle but firm hand around her forearm. He dipped the ever-gracious Amoriah a slight bow of apology, then turned back to his sons.

"You said you have the truth for us, Zier?"

Meya's heart skipped a beat. She whipped around to Coris and found wide, unblinking gray eyes staring back. The pallor of rage consumed whatever color was left on his face, then he rounded on his treacherous little brother.